Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air - BBC News BBC News Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air By Michael Osborn Arts and Entertainment reporter, BBC News 24 December 2011 Close share panel Image caption Gillian Anderson portrays Miss Havisham as both tragic and consumed by the need for revenge Tortured, ghostly, eternal bride-to-be Miss Havisham is returning in a fresh screen adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic Great Expectations. The wealthy heiress, who was jilted on her wedding day and lived as a recluse for decades afterwards, haunts her tumbledown mansion clad in a dusty matrimonial gown. Miss Havisham - with her white matted hair and wedding feast table preserved in cobwebs - has been played by older actresses in previous major incarnations. Joan Hickson played her at the age of 75 in 1981, while Anne Bancroft was cast in a 1998 modern reworking of Dickens's story at the age of 67.

But for the new take on Great Expectations she is portrayed by Gillian Anderson, who at 43 is the youngest screen star to play the woman who casts a huge shadow over the life of Pip, hero of the tale. "Dickens doesn't qualify Miss Havisham's age specifically. If you add up the numbers at the time, it makes sense she would have been about 37," explains Anderson. HAVISHAMS ON FILM Helena Bonham Carter - 2012 (bottom right) The US-born star has no concerns that she is too young for the role. "This is me, at this age, this actress being hired for a particular reason and honouring that. I'm not going to say: 'I'm not doing this because you should have hired an older actress.'" Her unnerving interpretation of the tragic yet cruel Havisham is ghostly, ashen-faced and becomes craggier as the story progresses - but did not rely on any ageing prosthetics. Anderson's transformation took less than two hours when Havisham was shown at her most decayed. "I had an idea for a grey which I didn't think existed," says Anderson of her contribution to the character's look.

"There was a specific grey I felt her hair should be, which they were able to find. It's kind of opaque and translucent but at the same time holds light. It's not white, it's not too grey, it's just this middle non-colour." Anderson's Havisham floats disconcertingly around her mothballed home, where the clocks are stopped at the moment when she was jilted and her wedding cake is being feasted on by mice. Her lips are desiccated and she claws her skin at moments of stress, while dark circles frame her eyes. 'Heartbroken mess' The actress, known for her long-running role in The X-Files, maintains that she did not go back to previous portrayals of Miss Havisham for guidance. "My fear is always I've been taking on something else that already exists. So I deliberately haven't gone through other versions or even old line drawings. "I'm fascinated by the previous incarnations but will try not to compare. My intention is to be as close to my first impression of her," Anderson explains, adding that she will end her moratorium after seeing her own performance.

The actress has not seen images of a Miss Havisham to follow her own, played by Helena Bonham Carter in a film version of Great Expectations to be released next year. Media captionStars of the BBC's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations on the story's continuing relevance When told that Bonham Carter is festooned by cobwebs and will be something of a Hannibal Lecteresque monster , Anderson says: "I'm not a purist - there's room for all of it!" She adds: "I'm sure there'll be positives and negatives about both adaptations from all perspectives." While Miss Havisham's physical appearance seems at the heart of on-screen portrayals, her character and story are important. She declares that "love is death" and seems hell bent on revenge - but is a figure to be pitied, says Anderson. "Her personal pain is played out and at times she is an absolutely heartbroken mess," says the actress. In equal measure she brands Miss Havisham "psychotically manipulative", a woman who has the power to damage both Pip and her adopted daughter Estella.

Anderson adds that this character's tragic side needs to be explored alongside her scheming nature "to avoid losing the television audience really quickly". Period roles Returning to the theme of being a young Havisham, the actress explains that it makes her relatively close in age to the grown-up Pip. "There is still hope for her, which makes it interesting not having her portrayed as an old hag." After years as sceptical FBI agent Dana Scully, Anderson, who spent some of her childhood in the UK, has recently made a name for herself in period pieces. Image caption Estella and Pip are enmeshed in the web of bitterness spun by Miss Havisham She garnered a Bafta nomination for playing Lady Dedlock in Dickens' Bleak House, and was almost unrecognisable as brothel owner Mrs Castaway in The Crimson Petal and The White. "You can write that down! It's good to know it's working," laughs Anderson when told of her ability to transform. She says there may be more costume roles, should they make her "feel I can contribute something". As for a return of The X-Files, Anderson says it is all down to US network Fox.

"If Fox are the gods, then it's in the lap of the gods," says the actress who brings a touch of youthful bloom to one of literature's most enduring characters. Great Expectations begins on Tuesday 27 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC One and continues on 28 and 29 December. Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air - BBC News BBC News Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air By Michael Osborn Arts and Entertainment reporter, BBC News 24 December 2011 Close share panel Image caption Gillian Anderson portrays Miss Havisham as both tragic and consumed by the need for revenge Tortured, ghostly, eternal bride-to-be Miss Havisham is returning in a fresh screen adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic Great Expectations. The wealthy heiress, who was jilted on her wedding day and lived as a recluse for decades afterwards, haunts her tumbledown mansion clad in a dusty matrimonial gown. Miss Havisham - with her white matted hair and wedding feast table preserved in cobwebs - has been played by older actresses in previous major incarnations.

Joan Hickson played her at the age of 75 in 1981, while Anne Bancroft was cast in a 1998 modern reworking of Dickens's story at the age of 67. But for the new take on Great Expectations she is portrayed by Gillian Anderson, who at 43 is the youngest screen star to play the woman who casts a huge shadow over the life of Pip, hero of the tale. "Dickens doesn't qualify Miss Havisham's age specifically. If you add up the numbers at the time, it makes sense she would have been about 37," explains Anderson. HAVISHAMS ON FILM Helena Bonham Carter - 2012 (bottom right) The US-born star has no concerns that she is too young for the role. "This is me, at this age, this actress being hired for a particular reason and honouring that. I'm not going to say: 'I'm not doing this because you should have hired an older actress.'" Her unnerving interpretation of the tragic yet cruel Havisham is ghostly, ashen-faced and becomes craggier as the story progresses - but did not rely on any ageing prosthetics.

