Gillian Anderson. (Getty Images)
Gillian Anderson has sparked debate after a viral clip showed her asking repeat attendees of her West End run not to sit in the front row because it distracts her during the show.
In a video filmed outside London’s Soho Place theatre, that has since gone viral on X, the 58-year-old actor is seen speaking to fans at the stage door after a performance of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
In the clip, Anderson says: “You guys cannot sit in the front row. I don’t care; you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.”
She then adds: “You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad.”
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The fans are not shown on camera, but can be heard responding. The clip had amassed more than 4million views on TikTok.
Gillian Anderson responds
After the clip circulated, Anderson, who spoke of her pansexuality last month, addressed it in a statement on X, urging people not to turn the moment into a pile-on.
Gillian Anderson (Getty Images)
“The video doing the rounds is me talking with women I go back over 20 years with – so please don’t say anything negative to or about them,” she wrote.
Anderson also stressed that the theatre’s layout makes the front row especially visible from the stage: “We’re thrilled to be doing this show but for people in the front row, please be aware that in such an intimate venue we can all see you and sometimes, it can be a tad distracting!”
She signed off: “That’s all. All good. On with the show and love to everyone and thank you to all of those coming.”
Anderson and theatre etiquette
Anderson is currently playing Martha opposite Billy Crudup as George in Edward Albee’s landmark 1962 play, a late-night, alcohol-fuelled confrontation between two couples. The production is being staged in-the-round at Soho Place, and the sold-out run wraps on 19 December.
The moment has landed during a wider run of performers calling out audience behaviour. Cate Blanchett and Cynthia Erivo have both spoken publicly about phone use and filming during performances.
Anderson is also no stranger to intense fandom. The US-born star became a pop culture icon as Dana Scully in The X-Files, and later reached a new generation of viewers as Jean Milburn in Netflix’s Sex Education.