The X-Files and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson has put a clear name to her orientation after years of avoiding rigid labels. In an interview with The Australian, the 58-year-old actor stated that she identifies as pansexual—attracted to people regardless of their gender or gender identity.
Anderson has never hidden her past, having dated women in her youth as well as relationships with both men and women throughout her life. Looking back, she noted that growing up in a conservative environment left her without the language or representation to describe her fluid sexuality at the time.
"I'm pan, so pansexual, in the sense of being attracted to all genders,"
Anderson explained.
She credits her role as sex therapist Jean Milburn in Sex Education for pushing her toward open conversations about desire, which directly inspired her books (Want and More) collecting anonymous letters and sexual fantasies from women worldwide.
It isn't a massive, dramatic reveal so much as a straightforward label that fits. Instead of leaning into tabloid hype, Anderson simply demonstrates that figuring out your personal narrative doesn't come with an expiration date.