Anderson's transformation took less than two hours when Havisham was shown at her most decayed. "I had an idea for a grey which I didn't think existed," says Anderson of her contribution to the character's look. "There was a specific grey I felt her hair should be, which they were able to find. It's kind of opaque and translucent but at the same time holds light. It's not white, it's not too grey, it's just this middle non-colour." Anderson's Havisham floats disconcertingly around her mothballed home, where the clocks are stopped at the moment when she was jilted and her wedding cake is being feasted on by mice. Her lips are desiccated and she claws her skin at moments of stress, while dark circles frame her eyes. 'Heartbroken mess' The actress, known for her long-running role in The X-Files, maintains that she did not go back to previous portrayals of Miss Havisham for guidance. "My fear is always I've been taking on something else that already exists. So I deliberately haven't gone through other versions or even old line drawings. "I'm fascinated by the previous incarnations but will try not to compare.

My intention is to be as close to my first impression of her," Anderson explains, adding that she will end her moratorium after seeing her own performance. The actress has not seen images of a Miss Havisham to follow her own, played by Helena Bonham Carter in a film version of Great Expectations to be released next year. Media captionStars of the BBC's new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations on the story's continuing relevance When told that Bonham Carter is festooned by cobwebs and will be something of a Hannibal Lecteresque monster , Anderson says: "I'm not a purist - there's room for all of it!" She adds: "I'm sure there'll be positives and negatives about both adaptations from all perspectives." While Miss Havisham's physical appearance seems at the heart of on-screen portrayals, her character and story are important. She declares that "love is death" and seems hell bent on revenge - but is a figure to be pitied, says Anderson. "Her personal pain is played out and at times she is an absolutely heartbroken mess," says the actress.

In equal measure she brands Miss Havisham "psychotically manipulative", a woman who has the power to damage both Pip and her adopted daughter Estella. Anderson adds that this character's tragic side needs to be explored alongside her scheming nature "to avoid losing the television audience really quickly". Period roles Returning to the theme of being a young Havisham, the actress explains that it makes her relatively close in age to the grown-up Pip. "There is still hope for her, which makes it interesting not having her portrayed as an old hag." After years as sceptical FBI agent Dana Scully, Anderson, who spent some of her childhood in the UK, has recently made a name for herself in period pieces. Image caption Estella and Pip are enmeshed in the web of bitterness spun by Miss Havisham She garnered a Bafta nomination for playing Lady Dedlock in Dickens' Bleak House, and was almost unrecognisable as brothel owner Mrs Castaway in The Crimson Petal and The White. "You can write that down! It's good to know it's working," laughs Anderson when told of her ability to transform. She says there may be more costume roles, should they make her "feel I can contribute something".

As for a return of The X-Files, Anderson says it is all down to US network Fox. "If Fox are the gods, then it's in the lap of the gods," says the actress who brings a touch of youthful bloom to one of literature's most enduring characters. Great Expectations begins on Tuesday 27 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC One and continues on 28 and 29 December. Bleak House voted best TV Dickens adaptation | Radio Times Bleak House voted best TV Dickens adaptation Ray Winstone and Gillian Anderson are top Dickens actors too, according to a RadioTimes.com survey Comments Written By 9:45 AM, 01 February 2012 It’s almost the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’s birth and while the literati are getting themselves in a lather over which of his novels merits being called the best, TV viewers have made it clear that the BBC’s lavish version of Bleak House is the ultimate small-screen Dickens dramatisation.

The Bafta-winning all-star series emerged as the favourite adaptation according to a survey of over 600 RadioTimes.com users, beating other well-known dramatisations, including Martin Chuzzlewit, David Copperfield and Hard Times, into pole position. Lionel Bart’s 1968 big-screen version of Oliver! was voted best Dickens feature film. The poll also saw Gillian Anderson voted best actress in a Dickens programme for her roles in Great Expectations (as Miss Havisham), and she also made third place for her part in Bleak House (as Lady Dedlock). A third of respondents chose the London-based actress as their favourite. Anderson said in a statement: “He (Dickens) is a wonderful storyteller and there are common recognisable themes in his books. His characters are so complex, so multifaceted and tragically human, but also he draws such interesting stories.” RadioTimes.com users were also polled on the best actor in a Dickens adaptation, with Ray Winstone, who played Abel Magwitch in the 2011 version of Great Expectations, emerging as the overall favourite.

Speaking during the filming of the series he said: “Great Expectations is my favourite novel and I’m thrilled to be playing Magwitch. I’ve wanted to play him for ages.” The Charles Dickens 200th Anniversary Collection is released on DVD by BBC Worldwide on 30 January 2012.

Here are the full results of our poll, reproduced with the percentage of the total vote earned by each title: TV adaptations: Bleak House (TV, 2005) 15.9% Great Expectations (TV, 2011) 14.51% Little Dorrit (TV, 2008) 8.64% A Christmas Carol (TV, 1984) 5.86% David Copperfield (TV, 2000) 2.78% Oliver Twist (TV, 2007) 2.78% Martin Chuzzlewit (TV, 1994) 2.31% The Mystery of Edwin Drood (TV, 2012) 2.01% Our Mutual Friend (TV, 1998) 2.01% Great Expectations (TV movie, 2000) 1.54% Nicholas Nickleby (TV, 1982) 1.08% Hard Times (TV, 1977) 0.93% Nicholas Nickleby (TV, 19

77) 0.93% The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 1995) 0.93% David Copperfield (TV, 1966) 0.31% The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 1979) 0.31% Our Mutual Friend (TV, 1976) 0.15% Film adaptations: Great Expectations (film, 1946); 6.33% Scrooge (film, 1970) 29 4.48% Scrooge (film, 1951) 25 3.86% Oliver Twist (film, 1948) 3.7% A Tale of Two Cities (film, 1958) 1.23% Best actor in a Dickens adaptation: Ray Winstone as Abel Magwitch in Great Expectations (TV, 2011) 15.83% Ron Moody as Fagin in Oliver (film, 1968) 12.1% Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes in Oliver (film, 19

