'I have not spoken to Margaret!' Gillian Anderson is asked by a journalist if she TALKED to Thatcher about portraying her in The Crown... despite former Prime Minister being dead since 2013
Gillian Anderson continued her sweep of awards for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by taking home the Best Supporting Actress Emmy on Sunday night.
Following the win, The Crown star, 53, took questions from press - including from one American journalist who asked whether she had chatted about the role with Thatcher at all.
So-called Iron Lady Thatcher was in power between 1979–1990 - with Anderson portraying this era in the the hit Netflix series - and died in 2013, aged 87, rendering a conversation between the two women impossible.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218245-10014813-image-m-141_1632261988780.jpg)
Raising the dead? Gillian Anderson took questions from press at the Emmys on Sunday following her win for playing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown - including one from a journalist who asked whether she had chatted about the role with Thatcher at all
Yet Anderson held her poise as she answered the question, barely giving it the obvious contention it deserved.
The journalist - who has since been identified as Tanya Hart of American Urban Radio Networks - asked: 'Just to continue with the whole Margaret Thatcher thing - have you talked to her about this role at all?'
With a telling tilt of her head, Anderson replied: 'Well, I have not spoken to Margaret...'
She left it at that, going on to answer Hart's other question about why America has never had a female president.
![Fancy a chat? So-called Iron Lady Thatcher [pictured in 1984] was in power between 1979¿1990 and died in 2013, aged 87, rendering a conversation between the two women impossible](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218073-10014813-image-m-139_1632261725232.jpg)
Fancy a chat? So-called Iron Lady Thatcher [pictured in 1984] was in power between 1979–1990 and died in 2013, aged 87, rendering a conversation between the two women impossible
![Acclaimed: Anderson has won numerous awards for portraying Thatcher in The Crown's fourth season [pictured]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218267-10014813-image-m-143_1632262045793.jpg)
Acclaimed: Anderson has won numerous awards for portraying Thatcher in The Crown's fourth season [pictured]
Clearly put off by the bizarre first question, Anderson misheard the reporter's follow-up, believing Hart to have asked why the UK had not had a female in power since Thatcher.
Pointing out that Theresa May was Prime Minister from 2016-2019, Anderson added: 'I think maybe the question is why is it taking the United States of America so long to get a female leader... maybe [Vice President] Kamala Harris. Maybe that's the next step.'
Hart was heard trying to clarify her question but the Q&A ended flatly.
Insider reported on Monday that Hart has since insisted she meant to ask if Anderson had consulted with Theresa May about the role, not Thatcher.
![Oh dear! The journalist - who has since been identified as Tanya Hart of American Urban Radio Networks - asked - 'Just to continue with the whole Margaret Thatcher thing - have you talked to her about this role at all?'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218009-10014813-Oh_dear_The_journalist_who_has_since_been_identified_as_Tanya_Ha-a-164_1632262318098.jpg)
Oh dear! The journalist - who has since been identified as Tanya Hart of American Urban Radio Networks - asked - 'Just to continue with the whole Margaret Thatcher thing - have you talked to her about this role at all?'
![With a telling tilt of her head, Anderson replied: 'Well, I have not spoken to Margaret...'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218237-10014813-image-a-154_1632262160017.jpg)
With a telling tilt of her head, Anderson replied: 'Well, I have not spoken to Margaret...'
![Dumbfounded? Clearly put off by the bizarre first question, Anderson misheard the reporter's follow-up about women in power in the US. She instead pointed out that Theresa May was Prime Minister from 2016-2019](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/22/02/48225013-10014813-Dumbfounded_Clearly_put_off_by_the_bizarre_first_question_Anders-m-99_1632274570426.jpg)
![Anderson added: 'I think maybe the question is why is it taking the United States of America so long to get a female leader... maybe [Vice President] Kamala Harris. Maybe that's the next step'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/22/02/48225011-10014813-image-m-96_1632274359516.jpg)
Dumbfounded? Clearly put off by the bizarre first question, Anderson misheard the reporter's follow-up about women in power in the US. She instead pointed out that Theresa May [L] was Prime Minister from 2016-2019, and that 'maybe [Vice President] Kamala Harris [R] is the next step'
Anderson dedicated her gong to her 'best friend' and manager during Sunday's star-studded awards, using her speech to pay tribute to Connie Freiberg for always being by her side and offering her support.
The star also gave thanks to her former lover Peter Morgan, who serves as creator and showrunner for The Crown.
She said: 'I want to say thank you to Peter Morgan for creating this role and to Netflix for everything.
'I really want to dedicate this award to a woman who was my manager for 20 years, Connie Freiberg.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/21/23/48218611-0-image-a-167_1632262499059.jpg)
Proud: Anderson dedicated her Emmy Award win to her 'best friend' and manager during Sunday's star-studded awards
'She believed in me like no one else would, believed I had talent when I didn't think I had talent, always invited me to take the high road, she was one of the best friends I ever had in my life.
'She wore the same dress five years running to every awards show, three times a year, slow fashion before everyone knew it was cool. I love you, this is for you. Thank you.'
Gillian beat off competition from her co-stars Emerald Fennell and Helena Bonham Carter, The Handmaid's Tale actresses Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley and Yvonne Strahovski, and Lovecraft Country's Aunjanue Ellis to win the award.
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