When the offer to join The Great season 2 came her way, Gillian Anderson knew two things.

One, the scripts reminded her of Monty Python-esque humor, and she desperately wanted to join the fun. And two? "I also wanted to work with Elle [Fanning]," the two-time Emmy winner tells EW for our latest digital cover story. "I'm a big fan of her and I think she is phenomenal. I really wanted to get to work with her, and she didn't disappoint."