68) 12.1% Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge (film, 1951) 7.64% Alec Guinness as Fagin in Oliver Twist (film, 1948) 5.77% Albert Finney as Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge (film, 1970) 5.21% Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (TV, 2007) 4.28% Mark Lester as Oliver Twist in Oliver (film, 1968) 4.28% George C Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (TV movie, 1984) 4.1% Douglas Booth as Pip in Great Expectations (TV, 2011) 3.91% John Mills as Pip in Great Expectations (film, 1946) 3.91% Timothy Spall as Fagin in Oliver Twist (TV, 2007) 3.54% Hugh Dancy as David Copperfield in David Copperfield (TV, 200

0) 2.61% Derek Jacobi as Grandfather in The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 2007) 2.42% Ioan Gruffudd as Pip in Great Expectations (TV movie, 1999) 2.05% Ian McKellen as David Copperfield in David Copperfield (TV, 1966) 1.86% Paul Scofield as Martin Chuzzlewit in Martin Chuzzlewit (film, 1994) 1.86% David Threlfall as Smike in Nicholas Nickleby (TV, 1982) 1.68% Dirk Bogarde as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities (film, 1958) 1.49% Roger Rees as Nicholas Nickleby in Nicholas Nickleby (TV, 1982) 1.3% Timothy West as Josiah Bounderby in Hard Times (TV, 1977) 1.3% James Mason as Magwitch in Great Expectations (film, 1975)0.74% Patrick Allen as Thomas Gradgrind in Hard Times

 (TV, 1977) 0% Best actress in a Dickens adaptation: Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (TV, 2011) 20.48% Shani Wallis as Nancy in Oliver (film, 1968) 13.99% Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock in Bleak House (TV, 2005) 13.48% Claire Foy as Amy Dorrit in Little Dorrit (TV, 2008) 8.36% Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther Summerson in Bleak House (TV, 2005) 7% Sophie Okonedo as Nancy in Oliver Twist (TV, 2007) 4.78% Charlotte Rampling as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (TV movie, 1999) 3.75% Kay Walsh as Nancy in Oliver Twist (film, 1948) 3.75% Emilia Fox as Clara Copperfield in David Copperfield (TV, 1999)3.58% Valerie Hobson as Estella in Great Expect

ations (film, 1946) 3.58% Joan Hickson as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (TV, 1981) 3.24% Keeley Hawes as Lizzie Hexam in Our Mutual Friend (TV, 1998) 2.9% Margaret Leighton as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (film, 1975) 2.05% Sally Walsh as Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 1995) 2.05% Sarah Miles as Estella in Great Expectations (TV, 1974) 1.88% Vanessa Kirby as Estella in Great Expectations (TV, 2011) 1.37% Sophie Vavasseur as Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 2007) 1.37% Justine Waddell as Estella in Great Expectations (TV movie, 1999) 1.02% Natalie Ogle as Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop (TV, 1979) 0.8

5% Lesley Dunlop as Lizzie Hexam in Our Mutual Friend (TV, 1976) 0.51% Like this?

Share it. Gillian Anderson on ‘X-Files,’ ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Great Expectations’ - The Daily Beast She Wants to Believe Gillian Anderson on ‘X-Files,’ ‘Downton Abbey,’ ‘Great Expectations’ Gillian Anderson, famous for 'The X-Files,' stuns as Miss Havisham in Sunday’s 'Great Expecations.' She tells Jace Lacob about turning down 'Downton Abbey,' her British accent—and possibly playing Scully again. 03.28.12 8:45 AM ET Gillian Anderson is no stranger to strange worlds. The former star of The X-Files , which became a worldwide hit and spawned two feature films, Anderson has, for now anyway, traded in Dana Scully’s FBI-issued handgun and severe suits for the tight-laced corsets and flowing frocks of such period dramas as Bleak House, The House of Mirth, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, The Crimson Petal and the White, Moby Dick, and Any Human Heart, in which she played a deliciously conniving Wallace Simpson, complete with a false nose.

But it’s Anderson’s jaw-dropping turn as Miss Havisham in Great Expectations , which airs Sunday evening on PBS’s Masterpiece Classic after a three-night run in December on BBC One, that erases any trace of Scully’s bravado. An Anderson role in a period piece seems de rigueur these days: she was also very nearly in ITV’s critically acclaimed costume drama Downton Abbey , but turned down an offer to play Lady Cora Crawley, a role that went to fellow American Elizabeth McGovern. “They’re still mad at me,” Anderson told The Daily Beast. “Every time I see [creator] Julian Fellowes, he says, ‘Why?’ I’m very finicky.” It’s no surprise that after her legendary turn as the emotionally haunted Lady Dedlock in Andrew Davies’s 2005 adaptation of Bleak House, which earned her Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominations, Anderson has a fascination with severe or extreme characters.

In Great Expectations, adapted from the Charles Dickens novel by Sarah Phelps and directed by Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones), she stars as the malevolent and tragic Miss Havisham, whose blackened heart leads her to destroy the innocence of young Pip (Douglas Booth) and Estella (Vanessa Kirby), and doom whatever chance of love either has. Todd Antony / Courtesy of BBC Pictures There was much grumbling in the British press about Anderson being the youngest actress to play Miss Havisham, who is traditionally portrayed as a skeletal old woman still dressed in the tattered vestiges of her wedding gown, clutching at the last shreds of her youth, while already standing in her grave. (Helena Bonham Carter will play the role in a feature film version of Great Expectations, out later this year.) “I appreciate the purists out there who have studied Dickens,” said Anderson, elegantly dressed in a flowing white blouse and gray skirt, and seated in an empty banquet room at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. “But the facts are, from my understanding, Miss Havisham is around 50. That is not far from 43, which is what I am.

