Why yes, I did use a header photo of Gillian Anderson as David Bowie, a.k.a. Media from Bryan Fuller's AMERICAN GODS, to start off this article about Anderson playing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Netflix's THE CROWN. Yes, I am very proud of myself for this decision. If anything, this little picture proves the versatility of one Gillian Anderson, the mega babe who stole our hearts as the skeptical FBI Agent Dana Scully on THE X-FILES in the early 1990s, then went on to provide a sexual awakening to women across the globe years later as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier on NBC's vastly underrated television series HANNIBAL. No wonder Bryan Fuller wanted to work with her again.
It's easy to see why any filmmaker would want to work with the renowned actress, especially Peter Morgan, writer of FROST/NIXON, executive producer of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, and creator of THE CROWN. When it came time to choose who would depict the fiercely iconic Iron Lady, Morgan knew he had to cast an actor who could capture the infamous ruler in all of her wicked glory, while at the same time paying respect to the idiosyncrasies which made up the icon on a personal level. Anderson will play Thatcher in the fourth season of THE CROWN, in which the series is likely to move into the 1970s, where Thatcher served as Britain’s first female Prime Minister between 1979 to 1990.
The third season of the Netflix drama will air later this year. Olivia Colman will replace Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and Tobias Menzies will replace Matt Smith as Prince Philip. Ben Daniels will play Antony Armstrong-Jones, starring alongside Helena Bonham Carter’s Princess Margaret. The third season will begin in 1963 and will cover events such as the rise of the Beatles and England winning the soccer World Cup in 1966. Characters such as Camilla Parker Bowles, Call the Midwife‘s Emerald Fennell, will also come forward in the next season.
Gillian Anderson is repped by CAA. The casting news was first covered by The Sunday Times.