Gillian Anderson has joined the cast of the new NBC drama Hannibal in which she will play Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s personal therapist.
"Every therapist needs their own head examined and we are ecstatic that Gillian Anderson has chosen Hannibal to mark her return to American television after 10 years to portray Dr. Lecter’s personal psychiatrist," Hannibal show-runner Bryan Fuller said, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly.
"Her intelligence and sophistication, not to mention her pedigree of ground-breaking TV, make her the perfect actress to match wits and psychological manipulations with one of the greatest villains of pop culture. I couldn’t be more excited," Fuller continued.
Anderson is set to portray Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier in three episodes of the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The actress was previously in the running to play Clarice Starling in the big-screen version of Hannibal in 2001 after Jodie Foster dropped out, but reportedly Anderson's X-Files contract forbid her from playing another FBI agent.
Hannibal also stars Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as criminal profiler Will Graham along with Eddie Izzard, Gina Torres, Molly Shannon, Ellen Greene and Chelan Simmons.
The series doesn't have a premiere date yet, but it is expected to debut in late spring of next year.