In 'The Crown,' Gillian Anderson Explores Thatcher's 'Powerplay' With The Queen

Actor Gillian Anderson says lying about her age helped her land the role that first made her famous. Anderson was just 24 — but claimed to be 27 — on her initial audition for the role of Dana Scully, a doctor investigating paranormal phenomena on The X-Files.

"I had no experience whatsoever. I had only ever done a couple of plays and scenes in college," Anderson says. "If [Scully] comes across as being a little bit cocky and at the same time green, it's all real. It's me trying to pretend like I know that I am the person that I say I am."

Anderson played Scully for the show's entire 11-season run, which spanned from 1993 until 2018. Now she's taking on a very different role as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on the Netflix series, The Crown.