They keep talking about me being the absolute youngest, when actually the actress who played her in David Lean’s version was 46.” “I expected when I kept reading this stuff that I was going to read that she was 75,” she said of Martita Hunt, who played the wild-haired Miss Havisham in the 1946 classic. “They just have to harp on something.” Indeed, by making Miss Havisham closer to Pip’s age, the production has heightened the sense of tension, both sexual and psychological, between the two characters. “She’s not an old crow and fawning after these children, which would end up being really creepy,” said Anderson. Likewise, an additional patina of tragedy is added to the deeply disturbed character, whom Anderson imbues with a blend of ghostly transparency and obsessive madness. Pip telling her that she could have filled her decrepit home, Satis House, with children of her own cuts even deeper—she still could choose to open herself up to love. Instead, her downfall is that she can’t let go of the poison in her heart or the heartbreak in her past. Anderson herself is more or less a Dickens novice.

Her experience of the author, who would be celebrating his 200th birthday this year, is limited to her own work in adaptations of Great Expectations and Bleak House. “I can’t remember if it was high school or college, but I attempted to read A Tale of Two Cities and I don’t recall getting through it,” she said. “I don’t think I gave him more thought until he came into my life in this respect. One of the only things that I have regrets about in my life is my experience of school and education. I wish I had known how important it was to pay attention … My first foray into a lot of the classics has been through my work. It’s only after falling in love with the screenplay or adaptation that I’ve then gone on to read the novels themselves.” Anderson was a bit of a teenage hellion. A far cry from the sleek and sophisticated star these days, the teenage Anderson dyed her hair multiple colors and had her nose pierced.

(In an infamous anecdote, she was arrested on the eve of her graduation for trying to glue the gates of her school shut, but according to an interview in US Weekly, she got off with community service and spent a week cleaning a YMCA.) Born in Chicago, she was shuttled with her family around the world for much of her childhood: a stint in Puerto Rico as a baby, a childhood spent in London, and then, at age 11, her formative years spent in Grand Rapids, Mich., where her English accent marked her as an instant outsider. That accent still turns up on occasion, particularly when she appears on British talk shows like The Graham Norton Show or Parkinson, where Anderson deploys the cut-glass tones of one of her well-heeled characters. On this day, however, there is not a trace of Britannia in Anderson’s speech. “When I’m in London, my partner’s British, my kids are British, and I’m surrounded by Brits,” she said, laughing. “It’s near to impossible for me to maintain my American accent in the midst of that.

My first language was with a British accent … I could understand why it would be confusing for people in the States who aren’t used to me with a British accent, but I didn’t lose my British accent until well into college. Even when I started doing The X-Files, I was only a few years away from having decidedly losing it. It’s completely natural to me. When I try, in London, to not speak with a British accent or to keep it American, I just sound like a f--king idiot. It turns into some weird eurotrash thing.” It was Anderson who raised the specter of The X-Files during the interview. After playing skeptical FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in Fox’s science-fiction thriller for nine seasons and costarring with David Duchovny in two spinoff feature films, 1998’s The X-Files and 2008’s The X-Files: I Want to Believe, Anderson was widely believed to have finished with the character and the alien-themed franchise. Not so. “Not at all,” she said. “If a good script comes along for another film, then I’m up for it and so is David. So is [creator] Chris [Carter].

I don’t see any reason not to do it if the script is good and Fox wants to go ahead and put the money behind it. Now I don’t know if there’s a script, I don’t know whether Fox is even remotely interested, so it’s completely out of my hands. But I’d be up for it.” Still, the entrenchment of Scully in pop culture has had its potential pitfalls, given how long Anderson portrayed the religious medical doctor-turned-FBI-field agent—she appeared in all but four of the show’s 202 episodes—and there was the risk that the actress could be pigeonholed afterward. “There was definitely that concern coming off the series and wanting to do as many different things as possible,” Anderson said. “There is an argument that every time I decide to do another [X-Files] feature, it complicates that even more in that it solidifies me in the audience’s mind more as that character … [But] I’m not going to choose not to do it because people might be closed-minded.” Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily DigestStart and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.

Cheat SheetA speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). Great Expectations: Gillian Anderson Unveiled As Ghostly Miss Havisham (PHOTOS) | The Huffington Post Great Expectations: Gillian Anderson Unveiled As Ghostly Miss Havisham (PHOTOS) 23/11/2011 10:47 | Updated 23 November 2011 Gillian Anderson, best known for playing Agent Scully in The X Files, has been unveiled as the new face of Charles Dickens' tormented Miss Havisham, in the BBC's festive adaptation of Great Expectations. The American actress looks every bit the jilted bride imagined in the Victorian classic, but her performance is sure to be measured against that of Helena Bonham Carter, who is playing the same character in a production to be released next year to coincide with Dickens' 200th anniversary.

The 43-year-old may be best known for her dealings with the supernatural, but she's also previously proven she can do period drama, having been nominated for BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her role as Lady Dedlock in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House in 2005. The production also stars Ray Winstone as the dastardly Abel Magwitch, David Suchet as Miss Havisham's lawyer, Mr Jaggers, and Douglas Booth - known for playing Boy George in BBC2's Worried About The Boy - as an adult Pip. Oscar Kennedy, who previously appeared as young Nigel Slater in last year's autobiographical drama Toast, plays young Pip, while young Estella is acted by Izzy Meikle-Small, famed for her turn as Kathy in the 2010 film Never Let Me Go, alongside Carey Mulligan. The BBC One drama, due to be shown around Christmas, has been adapted by Sarah Phelps, who was also behind the channel's 2007 version of Oliver Twist. Not only is it a festive treat but the three-episode adaptation is part of a season of documentary, drama and discussion programmes celebrating the work of Dickens on the BBC.

Other shows in include the completion of Dickens’ unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, by writer Gwyneth Hughes, and Life-long Dickens fan Armando Iannucci on the development of a revolutionary master story teller. Commissioning Arts Editor for the BBC, Mark Bell, said: "What better to conclude the BBC's year-long celebration of books, than a season marking the life and work of one of Britain's most significant writers, Charles Dickens, in the run-up to his 200th birthday. "Dickens on the BBC examines the many aspects of the author as performer, social commentator, observational journalist, husband, story-teller, Christmas cheerleader and contradictory family man, and the new adaptations of his novels show his work to be as vital as it ever was." 1 Gillian Anderson is made patron of Charles Dickens' statue fund - BBC News BBC News Gillian Anderson is made patron of Charles Dickens' statue fund 23 January 2013 Close share panel Image caption The X-Files actress played Miss Havisham in Great Expectations Actress Gillian Anderson has been made patron of the fund behind the UK's first statue of Charles Dickens, which is due to be unveiled later this year.

