Gillian Anderson on More, Sexuality, Self-Discovery and Embracing Freedom

In a new interview with The Cut , Gillian Anderson discusses More, the follow-up to her acclaimed collection of women's erotic fantasie...

In a new interview with The Cut, Gillian Anderson discusses More, the follow-up to her acclaimed collection of women's erotic fantasies, her experiences working on The Fall and Sex Education, her evolving understanding of sexuality, upcoming film projects, and the freedom to explore who we are without shame. Open-minded, witty, and willing to challenge her own boundaries, Gillian once again demonstrates that her career extends far beyond the roles that first made her famous.

From Dr. Jean Milburn to Personal Liberation

Gillian admits that playing Jean Milburn, the sex therapist in Sex Education, was not initially what drew her to the project. In fact, she turned it down at first. What ultimately changed her mind was Jean's complicated relationship with her son, Otis, as well as the character's moral ambiguity and her tendency to do things that most people would never expect from a mother.

Jean was curious, intrusive, unpredictable, and willing to cross boundaries that many people would consider inappropriate. That unusual combination of qualities was precisely what made the character so interesting to Anderson.

The actress also wanted Jean to become a more complex and relatable person as the series progressed. She was particularly interested in exploring the character's experience of perimenopause and menopause, allowing her vulnerability to emerge instead of presenting her as an almost idealized woman who always knows what she is doing.

Gillian wanted Jean to become more real, recognizable, and relatable as she navigated these changes.

This development allowed Anderson to explore Jean's anxiety, insecurities, and moments when she struggles to manage her own emotions. It was important to her that Jean should not simply be a woman who talks confidently about sexuality, but also someone who faces personal challenges despite her professional knowledge.

That is one of the series' most interesting messages: understanding a subject does not automatically mean that we have figured everything out in our own lives.

How Stella Gibson Changed the Way She Saw Herself

Although Sex Education brought Gillian even closer to conversations about sexuality and intimacy, she particularly credits her role as Stella Gibson in the British crime drama The Fall with helping her feel more liberated.

Stella is sexually confident, independent, and entirely comfortable with her own sensuality. Anderson believes that playing such a character gave her the opportunity to relax and explore a side of herself that she had not always felt comfortable expressing.

Interestingly, the actress draws a clear distinction between the characters she plays and who she is in private.

Gillian has admitted that she is far more likely to withdraw and hide than to openly flirt. Describing herself as someone who is not naturally inclined to flirt, she acknowledges that the confidence audiences see on screen does not necessarily come effortlessly in everyday life.

That is what makes her experience particularly interesting. The confidence she portrays on screen is not always something she can simply carry into her personal life. Sometimes, exploring a particular side of oneself through a character can be the first step toward gradually discovering a more comfortable relationship with it.

Anderson also explains that interviews and promotional conversations surrounding Sex Education helped her become more comfortable discussing sexual health, access to information, and intimacy.

The more openly we talk about a subject, the less room there is for embarrassment. Something that once felt uncomfortable or overly personal can gradually become a natural part of everyday conversation.

More: A Book Giving Women a Voice

The idea for Want emerged after Anderson came across Nancy Friday's 1973 book My Secret Garden while preparing for her role in Sex Education. The book is a collection of women's sexual fantasies that helped open up conversations about experiences rarely discussed publicly at the time.

Gillian was struck by the boldness of the material. She had expected a collection from the 1970s to be much more conventional, but instead discovered that women's fantasies were far more diverse than she had imagined.

That discovery inspired her to launch her own project, inviting women from around the world to share their most intimate thoughts anonymously.

The result was Want, published in 2024, which became a New York Times bestseller. With More, Anderson wanted to take the project further by including a broader range of experiences, reaching different communities, and allowing women to write without too many restrictions.

From Gillian's perspective, it has become more important than ever for women to hear how other women discover and embrace their own agency.

For her, these books are not simply collections of provocative stories. They are an opportunity for women to recognize their own desires while discovering just how different other women's experiences can be.

That diversity is one of the central elements of More. Anderson and her team wanted to include as wide a range of experiences as possible, without suggesting that there is only one acceptable way to think about or express sexuality.

Why More Is Bolder Than Its Predecessor

Gillian believes that the women who contributed to More felt freer and more confident than those who submitted stories for the first book.

When Want was first developed, the idea was to give women an opportunity to share their fantasies anonymously. However, the submission process included certain restrictions, and many women began writing without ever completing or submitting their stories.

Anderson began questioning why anyone should have to limit their expression in advance, particularly when it comes to personal fantasies that do not necessarily represent a desire to act on them in real life.

For the second book, she wanted a more open approach, allowing potentially problematic material to be considered afterward rather than discouraging contributors before they had even begun.

The result, she suggests, is a collection marked by greater determination, courage, and a willingness to express things without apologizing for them.

The positive response to the first book also played an important role. It demonstrated that there was an audience eager to engage with these subjects and that anonymity could be invaluable in overcoming shame or fear of judgment.

Gillian also reflects on how society has, in many respects, become more cautious and conservative over the past decade or two. In her view, people increasingly focus on whether something is acceptable before attempting to understand why it makes them uncomfortable.

