As a mom, Gillian Anderson finds new role "shocking"

For Gillian Anderson, being on stage is a priority.  Now that she’s a soon-to-be mom of three, the 39-year-old actress says "[The theater is] important enough to me in my life, that I think I’d choose it regardless of whether I could feed my children." Those children — including Piper Maru, 13, Oscar, 20-months on Tuesday, and a baby due in the fall — will no doubt be on Gillian’s mind as she as she assumes the controversial role of Nora in A Doll’s House, a character who ultimately leaves her family to start a new life of her own.  "’How does a woman… how can a woman… abandon her children like that?" Gillian recently mused.  She added,

To some of us, it just feels absolutely shocking. I couldn’t imagine it, and yet it happens all the time for one reason or another.

Oscar and the new baby are Gillian’s children with boyfriend Mark Griffiths; Piper is Gillian’s daughter with ex-husband Clyde Klotz.

Source: Daily Mail; Photo by Tony Barton for WireImage.

Comments

What a strange comment to make about the theater! I’m sure it was hyperbolic, but sort of a weird thing for a mom to say.

Otherwise, I can’t wait to find out the sex of her new baby.

- Xan on June 27th, 2008

I think she is trying to say how passionate she is about theater. Obviously she can feed her children, very well, so for her to say that is easy.

Or maybe she has pregnant hormonal brain and is not thinking clearly!

- Ivey on June 27th, 2008

I think she’s basically saying that she chooses to work even if she already has the money to care for her children. She doesn’t want to give up theater even though she has enough money to take care of her family, she choose to work regardless.

- Tara on June 27th, 2008

Can I just add that the link to the article about this is here http://www.gilliananderson.ws/news/index.shtml#newsitemEkEuVkVEVVmGkWcRGD

(Gillian’s official website).

I just wanted to clarify that yes, she was talking about the theatre being important to her, but the context, as you’ll see, was how little money stage work pays – and she joked that she’d do it regardless of whether it paid enough to feed her children!

Thanks!

- Marie on June 27th, 2008

Thanks Marie for adding that comment- I was confused too at what she meant but now I get it. TFS!

- Emaline on June 27th, 2008

Isn’t Anderson the person that moved to England and left her daughter back in Vancouver? Strange remark coming from a person who did that.

- John B on June 28th, 2008

I hope she dosen’t do the play too soon after the baby is born, so she and bond with the child after it’s born. And spend time with the child like she did after having Oscar.The play sound go to me to watch if I live in london I would see it. Hope to see the third miracle child with Piper and Oscar pictures really soon.

- holly on June 30th, 2008

Gillian Anderson didn’t move to London and ‘leave’ her daughter in Vancouver. She and Piper’s father shared custody of her after their divorce and she spent equal time with each parent in Vancouver, where they both have homes and where Piper first started school. Once The X-Files ended, it was simply that Gillian travelled back and forth between Vancouver and London depending on when it was her time to be with her daughter.

This was the custody arrangement her parents had until Piper finished elementary school, when, as Gillian explained a year or two beforehand, the plan was for her to be educated in England. So in 2005, Piper moved to London to start middle school and live there with Gillian full-time. Gillian has spoken often about the quality of education and exposure to different cultures that her daughter is able to experience in England – although she ‘considers herself very much Canadian, and very proud of it.’

Gillian has kept her home in Vancouver; she was just photographed there over the holiday with her partner, their two young sons, and her daughter whose father still lives there.

From what I understand, Piper visits her father during the holidays and he visits her during the school year; he was in London, in Gillian’s home, to look after Piper while Gillian filmed The X-Files movie in Vancouver last year. Neither parent wanted to take her out of school.

So, what you have by all accounts is a very loved, well-adjusted young girl. I’ve seen Piper with Gillian and Gillian’s family and there’s clearly a lot of love and happiness there.

- Marie on August 22nd, 2009