Gillian Anderson reveals she returned to work on The X-Files 10 days after giving birth to her first child as she reflects on her 'overwhelming' experience of motherhood: 'I didn't know what the f*** I was doing!'

Gillian Anderson has candidly discussed the struggles she has faced as a working mother of three children, in a recent interview.

The Sex Education actress, 55, detailed her overwhelming experience of motherhood and admitted that she 'didn't know what the f*** she was doing' after the birth of her first child.

After giving birth to her daughter Piper in 1994, Gillian was straight back to work 10 days later on set filming for The X-Files.

Speaking about the strenuous time with Grazia, Gillian said: 'I didn't know what the f*** I was doing! You're upside down and you feel, sometimes, like you're slightly going mad. And I had help.'

Gillian has a grown-up daughter, Piper, 29, with production designer Clyde Klotz, as well as two teenage sons - Oscar, 15, and Felix, 17 - with ex Mark Griffiths. 

Gillian Anderson, 55, has candidly discussed the struggles she has faced as a working mother of three children

After welcoming her daughter Piper into the world in 1994, Gillian was straight back to work 10 days later on set filming for The X-Files (pictured with David Duchovny in the series)

She added: '10 days after a C-section. I wouldn't have chosen that but I had no choice.

'I had help and I still struggled. Woman who raise children on their own are superwomen, they are amazing.' 

Next up for the acclaimed actress is her portryal of Emily Maitlis in Scoop - Netflix's dramatization of Emily's jaw-dropping 2019 interview with Prince Andew, adapted from Sam McAlister's book.

When acting stars gear up to portray a real-life person they generally spend as much time with them as possible in order to nail down their mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.

But Gillian had to resort to watching hours of Newsnight footage while preparing for her role.

Emily, 53, refused to meet with Gillian in the lead up to filming as she is working on her own project based on the sensational televised interview, Grazia reports.

Instead, The Crown actress spent her time trawling through footage of Emily, listening to her The News Agents podcast and reading her autobiography Airhead.

'There were so many things to get wrong. Emily is so formidable and she's still alive. When I told them my fears, they said, 'That's exactly why you should do it,' she said.

Gillian has a grown-up daughter, Piper, 29, with production designer Clyde Klotz (pictured with Piper in 2017) 

Gillian also has two teenage sons as well - Oscar, 17, and Felix, 15 - with ex Mark Griffiths. She is pictured with Oscar and Mark, while pregnant with Felix, in 2008

Gillian said Emily was 'placed on a pedestal, to a degree,' but 'a pedestal I think she deserved to be placed on.'

She added: 'And you get a sense of that from how they talk about her. She's their secret weapon, right?

'That interview is bloody serious. Emily is there for one reason and one reason only.

'She is going to do everything in her power to make sure the hard questions are asked… the questions everybody else has been scared to ask.'

The series, which drops on the streaming service next month, co-stars Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Billie Piper as Newsnight producer Sam McAlister.