First look at Gillian Anderson in her mesmerizing new role playing a widowed mother in the tense drama Trespasses. The new limited series dives into the emotional devastation of familial ties and racial conflict. It goes a lot deeper into the emotional abuse that each character is going through. Anderson’s portrayal of Gina stands in rather vivid contrast to her more free-spirited depiction of Jean Milburn in Sex Education. This further showcases her incredible versatility as an actress.
In Trespasses, Gina develops into a curtain-twitching, bitter crone. Her struggles with alcohol abuse send her on a path of self-sabotage. Her character personifies the things societal repression, shame, judgment—things that cut like a knife in the world of the film. At an otherwise lovely family dinner, Gina’s envy finally comes to a boil. She finds out that her son Eamonn’s wife is five months pregnant, which allows us to see Frances’ internal struggles and intense longing for connection.
Anderson’s ability to inhabit such a morally ambiguous character highlights her prowess as an actress. Critics have pointed out that she brings in a sense of hope that balances her atmosphere of despair, which certainly befits the time and place of the story. The subtleties of Gina’s character are heightened even further with Gina’s difficult Northern Irish lilt, which only punctuates and brightens the beauty of her multifaceted portrayal.
“Her ma was probably told the second Eamonn pulled out of her.” – Gina
As the series itself notes, Gina’s character is contrasted with those played by Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen. From the start Petticrew breathes life into Cushla Lavery, a thirtysomething Catholic teacher. …which is how she then finds herself entranced by a fiery courtship with the progressive Protestant barrister, Michael Agnew. Agnew, portrayed by Sean Cullen, goes to war for justice for young Catholic boys who are suffering police harassment. His passionate and embattled campaign only exacerbates the dramatic tensions at the center of the story.
Anderson’s role in Trespasses diverges significantly from her previous works, including her acclaimed performance in Say Nothing and her brilliant book Want. For all the supporting nature of her role in this series, her impact is anything but understated. Her performance as Gina absolutely captures the extremely toxic interplay between social conservatism and paramilitarism that defines Northern Ireland’s modern landscape. This role is a considerable turn away from past characters, largely more liberated and larger than life than she played before.
Gillian Anderson is still a girlhood favorite to this day, as female fans are still gushing about her innate talent and range. As she navigates the complexities of Gina’s character, she continues to solidify her status as a remarkable actress capable of bringing depth to even the most challenging roles.