The actress also finds the role of Media "pretty daunting".
Gillian Anderson is one of the most recognisable actresses of the modern day. Whether you know her from her early acting days in 'The X-Files', or her more recent roles such as Stella in crime drama series 'The Fall', she's somebody who manages to bring a real sense of relatablity to each character she brings to life. When you see Anderson take on a role, you wonder if anybody else would have been able to do as good a job.
Gillian Anderson enjoying the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet
Her most recent small screen role is that of Media in 'American Gods'. Based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman, the series tells the story of an impending war between the Old Gods and the New Gods, with Ricky Whittle and Ian McShane leading the charge on the show as Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday respectively.
"It is a delicious opportunity," she responded when asked about embodying Media and the legendary icon she's allowed to take on in doing so. "It's also pretty daunting, as you can imagine. I have been a little bit gun shy in a way, and nervous about paying attention to any responses, or really much of anything. It's not a small deal, to jump into or pretend to be such iconic human beings. On the one hand, it's delightful and a wonderful challenge, figuring out not just what of that person remains, what of Media remains, what of me remains, what the take will be that is effective for the telling of the story - but also, what is possible? What's possible without prosthetics? What's possible with just make-up? What's possible with just your voice? It's fun, but it's daunting."
So far, Anderson has taken on the likes of Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie during her time in the role of Media, and it looks as if there will be plenty of big figureheads in her future that she'll also be able to step into the shoes of.
She adds of her character in the chat with The Hollywood Reporter: "Media has an intention and a darkness to her, that doesn't necessarily show up in the other characters. There's a through line of that that seeps through sometimes."
Media is certainly one of the show's most alluring characters. As a viewer (and even as a reader in the original novel), you can't help but be charmed by the New God, despite knowing she's fighting for the side the main characters you're following are going up against. We can't wait to see what she's got up her sleeves next...
More: 'American Gods' Showrunners Will Offer Equal Nudity
'American Gods' continues Sundays in the US on Starz and Mondays in the UK on Amazon Prime Video.
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