Gillian Anderson is best known for her portrayal of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files and, as a formidable franchise force to be reckoned with, it's no surprise that hers is often the name that comes to the forefront during discussions of desirable Doctor Who guest stars. She wouldn't even have to settle for a bit part, either, since she has more than paid her sci-fi dues after well and truly kicking nine seasons of extra-terrestrial excursions in the butt. If she were to ever leave her mark on the Whoniverse, then (and, let's face it, it's now totally overdue), it would no doubt be as some sort of special villain or... you know, a renegade Time Lord called the Rani. Just sayin'. And guess what? Gillian really was going to play the Rani. At least, she was rumoured to. There were whisperings back in 2009 that the Golden Globe winner was to appear as the evil, scientific genius - whose return has been hotly rumoured and anticipated since Doctor Who's 21st century revival - alongside Matt Smith's incarnation of the Time Lord in Series 5. Alas, it just wasn't to be. It doesn't look like it'll be happening any time soon, either, since Gillian is currently committed to the BBC's hit series The Fall which has just been recommissioned for a third season. Besides, Michelle Gomez is causing all kinds of havoc as Missy at the moment and the universe would probably implode if it had to contend with two tyrannical Time Ladies. But oh, just think how fun it would be...
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