The £140,000 monument will stand in Portsmouth where Dickens was born. It was due to be unveiled in 2012 to mark 200 years since the writer's birth, but insufficient funding meant it was put on hold. Another £25,000 still needs to be found and it is hoped Anderson will help spearhead the final fundraising push. The actress played Miss Havisham in the BBC's adaptation of Great Expectations and Lady Dedlock in Bleak House. 'Focal Point' She said: "I was surprised that there wasn't a Dickens statue anywhere in Great Britain. The Victorian chronicler Charles Dickens was the quintessential Victorian author and a giant of English literature Two of his most famous novels - David Copperfield and Great Expectations - were inspired by his own work in a factory as a boy As well as numerous novels, Dickens wrote short stories, periodicals and plays for Queen Victoria "One especially in Portsmouth, where he was born, would be a focal point to expand people's knowledge of and interest in Dickens and his writing." The rest of the money has been raised by the Charles Dickens Statue Fund. The statue is set to be unveiled in Portsmouth's Guildhall Square later this year.

No statues It shows Dickens reading in a chair and is being made by Oxford sculptor Martin Jennings. In his will, the Victorian author requested that no statues or monuments of him should be built. However, Dickens has two known statues in his honour, in Philadelphia in the US and Sydney, Australia. There are not believed to be any in the UK. The Oliver Twist creator was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812 and spent the first three years of his life in the city before moving to London and then Kent. Number 1 Mile End Terrace, where he was born, has been a dedicated Dickens museum since 1904. Anderson was recently confirmed as the lead role in BBC drama series The Fall, which launches later this year. "Great Expectations" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 23 out of 30 people found the following review useful: Good "Great Expectations".

from United Kingdom 3 January 2012 The last BBC Dickens' dramatisation broke "Bleak House" down into half-hour soap-opera size elements for easy digestion and to sort of tie-in with the original publication of the story in instalments, but here the format reverted to the more traditional one-hour episodes shown over three consecutive nights.You pays your money and while I welcomed the 30 minute novelty was happy this time to sit for longer and take in the master's story over a shorter period. There have been so many previous adaptations that any new production has to offer something different, particularly in the scenes meant to grab the viewer's attention, like Pip's first meeting with Magwich and his first visit to Miss Havisham's mausoleum of a house. Both are done very well, particularly Ray Winstone's Magwich rising from the depths of the marshland to confront the terrified youngster while the set-dressing for Satis House certainly conveys the requisite decay and obsolescence of the dwelling-place of its jilted, cold-hearted owner.

It's really only necessary to film the story here to succeed, so great is the narrative Dickens provides, with his adeptness at furnishing a circular story-line, where nothing and no-one is missed out in the resolution as everyone gets more or less their just desserts. Nevertheless the story-telling is enhanced with excellent performances by its big names, Winstone and Gillian Anderson (who was also in "Bleak House"), although the production is less starry than "Bleak House", with only David Suchet as the very correct Jaggers perhaps claiming marquee status. That said the rest of the cast are mostly excellent, playing their well-known characters with aplomb, particularly the portrayals of Pip's shrewish sister, redoubtable Joe Gargery and loyal Herbert Pocket. However I sensed some weakness in the casting of the adult Pip and Estella, the former not imposing enough (in fact I preferred the acting of the young Pip), the latter not glacial or even beautiful enough, but they don't fatally wing the story.

The cinematography is superb, utilising washed-out, almost monochromatic shots to suggest the bleakness of the Dartford Moors and the Thames at the conclusion, while the depiction of the London Gentleman's Clubs as well as the afore-mentioned Satis House are superbly realised. There are many memorable scenes, with Gillian Anderson's inevitable self-immolation perhaps staying longest in the memory. My only other carp would be the occasional "modern" vulgarisation of aspects of the story, for example Drummle's taking Pip to a brothel, as if this wonderful story needs "sexing-up" in some way, which of course it doesn't. Nevertheless with the promise of a new version of "Edwin Drood" to come, this was a very good and occasionally memorable version of a classic story. Was the above review useful to you? 18 out of 25 people found the following review useful: Gillian Anderson is magnificent Author: jamespenido 2 January 2012 Outstanding performance of Gillian Anderson.As an ethereal and ghostly Miss Havisham she is still creepy and manipulative.Who would say that "Scully" managed to be such a great actress!

Although Douglas Booth is by far much more handsome as Pip would be;his performance is really good.Many critics complained on the actor being such a model!I suppose this is nonsense. Ray winstone is a stupendous Magwitch-all rage and revenge. And Harry Lloyd(who happens to be Dicken's great-great-great-grandson) plays Herbert Pocket exactly as one imagines him to be:the good and always amiable fellow. A great although not perfect(which one is...)adaptation. Was the above review useful to you? 23 out of 35 people found the following review useful: Not so Great from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England 3 January 2012 I don't want to go into too much detail or else it will be thoroughly spoiled. I anticipated this adaptation for months, being a great Dickens fan, especially after the BBC's magnificent adaptation of Bleak House. Similar problems always arise in these adaptations, both suffered from an absence of some key characters (although the latter had more episodes, and didn't suffer as a result) so here as a result the character development is not as it should have been.

