Did any of these characters spark your gay awakening?
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY MUBI
Gillian Anderson has many impressive acting credits under her belt. As well as delivering spellbinding performances, she’s a certified queer icon. Her roles have sparked many a DIVA’s gay awakening. Everybody say thank you, Gillian! To celebrate the recent release of sapphic slasher Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma, we’re looking back on and ranking some of her gayest roles so far (from least to most sapphic energy).
The Abandons (2025)
While this is in no way a queer show, sapphic audiences went wild to see Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey share a screen in it. Both have garnered a dedicated fanbase full of lesbian, sapphic and queer folks.
Sex Education (2019-2023)
This is one of the queerest shows to have come out in recent years. The least queer thing about it? Starring Gillian Anderson as a sex therapist and making her heterosexual. It was great to see her character be a firm ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The First Lady (2022)
In this historical show, Gillian steps into the shoes of Eleanor Roosevelt. The series explores Eleanor’s deeply intimate, romantic relationship with journalist Lorena “Hick” Hickok.
The Fall (2013-2016)
This psychological thriller featured a prominent bisexual character, Stella Gibson – played by Gillian. She’s unapologetic about her sexuality, and there’s much more to her character and her story than her bisexuality.
Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma (2026)
This wonderfully trans and sapphic thriller is Gillian’s most explicitly gay role. In this slasher, she shares a screen with Hacks star Hannah Einbinder and, without giving too much away, they certainly get intimate.
The X-Files (1993-2002) (2016) (2018)
Gillian’s portrayal of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in this sci-fi mystery show is truly iconic. And yes, yes, I know, her character is not canonically queer. But do you know how much big sapphic energy you have to radiate in a role in order to 1) be so many sapphics’ gay awakening around the globe and b) inspire so much queer fan fiction? The answer: a lot.
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