Gillian Anderson wanted to become marine biologist before she fell in love with acting - despite having been terrified of the sea
The 57-year-old actress - who became interested in theatre as a teenager - admitted she is still not a strong swimmer.
6 November 2025
Gillian told the new issue of Britain's HELLO! magazine: "Before I went to drama school, I seriously looked into it - which was weird because I was scared of the sea.
"Even now, I'm one of those people who doesn't like to swim out of my depth."
Another thing The X-Files legend is not good at is technology.
She admitted: "I have a computer, I have a phone, and I can use them up to a point. But anything more than that, all the new apps and stuff, I have no idea."
It is a far cry from her Tron: Ares alter ego Elisabeth Dillinger - the daughter of Ed Dillinger, the villain in 1982's Tron - as she is a technology industry boss.
Asked how the third instalment in the Tron series is relevant to the technology landscape in today's world, Gillian said: "I think it's completely relevant.
"Where Elisabeth is coming from and what she is warning of is exactly what we are facing in the world today with AI, in terms of creativity and everything else."
Tron: Ares - which was released on October 10 - is centred on humans first encountering artificial intelligence (AI) beings, and then a complex programme called Ares, leaves the digital world as it embarks on a dangerous mission in the real world.
Speaking about what she thinks of AI, Gillian said: "It concerns me, concerns us all, I think."
The Hollywood legend hopes Tron: Ares will make her relationship with her sci-fi-obsessed sons - Oscar, 19, and Felix, 17, who she has with her ex-partner Mark Griffiths - stronger.
Gillian - who also has a 32-year-old daughter named Piper with her ex-husband Clyde Klotz - said: "They love sci-fi, and I haven't really done anything in this genre since The X-Files, so it's fun to be able to share this with them."
She added: "I'm a huge sci-fi fan - it's a genre I know well - so it feels good to be a part of something as well-loved, interesting and spectacular as Tron: Ares.
"I can't wait for everyone to see it."
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