Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson on why it’s our right to enjoy a quiet night in

Sex Education's Gillian Anderson.

Credit: Getty

Earworm


Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson on why it’s our right to enjoy a quiet night in

By Hollie Richardson

5 years ago

Love an early night, but feel guilty doing so? Sex Education and The Crown star Gillian Anderson has shared some words of comfort. 

Gillian Anderson is currently enjoying a reign over two of Netflix’s biggest series. She plays sex therapist Dr Jean Milburn to perfect in Sex Education, which has just released a second season. And The Crown fans cannot wait to see Anderson step in Margaret Thatcher’s shoes for season four. 

Outside of her acting work, Anderson is also a woman who continues to serve us wise words to live by. The actor recently explained why our relationship needs should be “non-negotiable”. She’s also been honest about “the constant tug of war” of motherhood. And she constantly shares words of support as part of her work with charities such as Women for Women and Every Mind Matters.

That’s why we were all ears when she joined Emma Gannon on the Ctrl Alt Delete podcast.

Anderson talked about why television is more exciting than film right now, the reality of what it was like to see headlines about her depression and her new collaboration with WINSER.

But there was one topic of conversation that we can all probably relate to right now. Anderson made a case for why it’s our right to just enjoy a quiet night in. 

Gannon asked Anderson about comments she had made on how she enjoys spending time in her house on her own, and chose to only celebrate her birthday with a small group of close friends.

She then pondered on the pressure of not admitting that you like being on your own, because we’re expected to be out doing something sociable all the time.

“I’m sure there is [a pressure] particularly for younger people,” Anderson said. “And also because of social media, there are now so many different ways to find out about all the different things that are going on perpetually in the city. And it is a fantastic city for that.

“But it is such a gift to be able to get to a place in one’s life where one can admit to oneself and to others that one is perfectly happy to be at home and maybe even in bed by 9 o’clock under the covers reading a book, while everyone else is out partying.”

Sex Education season two still

Credit: Netflix

She added: “I can’t tell you. And there’s something in that, one feels when they get to a certain age, you earn that right to be able to claim that for yourself. But, actually, why the hell shouldn’t we be able to claim it at whatever age we’re at. Because if that is our preference, if that is who we ultimately are as a person, who would choose to do that over staying up until 3 o’clock in the morning, then what a fabulous thing to be able to embrace”

Gannon agreed, saying: “That thought of ‘I’m missing out’. Well you’re not missing out because you’re doing the thing you want to be doing.”

And we couldn’t agree more either. It’s definitely worth remembering those words turning down that next invitation for an early night with book in the bath.

Listen to Gillian Anderson on Crtl Alt Delete with Emma Gannon

Images: Getty, Netflix

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