Gillian Anderson on Making a “Choice Not to Work”
A sizable age difference between her eldest child — Piper Maru, 13 — and the son she expects in October gives Gillian Anderson the benefit of hindsight. The 39-year-old actress says there are at least some things she plans to do differently, and first and foremost on her list is taking a proper maternity leave, as she did after the birth of her second child, 20-month-old Oscar. When she delivered her daughter, Gillian’s then-hit television show The X-Files was at the peak of its fame. "Poor Piper lived in my trailer for the first nine years of her life," Gillian notes in a new interview, "So now, to be able to make the choice not to work at the end of my last pregnancy — because I worked right up to the end of Piper’s — and not to work for the first six months after having Oscar was quite wonderful."
Gillian says that shooting The X-Files: I Want To Believe, which hit theaters yesterday, presented its own share of problems, however. Not wanting to pull Piper from school, Gillian says she spent a month away from her daughter while making the movie, adding "it was the longest time I’d been away from her." Fortunately, Gillian says, Piper’s dad Clyde Klotz "and his partner came and lived in our house and took care of her for a month." Calling the effort to balance motherhood and her career "a bit of a challenge," Gillian also revealed that Oscar’s "just started to talk" and "can say his name now."
Baby-on-the-way and Oscar are Gillian’s children with boyfriend Mark Griffiths.
Source: Times Online; Photo by Tuukka Jantti/Pacific Coast News.
- Posted on Jul 26, 08 at 6:00PM
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- 19 Comments
July 26th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I have a pretty big age gap between my kids too, 14, 10, 2. I call it the 3T’s. Teen, Tween and Toddler. LOL!
July 26th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
i love her. she’s such a smart woman and is so reflective and insightful.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I have to say, I do not like the title of this post, because it’s misleading – it makes it sound like Gillian is going to be a housewife after the baby, not just take a maternity leave. I don’t read that in her answer at all. She sounds like a smart and accomplished woman who is proud of her work and her family, and I don’t think she would like this title.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
But that is a direct quote from Gillian, it’s not like CBB made it up lol. Why would she be mad when it came from her own mouth?
Anyway, I took a shorter maternity leave with my second son (10 weeks) and I really regret it, so good for her.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Even a direct quote is misleading when it’s out of context. If you actually read the interview, she is saying that she is happy that she can choose not to work LATE IN THE PREGNANCY this time. Dropping off that part really changes the meaning, doesn’t it?
July 26th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
It was a surprise for me to hear her quote about her ex husband going to live in her house in London while she was in Canada filming Xfiles with her boyfriend and young kid. Kudos for her.
Gillian is one of the most interesting and intelligent actress around.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I applaud her concern for the well-being of her children above her own career, but I wonder how, exactly, her children got an apparently homosexual father (a man with a “partner”). By definition, a homosexual human cannot procreate.
I know not everyone agrees, but surely the first responsibilty of all parents is to be parents, not standalones relying on surrogates.
I suppose in CA this is what passes as noteworthy parenting: Bringing your children into the world without a family, and then taking the high ground when money forces you to turn them ove rto their queer daddy and his boyfriend. LOL @ that and this site.
July 26th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Right, sure the blog authors read every post. You have several within minutes, then none–nice big-fat lie.
More like: We post the article and some fake responses, then we ignore everything else.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I was in L.A for 7 days to go to these GA/X-Files events. (nerd, I know) But it was great. I got to see Gillian on Leno on the 22nd, then in Hollywood for the premier on the 23rd (I actually saw her daughter Piper in the theatre too) and then saw her again on the 24th on Jimmy Kimmel. That should air on Tuesday. I also got to talk to Mark, her boyfriend. He seems like a nice guy. GA is so stunning all cute and pregnant!!
July 26th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
This is off topic, but I am dying to hear some baby news about Gwen Stefani!!! Haven’t seen pictures of her in well over a week. Does anyone know if she had the baby yet?
July 26th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Is her ex gay or does “partner” refer to a woman?
Either is fine obviously, but Im just curious.
July 26th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
She also talks about her boyfriend also as partner. So I assume is a women..
July 27th, 2008 at 12:31 am
haha thats not a bad gap the ages of the 8 kids in my family are 24 22 15 14 12 10 9 & 5 so theres 18 almost 19 years between my oldest brother & little sister & thats only because my mom was 21 when she had my brother & almost 40 when she had my sister i think her daughter might like there being an age gap like this that way she will be able to remember it all i wish i could remember when my mom had my sister i was only 8
July 27th, 2008 at 2:02 am
Xena, why is it kudos to Gillian that her partner came to stay… shouldn’t it be kudos to him?
July 27th, 2008 at 2:53 am
I don’t understand why she should be offended by the title.
Who reads the article, then clearly understands. If somebody reads only titles than no wonder that misunderstanding can happen.
And after all being housewife isn’t anything what anybody could be offended by.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I think the point is kudos to everyone. There are challenges for each person who is part a blended family and it only works when everyone works at, and is acknowledged for, their commitment to making an atmosphere of love and respect for their children. I have an amazing mother, three fathers, and two stepmothers who have continually worked at building relationships with one another that have given my two sisters and I an amazing gift: an entire family of people whose focus and priority has always been their commitment to the entire family even during the most difficult times. We kids are not 28, 22, and 9 and I’m so thankful to all of my parents for giving us the tools to become the women (and emerging young woman) that we are. Quite a testament to the old cliche. There’s no “I” in Team.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:52 am
1)Sara, you are Lucky!!!
2)The cjoice of the headline for this article is…”misleading” (I agree with the girls). I know that Gillian (probably, like any other person) doesnt like such “editing” when her quote is cut off and put into a different context. I agree that the title should be suspenseful and intriguing, But there are other ways to atchieve that. Anyway, thanks for the article, Missy.
3)Gilli, I think Piper has never thought herself to be poor just because she had to live in your trailer for the first nine years of her life. I think the main thing for her was to have You close, to be with You…
July 27th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Hey I think if she wants to spend more time at home with her kids and not work for the rest of her pregnancy that fine with me. And I agree with the other person with the title. But I think is funny is the part then Piper father came over to watched over her and it saids his partner came to watched over Piper for the month, that as that a missprinted or that the truth.
July 27th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I think its wonderful Gillian wants to take more time off to be with her new baby when its born and its not a bad thing that Piper was with her on set of The X-Files.I’m sure Gillian doesn’t mean Piper and she literally ate,sleep and lived in that trailer,she simply means during the day when Gillian filmed Piper stayed in the trailer,I assume she was probably tutored so she didn’t miss school.
Although most people wouldn’t allow it she was gracious enough and willing to let her husband and his girlfriend I assume it was a girlfriend to stay at her home with her/his daughter,I can’t say I blame her.It was what was best to do for Piper and who else better to care for her than her own father?I wish Gillian and her ever growing family the best and can’t wait to see what her next movies are