Gillian Anderson has revealed that she was once offered a role in Downton Abbey, which she refused. The X Files star told TV Guide Magazine that she was offered the part of Lady Cora Crawley on the hit Itv show that has since been a success in the US. Anderson turned it down and the role was given to Elizabeth McGovern, who was nominated for an Emmy.
Anderson recently played Miss Havisham in the Bbc adaptation of Great Expectations, which, like Downton, is set to premiere on American shores. When asked about it, Anderson said: 'Hopefully people will embrace it with the same love that flowed toward "Downton Abbey". Since her role as sceptical Agent Scully in the popular nineties sci-fi The X Files, Anderson did a lot of TV work in the UK. She is well known for her performance in Bleak House, which aired in 2005 and which also did very well on both sides of the pond, earning the actress an Emmy and a BAFTA for her role as Lady Dedlock.