Gillian Anderson confuses Golden Globe viewers by accepting award in American accent

Gillian Anderson has left Golden Globes viewers confused after accepting her award using an American accent.

Anderson took home the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown. But it was her speech that proved most distracting to audiences.

Despite speaking in a British accent in the majority of her TV appearances in recent years, and playing a run of British characters of late, Anderson spoke in an American accent during her speech.

“Gillian Anderson picked her American accent for tonight, clearly,” one viewer tweeted.

Watch: Gillian Anderson pleased Prince Harry understands The Crown

Another added: “I watched the full run of The X-Files, but after The Crown, Sex Education, I am at the point where I am legit surprised to hear Gillian Anderson speak in an American accent.”

Read more: The full list of 2021 Golden Globes winners

“It’s always thrilling to hear what accent Gillian Anderson is going to choose at any given moment,” wrote a third.

Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois but was raised in both Puerto Rico and London. She moved back to Chicago at the age of 11. In the wake of her nine-season run on The X-Files, Anderson moved permanently back to London, where she has worked on British TV series including The Fall and Sex Education.

Anderson has called herself “bi-dialectal”, as she can switch back and forth between British and American accents depending on the situation.

“Even on the phone my accent will change,” Anderson once told The Telegraph. “Part of me wishes I could control it, but I can’t. I just slip into one or the other. When I moved to the States I tried hard to cling on to my British accent because it made me different.”

In her Golden Globes speech, Anderson thanked The Crown creator Peter Morgan for writing Thatcher for her, calling the former PM an “exquisitely multi-dimensional character… against the odds”.

Read more: Golden Globes 2021 winners: The full list

She also personally thanked her “splendiferous” co-star Olivia Colman.

Keep up to speed with all the latest Globes developments on our live blog here.

Watch: Gillian Anderson pleased Prince Harry understands The Crown