Gillian Anderson has opened up about identifying as pansexual at 58. The X-Files actress, who is a mum of three, revealed that her experience working on Sex Education helped her become more sex-positive.
Gillian Anderson says she lacked the language to describe her sexuality when she was younger
In a September 10 interview with The Australian, the two-time Golden Globe winner opened up about her sexuality and discussed her past relationships with women. The actress said, “In my younger years, I was in relationships with women.” The actress shared that she is currently in a relationship with a man. Anderson has been linked to The Crown creator Peter Morgan since 2016. However, she has remained private about the details of their relationship.
The actress told the outlet, “I’m not a big flirter. I don’t put it out there very much. I do hear of a lot of women around our age who are rediscovering their sensuality and their desire for sex. It certainly sounds like they’re in the dating field. That they’re having a lot of fun, a lot of opportunities, but also being approached on these apps by much younger men.”
Anderson credited her role as Jean Milburn on Sex Education with making her more open about sex and sexuality. “It all came from that character,” she said. Her experience on the show eventually inspired her books Want and More, which feature anonymous letters from women around the globe detailing their sexual desires and fantasies.
Anderson opened up about her dating history while speaking to The Sunday Times in August 2026. The actress said her early relationship with a girl felt forbidden because they had to keep it private. She also shared that a boyfriend later left her after finding out, saying she struggled to identify her sexuality at the time because she was interested in men as well. Anderson shares her eldest child, daughter Piper, 31, with ex-husband Clyde Klotz. She also has two sons, Oscar, 19, and Felix, 17, with former partner Mark Griffiths.
