Although the Emmys absolutely loved The Crown, a few attendees may be in need of a British history lesson. After winning her second career Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her turn as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, Gillian Anderson did what every newly-minted winner does and dropped by the show’s press room to answer questions. While there, Anderson was asked something she was, perhaps, not expecting by a member of the press room, who’s been identified as radio host and producer Tanya Hart from American Urban Radio Networks. “Just to continue with the whole Margaret Thatcher thing,” Hart said, “first question: have you talked to her about this role at all?”
It would be difficult for Anderson to talk to Thatcher for a multitude of reasons, first and foremost that Thatcher has been dead for over eight years. She died on April 8, 2013 at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke in London, a few years after Meryl Streep won the Oscar for playing her in 2011’s The Iron Lady. (Reminder: correlation does not equal causation.) Unless Anderson has the ability to commune with the other realm—which, given her X-Files bonafides, she might—talking to the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom about her performance would prove rather challenging, given the fact that she no longer walks amongst the living.
Anderson seemed genuinely confused by the question—but rather than asking Hart to clarify or launching into a history lesson, Anderson simply said, “Um, well I… I have not spoken to Margaret,” stammering a bit before quickly moving on to Hart’s second question about the lack of female leadership in America. While the flub wasn’t as deeply uncomfortable as a reporter mistaking Daniel Kaluuya for Leslie Odom Jr. at this year’s Oscars, it certainly was a head-scratching, awkward moment. Ultimately, it served as a great reminder to journalists across the globe to always do a quick Wikipedia scan before grabbing the mic.
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