Fannibals rejoice, as we’ll be seeing a lot more of X-Files alum Gillian Anderson in Hannibal‘s next season. Anderson made quite the splash in the first two seasons as Hannibal Lecter’s psychiatrist, the mysterious Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, and quickly became an fan favorite. Now, she’ll get even more scenery to chew on as she’s been promoted to a series regular for season three.
When we last saw Dr. Du Maurier, she was on a plane accompanying Lecter as he fled the country in the last few moments of the season two finale. So far, her true motivations and feelings about Lecter have been kept secret, though we were led to believe for a time that she was afraid of her former patient and was willing to rat him out to the authorities. Now that those ideas have been thrown out the window, we’ll be very curious to see where her character goes from here.
Showrunner Bryan Fuller announced the news himself in a statement to TV Line, saying the following:
“The cast and crew of Hannibal are positively giddy to be welcoming Gillian to Season 3 as a series regular. A striking presence on stage and screen, she brings wit, grace and intelligence to every role she embodies. Screenwriting is so much easier when you’re inspired by a great actor and Gillian has filled the Hannibal writers room with wonderful inspiration. I can’t wait for audiences to see her make a bigger meal out of the Cannibal than ever before.”
Unfortunately, Dr. Du Maurier is not a character from any of the source material and is merely a creature of Fuller’s own creation. That makes her role, and her growing importance in the show, that much more intriguing. Many have speculated that she’ll take a role similar to Silence of the Lambs lead character Clarice Starling, since she has yet to appear on the series (and my never do so, thanks to some rights disputes).
Until Hannibal returns during the midway point of the upcoming television season, the machinations of Gillian’s role remains a mystery. Alas, let the speculating begin!
