Gillian Anderson stumped at Emmys 2021 by bizarre Margaret Thatcher question

Gillian Anderson was left slightly confused by a reporter's bizarre question at the Emmys 2021, shortly after she won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown. 

The beloved actress, who played the famous British Prime Minister in the hit Netflix royal drama, appeared to do a double-take when she was presented with a rather baffling query about her portrayal of the late politician. 

In the awkward moment, the US reporter, seemingly unaware that Thatcher is no longer alive, asked Gillian if she has "talked to her about this role at all." 

While there's no doubt she took her research for the performance seriously—Gillian Anderson's Thatcher face was one of its most iconic memes to come out of The Crown—it doesn't look like she went as far as communicating with the deceased British leader from beyond the grave. 

The Sex Education star hesitated before replying, "Eh, well, I have not spoken to Margaret." 

She decided against informing the reporter that Thatcher, who was often called the Iron Lady because of her hardline conservative approach, has actually been dead since 2013. The cringe-worthy exchange prompted an outpouring of reactions online, with many people reveling in the idea of Gillian contacting the ghost of the late Tory leader. 

Gillian also received praise from fans for choosing not to embarrass the reporter by publicly correcting her mistake. 

Gillian was also guilty of confusing a few people herself at this year's Emmys. 

The First Lady actor delivered her acceptance speech in her American accent, much to the surprise of some viewers. Having played predominantly British characters in her most recent roles, it seems many people assumed that she was from the UK. In fact, Gillian hails from the state of Illinois and holds American citizenship. She moved to England as a baby with her parents and lived there until she was 11 when her family moved back to the US. Today, she lives in London with her two teenage sons.