Between Fantasy, Trust, and Boundaries

The books Want and More explore an extraordinary range of fantasies, from those readers may immediately understand to others that might provoke surprise or discomfort.

Anderson also discusses some of the more unusual fetishes she encountered while reading the submissions. She was particularly interested in questions of anonymity and trust in situations involving strangers, as well as the ways people relate to vulnerability and surrendering control.

For Gillian, it is important that these stories are not viewed solely as sensational material. They can raise broader questions about boundaries, trust, identity, and the meaning people attach to their fantasies.

Her intention is not to suggest that every fantasy should be acted upon, but to demonstrate the extraordinary diversity of the human imagination and desire.

Fantasy and reality are not the same thing. Something that intrigues a person in their imagination does not necessarily represent an experience they want to pursue in real life. That is precisely why anonymous writing can provide a valuable space to explore thoughts without feeling that they must automatically become decisions or actions.

Gillian Anderson on Her Own Identity

During the interview, Gillian also speaks candidly about her personal understanding of sexuality.

Asked about her previous reluctance to use labels describing sexual orientation, Anderson explains that she now feels much more comfortable identifying as pansexual.

She reflects on how her earlier same-sex relationships were meaningful, but took place when she was younger and not necessarily looking for a long-term relationship. At the time, she was unsure whether she had the right to use a particular label to describe herself.

Over time, through a deeper understanding of her own feelings and what she wants from a relationship, she has become more comfortable describing her identity.

The more clearly she understands herself, what feels right to her, and what she would want from a relationship, the more honest that description feels.

This part of the conversation is particularly meaningful because it highlights the fact that self-understanding does not have to be a once-and-for-all discovery. People have the right to reconsider their conclusions, find the words that feel right, and change how they describe themselves as they gain a clearer understanding of who they are.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma: The Appeal of an Unconventional Film World

Among the projects Gillian discusses is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which attracted her through its distinctive approach to storytelling and visual expression.

Anderson was particularly impressed by the film I Saw the TV Glow and subsequently wanted to work with filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun and her creative team.

She was drawn to a world in which reality, fantasy, and dreams continually overlap. Gillian described how challenging it can be to create a film that works on several levels, allowing audiences to enjoy the surface story while gradually discovering its deeper meaning.

For her, production design, set design, and the overall visual language are essential parts of cinematic storytelling. They are not simply decoration, but tools for creating an entirely convincing world.

The project is another example of her willingness to explore unusual and unconventional stories rather than relying exclusively on familiar formulas.

Hannah Einbinder Made a Lasting Impression

Speaking about her colleague Hannah Einbinder, Gillian particularly praised her charisma and confidence.

She described Einbinder as someone who possesses a shy, intellectual, slightly nerdy side while also having the ability to transform into a magnetic presence who commands attention.

Anderson was impressed by her freedom in front of the camera and the confidence she displayed when appearing in her underwear in front of other people during filming.

Gillian found her magnetic, sexy, and remarkably self-assured.

She also admitted that she was not sure she would have the courage to put herself in the same situation.

The comment reveals a charming side of Anderson. Despite her long career and experience with demanding roles, she does not try to present herself as someone who never feels insecure. Instead, she can recognize and admire another person's confidence while remaining honest about her own boundaries.

What's Next? Theatre, New Projects, and More Film

When it comes to the future, Gillian Anderson has no plans to slow down. At the time of the interview, she was preparing for the stage production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? while also developing several projects as a producer, with filming planned for the following year.

She also mentioned a new book that she would discuss publicly at a later date, while emphasizing that she wants to devote more time to film.

That ambition, however, will require her to be more selective about television projects and to turn down certain opportunities.

Anderson acknowledges that she will have to be brave enough to let some opportunities pass so that she can focus more on film.

The statement reflects an important shift in her professional priorities. After so many years in the industry, she wants to make more room for projects that genuinely excite her creatively, even if that means declining opportunities that might otherwise seem appealing.

Her goal is not simply to keep working, but to decide where she wants to invest her time and energy.

Gillian Anderson Today: The Freedom to Be Who We Are

Looking at the themes she explores in the interview, it becomes clear that her work on Want and More is a natural extension of her acting career.

Through her characters, Anderson has explored women who refuse to fit neatly into simple categories: Dana Scully, the scientist who relies on reason; Stella Gibson, who refuses to accept other people's definitions of femininity; and Jean Milburn, who speaks openly about sexuality while confronting insecurities of her own.

Now, through her work with anonymous accounts from women of different backgrounds, she continues to explore the same subject from another perspective: the right to understand our own needs without dismissing them simply because they do not fit other people's expectations.

Her story is not about becoming someone who is no longer embarrassed by anything. On the contrary, Gillian openly acknowledges that she, too, has had to work through her own boundaries and develop a greater sense of confidence.

Perhaps that is precisely what makes her so compelling. She does not present confidence as a quality that we either possess or lack, but as something we can build through experience, honesty, and a willingness to ask ourselves difficult questions.

As she prepares for new theatre, film, and literary projects, one thing remains certain: Gillian Anderson continues to find new ways to surprise audiences, challenge conventions, and remind us that sometimes the most exciting part of a career is what comes next.