I was impressed however by how much of the plot they fit into just 3 episodes over Christmas, and the pace was terrific. There were flaws in the script, where Bleak House took plenty of quotes from the novel, this didn't and therefore doesn't feel as fleshy or ultimately, Dickensian. Why change the best form? I commend the cinematographers. One really felt the setting as it was written. Now onto the major successes and faults; casting. Douglas Booth as the protagonist tried but came off as a bit too wooden. He also looked far too attractive (which of course is not an insult) but it didn't really work. It is nice to see Claire Rushbrook again. Not seen her since Secrets & Lies. She was very convincing as Mrs Joe. Shaun Dooley was excellent as Joe Gargery, as were Harry Lloyd as Herbert Pocket, Jack Roth as Orlick, David Suchet as Jaggers and Ray Winstone definitely brought great life and humanity to the dreaded Magwitch. My hat though must go off to Gillian Anderson, although many have thought her wrong for the part, let me explain why she was so good and right for the role.

Although Miss Havisham has been typically played as elderly, and her age is never specified really in the book, she was almost married as a teenager, and the time passing would place her in her forties, to early fifties. This makes Anderson, if anything, TOO YOUNG for the role, and the original "best" Martita Hunt, was only some years older. Of course she has been aged by her style of existence. Anderson did look more worn and ethereal as the series progressed. People also seemed to have a problem with her voice. I see the childish voice as her being trapped in her 18 year old self, which presumably is the age she was jilted, so like the rest of the house, time stopped at that point, which is why she had a similar childish outburst when her relatives visited. I think Anderson's performance therefore is rather genius. One can really feel the angst, anger, regret she feels. I would have preferred a more dramatic apology to Pip in the end, but I suppose it was more subtle. Anderson again impresses in a Dickensian role, showing something completely different to her outstanding portrayal of Lady Dedlock.

It is her impressive work which for me gives this a 7 over 6. Oh and the intro sequence was quite beautiful. Slightly disappointing but overall an engaging adaptation, with a brave effort by Anderson which should really be recognised by BAFTA. Dooley, Roth, Winstone and Lloyd should all create some buzz too. Was the above review useful to you? 12 out of 15 people found the following review useful: Beautifully portrayed classic tale Author: nikolova-assya 19 February 2012 Fine work of all of the cast relating a story that has been told so many times, that you cannot expect to feel it fresh and deeply touching, but they do. The journey of young Pip from simple kindhearted boy to knowing, kindhearted man is so capturing that, although knowing the story, I couldn't stop asking myself "what will happen at the end". The richness of the human soul have always captured me and in the this beautiful story you can see it all in one go - betrayal so bitter that makes a heart full of pride so angry and mean as to destroy several lives in a cold, premeditated scheme vexing deeply two young hearts, but mostly its own designer.

You will see avarice and ambition of twisted little souls. But mostly you will see kindness - perfect scene in ep1-you will see friendship, honest and lasting, and you will see love, above passion and simplicity. I love Dickens and his way of unfolding his characters, so I was very pleased to see the series keeping close to his book, but in a fresh way suited for the understanding of 21st century audience. I very much recommend! Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Mostly solid, if rather rushed 4 January 2012 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I've always liked Charles Dickens, both his writing and adaptations of his work. There are several fantastic Dickens adaptations, especially David Lean's Great Expectations(the 1999 version is also very impressive) and Oliver Twist, David Copperfield(1999), Bleak House and Little Dorrit. This Great Expectations I don't think is in the same league of the above adaptations, but it is a very solid adaptation on its own, not superb like RadioTimes said but not the piece of whatever I've read from some people on the message board.

Great Expectations(2011) does I feel have its shortcomings. I do agree with some that say it was rather rushed, the details were there but while always interesting and never dull some of it does feel a bit too neat. Some scenes did jar, such as young Pip transforming suddenly into the older Pip, and the very end, which had a that's it feel to it. I also didn't like the decision to cut out Biddy and let Pip's sister live, it didn't add anything to the storytelling, and while harrowing in a sense Magwitch's recapture was rather drawn out. Unfortunately I also have to agree that Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby as the adult Pip and Estella were miscast. In some ways, it is a plus that they are closer in age to the characters in the novel than John Mills and Valerie Hobson were in the Lean film but actually I found Lean's leads more believable. Booth is very handsome, maybe too much so, but very wooden. Likewise Kirby came across as too plain, especially compared to Booth which was a little disconcerting, and awkward.

Luckily their child counterparts were much better, young Estella was beautiful in looks and cold in manner, and Oscar Kennedy who is every bit as promising as he was in Toast is even better. The support cast are also wonderful, with honourable mentions going to Shaun Dooley, who came across as sympathetic and having a lot more steel, David Suchet's firm Jaggers, Jack Roth as Orlick, Ray Winstone whose acting in the first episode is quite terrifying and especially Gillian Anderson's haunting Miss Havisham. Visually it looks wonderful, it has some beautiful sets and locations while still keeping the evocative atmosphere and not looking too clean. The costumes and photography are also very good, especially Miss Havisham's. The music is often eerie while not ever sounding over-bearing or obvious. The script while not always having Dickens' wit and not following the novel's prose(in fact the language such as Magwitch's description of the second man seems to have been "simplified") is still good and flows well. On top of this, the story even with the rushed or jarring parts is compelling and makes you want to see the rest after the previous episode ends.

The characterisation is mostly pleasing particularly at the start with Magwitch, though Pip's shrugging off of Joe seemed out of character. All in all, the series is mostly solid but maybe it was longer(4 or 5 episodes would've been better) and had two better adult leads it could have been even more than it turned out to be. 7/10 for the rest of the cast and the meticulous attention to detail. Bethany Cox Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 17 people found the following review useful: Inferior Dickens 2 January 2012 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Fairly unimpressive adaptation that simplifies the storyline a little too much, has some very uneven performances and the whole thing plays like a rather dodgy episode of 'Eastenders' complete with the odd swear word and graphic image. Gillian Anderson's Miss Haversham is in a different film from everyone else and there are some laugh out loud moments like Estella thanking the horse and Ray Winstone throwing money everywhere and saying 'This is yours' making it look like one of the bets he advertises has just come up.

