Netflix announced Saturday that actor Gillian Anderson, best known for her work on The X-Files, will be playing former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of The Crown.



“I am so excited to be joining the cast and crew of The Crown," Anderson said in a statement, "and to have the opportunity to portray such a complicated and controversial woman.”

It had been rumoured as far back as January that Anderson, who also stars in Netflix's Sex Education, would be playing Thatcher, but the streaming giant had stayed silent on the casting until now.



The actor said she was looking forward to the challenge of playing the controversial Conservative politician, who was Britain's first woman prime minister.

"Thatcher was undoubtedly formidable," she said, "but I am relishing exploring beneath the surface, and dare I say, falling in love with the icon, who, whether loved or despised, defined an era."