(CNN) — Actress Gillian Anderson has asked women around the world to contact her anonymously with their sexual fantasies.
Anderson, who plays outspoken sex therapist Jean Milburn in Netflix’s blockbuster series “Sex Education,” posted a video on Instagram explaining that she is “launching a huge exploration of women and sex.”
Seated in a burgundy armchair, the 54-year-old actress looked relaxed as she asked women to send her “most personal wishes” for a book she said she is “curating”.
The Golden Globe winner said: “As women we know that sex is about more than sex, but a lot of us don’t talk about it.”
“Our most intimate fears and fantasies remain locked inside us. Until someone arrives with the key.”
“Well, here is the key. I am preparing a book with the anonymous letters sent to me. A book that explores how women think about sex, because sex has to do with femininity and motherhood, infidelity and exploitation, consent and respect, justice and equality, love and hate, pleasure and pain”.
Gillian asked viewers if they had a secret fantasy that they would only share with the people they “trusted the most”, if at all.
The British-American actress went on to say: “Wherever you come from, whether you’re 18 or 80, whether you sleep with men, women, non-binary people, everyone or no one. I want to know your most personal desires.”
“Let’s open this conversation together and create something revealing.”
Gillian Anderson plays a sex therapist in the hit Netflix series. Credit: Netflix
Participants were told they could address their letters “Dear Gillian” and send them through an encrypted portal shared on their Instagram bio.
Anderson, who rose to fame in the 1990s playing agent Dana Scully on “The X-Files,” wrote an article in The Guardian newspaper this week explaining the motivation behind her unusual request.
In it, she cited the book “My Secret Garden: Women’s Sexual Fantasies” by Nancy Friday, which she said “was revolutionary, even provocative” and became “must read for everyone, a multi-million worldwide bestseller.” of copies, a classic”.
Although it was published in 1973, Anderson said he only read the book in 2018 to prepare for the role of Milburn.
“His unfiltered, pain-filled honesty shook me,” Anderson said.
Since “Sex Education” first aired, Anderson has often been asked if women try to confide in him with their sexual problems and secrets, she wrote.
“Well, they don’t,” he said. “Ultimately, that’s what gave me the idea to write a book, a ‘My Secret Garden’ for the 21st century, if you will, that was eye-opening and profound, and inclusive of everyone.”
Alexis Kirschbaum, director of Bloomsbury Trade, said in a press release sent to CNN on Thursday: “Gillian Anderson’s editorship will help us attract a wide range of letters from all corners of the world, and I can’t wait to read the cards you choose to include in your collection”.