On the plus side it is well photographed and Shaun Dooley and David Suchet make their characters real. Such a shame that the 200th anniversary of Dickens is marked by such inferior product. Was the above review useful to you? 7 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Excellent Version 7 January 2012 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I'm rather surprised by some of the negative reviews here. This was a sumptuous production, extremely well cast and judiciously edited from the book. It went out at peak viewing time over the holiday period and drew in large numbers of viewers primarily because it targeted its audience extremely well. Yes it cuts characters from the book, Biddy for example, but with limited time and for the sake of streamlining the story these are characters only missed if you knew of their existence in the first place. For those new to Dickens and there will many, as every generation arrives at classic literature from it's own direction, it is a great introduction to the novel, which I encourage anyone to pick up and read. Standout performances are definitely Ray Winstone and Gillian Anderson, both obviously enjoying their roles enormously and inhabiting their characters perfectly.

Any misgivings people have to the casting of the 43 year old Anderson as Miss Havisham should be put to one side. She is often presented as far too old a character in previous versions, so to complain that seven or eight years have been knocked off seems kind of redundant. I enjoyed Douglas Booth as Pip, and he managed to make him initially unlikeable and naive, yet eventually more sympathetic, despite being so 'pretty'! Hat's off to Paul Ritter as Wemmick and Harry Lloyd as Herbert Pocket too, both perfect! Was the above review useful to you? 7 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Pretty Uninspired Adaptation from White Plains, USA 8 April 2012 I actually just finished the book a month ago so it might have adversely affected my opinion since this adaptation is so very different than the book. Without going into details and risk spoilers, I just have to say the casting is subpar, except for Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham. The streamlining and changes in plots are questionable, the loss of some characters and changes to their actions and personality render them un-Dickensian.

There should be enough time in 3 hours to tell a closer story to the original but the 3 hours felt like 6, I was bored and unmoved. I remember watching Bleak House, also with Gillian Anderson, and couldn't get enough, this one, I couldn't wait for it to end. Was the above review useful to you? Why bother? 24 December 2015 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I don't see the purpose of making this version. Apparently the BBC has more subsidy money that they can think of what to do with it. Frankly, the actor playing Pip is not that great and Estella is downright homely and I can't help but see Hercule Perot. Harry Lloyd wonderful as Herbert Pocket as others have said. Since others have covered many of these shortcomings I shall restrict my further comments to my disappointment in the production design and cinematography.Since the 1946 version won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Black- and-White, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White the standard was set. Making the film in color did not alleviate them of a need to meet or exceed that standard.

I know, it won Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Movie and Best Cinematography or a Miniseries or a Movie. but all I can say is how can that be? Apparently the judges know nothing about Victorian architecture, furniture or decorative arts and thus are unqualified to judge this film. As for the cinematography, they obviously chose to overlook some fairly frequent major flaws. Having been an antiques dealer and having a degree in Architecture and being a filmmaker and cinematographer I was hoping at least the production design and camera-work would be worth the effort. The production design is awful with mismatched furniture and decorative arts throughout, usually in the same room. The overdone areas in a severe state of decay throughout the Haversham mansion was ridiculous. First floor rooms will rarely show signs of decay from a leaking roof in a two story mansion, especially after only a couple decades of neglect. Having the wedding day dining table unchanged makes since but everything else is overkill and unbelievable. The contrast of the dining room with with the rest of the house in previous versions was missed. There was never any sign that any dust was ever disturbed even on the staircase handrails. Absurd.

It is set in London and surrounds in the early to mid-1800s. The use of candles everywhere was totally wrong. It is the Victorian gaslight era and just before and candles went out of everyday use long before that due to their high cost. They were handmade, and were replaced by whale oil and then kerosene long before gaslight became available in the early 1800's in London. If you can't get that right you are doomed as lighting is the most noticeable thing in the rooms. They should have limited the use of candles to candelabras on the dining tables at formal dinner affairs, just like today. I hardly saw any furniture that didn't appear to be several decades out of fashion for the period. Not a sign of wealth to have old fashioned used furniture. Reminded me of the set for The Heiress which had a great set except for the furnishings which were also out of date despite belonging to a rich New York surgeon. Few people in London and New York with money at that time did not own out of fashion furniture yet everyone in this film does no matter what their own age.

I think the spendthrift Pip would be buying the latest designs to impress Estella and his new friend, not used, out of style furniture. But for the color, the flocked wallpaper in the Haversham mansion was right out of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", an even worse production design disaster. Some of the weird camera angles and lenses had no purpose and distorted things and people's faces for no apparent reason. Even though much of the cinematography was nice, this so took me out of the scenes that I can't fathom how it was overlooked when awards were given to the DP. I also was annoyed by his sometimes misdirected rack focusing and blown out exposure on Pip's admittedly pancake makeup white face and other faces at times. Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Expectations not met from United Kingdom 7 June 2015 Ray Winstone looks like an actor who simply had to play Magwitch one day. Its a shame that he was not saved for the BBC Films version which was released in 2012. Gillian Anderson brings an ethereal touch as Miss Havisham. A younger, prettier woman yet witch like.

The problem was the bland leads. Douglas Booth was beige as Pip and you just kept wondering why Harry Lloyd wonderful as Herbert Pocket should had been cast as Pip. Its a watchable version, very atmospheric and the side actors bring some verve to their roles. With better casting this would had been a much better adaptation of this often told tale of Charles Dickens. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 3: Star Joins Royals In Charles Dickens Tribute Star Joins Royals In Charles Dickens Tribute Elizabeth Scott, arts and entertainment producer Tweet Share Gillian Anderson says she was "extremely privileged" to entertain Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of Charles Dickens birth. The actress , who played Miss Havisham in the BBC's recent adaptation of Great Expectations, read an extract from the novel to the royal couple as the day was marked throughout Britain. Beforehand she admitted to Sky News she was very nervous but it was something she "couldn't say no to". Following the reading, Prince Charles showed his appreciation, remarking: "How fantastic". He added: "What fun it is to be read to".

