American reporter awkwardly asks The Crown's Gillian Anderson if she has talked to Margaret Thatcher, who died 8 years ago

published 20 September 2021

Gillian Anderson has "not spoken" to Margaret Thatcher about playing her on Netflix's The Crown — which might have something to do with the fact that the former British prime minister has been dead for eight years.

The X-Files alum at Sunday's Emmys won the best supporting actor in a drama series award for starring as Thatcher on Netflix's royal drama The Crown. But the actress faced a bizarre question from a reporter backstage at the show, who wanted to know if Anderson spoke with Thatcher about the role. Either they were expecting her to give a response that involved receiving guidance on her performance through a ouija board, or the reporter was unaware of the fact that Thatcher died in 2013. The season of The Crown featuring Anderson as Thatcher debuted in 2020.

Anderson didn't correct the journalist on this, simply responding, "I have not spoken to Margaret." She quickly moved on to the second part of the journalist's question about why it's taken the United States "so long to get a female leader," given what Thatcher "did in the U.K." The actress suggested Vice President Kamala Harris might change that. "Maybe Kamala Harris at some point," Anderson said. "Maybe that's the next step." Watch the awkward exchange below.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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