Gillian Anderson's Role Is Reason Enough To Watch NBC's 39-Episode Psychological Thriller

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Gillian Anderson’s big break happened on network TV in the ’90s thanks to her work as Agent Dana Scully on Fox’s The X-Files, but an entirely different network show resulted in some of the best performances of her career. The Emmy-winner joined the cast of Hannibal, a thriller that was shockingly bloody and intense to air in primetime on NBC. While the drama has plenty of reasons to be worth watching (or rewatching) years after the finale, Anderson’s work as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier truly stands out.

Hannibal ran for three seasons and starred Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter himself, as well as Hugh Dancy as Will Graham. The show was based on characters and themes from three books from author Thomas Harris: Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising. The show definitely wasn’t in the continuity of the films that starred Anthony Hopkins as the famous fictional cannibal, and certain departures from the books actually made the story all the more compelling on screen.

The series earned a dedicated following after it premiered in 2013, but would ultimately only run for three seasons and come to an end in 2015. Not all hope is lost about a Hannibal season 4, however, so it’s entirely possible that Anderson will be among cast members returning to their twisted roles at some point.

Gillian Anderson’s Bedelia Du Maurier Is One Of Hannibal’s Best Characters

Gillian Anderson and Mads Mikkelson in NBC's Hannibal — Gillian Anderson and Mads Mikkelson in NBC’s Hannibal

While the heart of Hannibal was the twisted relationship between Dr. Lecter and Will Graham, the story was immediately elevated when Gillian Anderson joined the cast halfway through the first season as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier.

Bedelia Du Maurier Was An Original Character Created For The Hannibal Show

Gillian Anderson in NBC's Hannibal — Gillian Anderson in NBC’s Hannibal

TV and film adaptations that wildly depart from the source material don’t always work, but Bedelia is certainly an exception to that rule. While she was an original character created for the show rather than pulled from the pages of one of Thomas Harris’ books, she fit right into the ensemble. Gillian Anderson and Mads Mikkelsen were electric as co-stars, no matter whether Bedelia and Hannibal were meeting on friendly or antagonistic terms.