Ever since a terrifying childhood experience, Gillian Anderson has stayed away from horror movies. But over the past decade, she's become increasingly interested in dark true crime.
"Plus, I worked on "The X-Files" for so long that my daughter often jokes that her childhood consisted of driving a stroller with severed heads in it," says the actor.
Now she also has the lead role in "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma". It was because of the role, she says. She plays Billy, an actress from the first in a long line of slasher films set at the teenage camp Camp Miasma. Billy lives out in the wilderness and is approached by Kris, a young director who is going to revive the old horror hit.
Billy is an iconic character. There's so much in her, she's processed so much of what she's been through. And there's a playfulness in the film, which plays a very big role.
A kind of worship
In the new film, Billy has many fans among fictional horror movie fans. Gillian Anderson herself has extensive experience with the same kind of worship after many years with the classic TV series “The X-Files”.
"At first we didn't notice much of the attention. We were working 17-18 hours a day and it was only when we were at awards ceremonies that we realized how big it was. It's so different today, with social media," she says.
She can understand how important it is for people to meet characters they feel they know.
Even though I don't feel like it's me they're meeting. I don't feel like, "Oh, they love me." But I'm happy to show up and become this character that they think they know.
Don't understand
"Teenage Sex..." can be seen as both an homage to and a parody of slasher films. But even though she enjoys her character, the film hasn't made Gillian Anderson appreciate the genre more.
"I don't understand why horror movies are so important," she says.
However, this film is not pure horror, nor is it particularly scary, despite all the blood - Gillian Anderson emphasized this at the premiere.
"It's quite deep," she said then.
Facts: Gillian Anderson
Age: 57.
Current: In "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" which premieres August 14th.
Family: Partner Peter Morgan, three children.
Lives: London.
Previous films and TV series in selection: "The X-Files", "Tristram Shandy", "Bleak House", "The Last King of Scotland", "Bright Prospects", "Hannibal", "American Gods", "The Crown", "Sex Education".