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were given a tour of the Charles Dickens Museum in Doughty Street, London, where Dickens lived with his wife and children from 1837 until 1839. Some of his best-loved novels were written there including Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Anderson believes Dickens' stories still resonanate with audiences today because they tap into the human condition and "tug at the heartstrings". "A lot of the emotions that he deals with in his stories are emotions that we still come up against... the level of sadness, tragedy, loss, sorrow and all these things which play out so much in his novels are still things we identify with today," she said. "His characters are so complex and strange and fantastic and his stories tug at the heartstrings and we love things that tug at our heart strings". She added: "He was so specific about the human condition and his description of characters and the state of being at that time in England is part of our historical record of what it was like back then." Anderson said it was a "wonderful opportunity" to play Miss Havisham despite some claiming that, at 43, she was too young to play the role.

She explained: "It is actually through Pip's eyes, and it wouldn't make sense at that time for her to be that old, if it was only 15, 20 years since she was jilted. In those days she would have been marrying at 18,19,20" She added: "I think the age actually matches up." Great Expectations was a big hit with viewers when it aired at the end of December. Anderson said: "This interpretation found a balance between a contemporary look in the way it was shot... but at the same time getting the same weight of that period in history, the disparities between classes, the poverty, the struggle that Pip goes through." The X Files star also played Lady Dedlock in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House in 2005 which earned her a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination. She said: "A lot of his females are so complicated and have such tragic stories. Tragedy and that level of conflict makes for good drama." After the reading Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall marked the anniversary by laying a wreath at Dickens' grave at Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.

The service was attended by descendents of the author and included a reading from Bleak House by actor Ralph Fiennes . He is to star as Magwitch in a new film adaptation of Great Expectations, which will feature Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham. Another reading was given by Mark Dickens, the writer's great-great-grandson. Dickens had asked to be buried at Rochester Cathedral in his beloved Kent but a public outcry led to his remains being placed in Poets' Corner. Celebrations have also been held in his native Portsmouth where he was born on February 7, 1812. When he died in 1870, at 58, he was one of the most famous writers in the world. Reblog The Official Gillian Anderson Website - Archive - Transcripts Great Expectations: Miss Havisham given 'youthful' air By Michael Osborn December 23 2011 BBC News Tortured, ghostly, eternal bride-to-be Miss Havisham is returning in a fresh screen adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic Great Expectations.

The wealthy heiress, who was jilted on her wedding day and lived as a recluse for decades afterwards, haunts her tumbledown mansion clad in a dusty matrimonial gown. Miss Havisham - with her white matted hair and wedding feast table preserved in cobwebs - has been played by older actresses in previous major incarnations. Joan Hickson played her at the age of 75 in 1981, while Anne Bancroft was cast in a 1998 modern reworking of Dickens's story at the age of 67. But for the new take on Great Expectations she is portrayed by Gillian Anderson, who at 43 is the youngest screen star to play the woman who casts a huge shadow over the life of Pip, hero of the tale. "Dickens doesn't qualify Miss Havisham's age specifically. If you add up the numbers at the time, it makes sense she would have been about 37," explains Anderson. The US-born star has no concerns that she is too young for the role. "This is me, at this age, this actress being hired for a particular reason and honouring that.

I'm not going to say: 'I'm not doing this because you should have hired an older actress.'" Her unnerving interpretation of the tragic yet cruel Havisham is ghostly, ashen-faced and becomes craggier as the story progresses - but did not rely on any ageing prosthetics. Anderson's transformation took less than two hours when Havisham was shown at her most decayed. "I had an idea for a grey which I didn't think existed," says Anderson of her contribution to the character's look. "There was a specific grey I felt her hair should be, which they were able to find. It's kind of opaque and translucent but at the same time holds light. It's not white, it's not too grey, it's just this middle non-colour." Anderson's Havisham floats disconcertingly around her mothballed home, where the clocks are stopped at the moment when she was jilted and her wedding cake is being feasted on by mice. Her lips are desiccated and she claws her skin at moments of stress, while dark circles frame her eyes.

'Heartbroken mess' The actress, known for her long-running role in The X-Files, maintains that she did not go back to previous portrayals of Miss Havisham for guidance. "My fear is always I've been taking on something else that already exists. So I deliberately haven't gone through other versions or even old line drawings. "I'm fascinated by the previous incarnations but will try not to compare. My intention is to be as close to my first impression of her," Anderson explains, adding that she will end her moratorium after seeing her own performance. The actress has not seen images of a Miss Havisham to follow her own, played by Helena Bonham Carter in a film version of Great Expectations to be released next year. When told that Bonham Carter is festooned by cobwebs and will be something of a Hannibal Lecteresque monster, Anderson says: "I'm not a purist - there's room for all of it!" She adds: "I'm sure there'll be positives and negatives about both adaptations from all perspectives." While Miss Havisham's physical appearance seems at the heart of on-screen portrayals, her character and story are important.

She declares that "love is death" and seems hell bent on revenge - but is a figure to be pitied, says Anderson. "Her personal pain is played out and at times she is an absolutely heartbroken mess," says the actress. In equal measure she brands Miss Havisham "psychotically manipulative", a woman who has the power to damage both Pip and her adopted daughter Estella. Anderson adds that this character's tragic side needs to be explored alongside her scheming nature "to avoid losing the television audience really quickly". Period roles Returning to the theme of being a young Havisham, the actress explains that it makes her relatively close in age to the grown-up Pip. "There is still hope for her, which makes it interesting not having her portrayed as an old hag." After years as sceptical FBI agent Dana Scully, Anderson, who spent some of her childhood in the UK, has recently made a name for herself in period pieces. She garnered a Bafta nomination for playing Lady Dedlock in Dickens' Bleak House, and was almost unrecognisable as brothel owner Mrs Castaway in The Crimson Petal and The White. "You can write that down!

It's good to know it's working," laughs Anderson when told of her ability to transform. She says there may be more costume roles, should they make her "feel I can contribute something". As for a return of The X-Files, Anderson says it is all down to US network Fox. "If Fox are the gods, then it's in the lap of the gods," says the actress who brings a touch of youthful bloom to one of literature's most enduring characters.

Question: Which actress has played Lady Dedlock and Miss Havisham in BBC adaptations of Dickens' novels?
Answer: Gillian Anderson