Gillian Anderson's Hannibal Role Stands Out

Gillian Anderson joined the cast of NBC's Hannibal halfway through its first season. The Emmy-winner's work as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier is cited as a standout reason to watch or rewatch the series years after its 2015 finale.

The show, which aired for three seasons from 2013 to 2015, starred Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham. It was based on characters and themes from Thomas Harris's novels Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising, but existed outside the continuity of the Anthony Hopkins films. The series developed a dedicated following despite its surprisingly bloody and intense content for a primetime network show.

While hope remains for a potential fourth season, with creator Bryan Fuller expressing a desire to revisit the world, all three seasons are currently available for streaming on Netflix and Prime Video.

Gillian Anderson's Bedelia Became A Series Pillar

Anderson was initially slated for only three episodes in the first season. She ultimately appeared in 22 of the show's 39 episodes, becoming one of the most important characters to Hannibal aside from Will Graham. Her character, Hannibal's psychiatrist, was drawn into his twisted world.

The role required Anderson to deliver complex, enigmatic dialogue. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she recalled that creator Bryan Fuller and the writers would invent "the craziest paragraphs" for her to say, just to see if she could make sense of the "gobbledegook." Anderson noted that every new script brought unexpected information about where her character's relationship with Hannibal was headed.

Bedelia Du Maurier Was An Original Creation For The Show

Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier was an original character created for the television adaptation, not sourced from any of Thomas Harris's books. Despite this departure from the source material, she seamlessly integrated into the show's dark ensemble.

Bryan Fuller, the show's creator, originally envisioned an older actress for the part. After casting Anderson, he described the dynamic between Bedelia and Hannibal to Den of Geek as a vibration between two "icy, sexy" people that was "rich and exciting to watch." Author Thomas Harris, who is notoriously reclusive, revealed in a rare 2019 interview with The New York Times that he had not yet watched the NBC series but intended to binge it when he had time.

For now, the future of Hannibal remains uncertain. Anderson's three-season arc as the enigmatic and possibly complicit Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, however, remains a central part of the thriller's legacy.