The Crown: Gillian Anderson Explains Decision to Play Margaret Thatcher

The Crown is about to welcome Gillian Anderson into the fold as a polarizing British politician. 

The Sex Education and The X-Files actress is set to play the controversial Margaret Thatcher, and has opened up about the role in the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar. 

"I had to get to a point," she said of the preparation process.

"Where it's nothing to do with my opinions of her policies, of her actions.

"It is only about her as a human being and her motivation as a politician and as a mother.

Anderson worked with her partner Peter Morgan, who created the series, and they made a pact when she took on the role. 

"For [my and Peter's] own sanity, and actually for the benefit of the relationship, we had very clear boundaries: 'I am not going to comment on the script, but you are not allowed to comment on the performance!'"

Sounds like a great decision, right?

Netflix recently dropped the first official trailer for The Crown Season 4 and it introduced us to Anderson in the role, as well as her Margaret's fraught relationship with Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman).

"It could be said that they are two very similar women, born only months apart," says writer and executive producer Peter Morgan.

"They are very much defined by the Second World War, by a sense of a sense of frugality, hard work, commitment, Christianity and so much more. It was a commonly held piece of wisdom that the Queen and Thatcher didn’t get on."

"I think there was probably a lot of respect. But they also had many differences, it was really fun exploring their differences and their similarities."

Season 4 picks up in the late 1970s.

Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and her family find themselves preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor), who is still unmarried at 30s the nation begins to feel the impact of divisive policies introduced by Britain's first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), tensions arise between her and the Queen which only grow worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War, generating conflict within the Commonwealth.

While Charles’ romance with a young Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) provides a much-needed fairytale to unite the British people, behind closed doors, the Royal family is becoming increasingly divided.

Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Tobias Menzies as The Duke of Edinburgh, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne, Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles, Marion Bailey as the Queen Mother, Georgie Glen as Lady Fermoy, Tom Byrne as Prince Andrew, Angue Imrie as Prince Edward, and Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten.

The Crown Season 4 debuts Sunday, November 15 on Netflix. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.