Gillian Anderson dressed down for PETA‘s latest ad campaign, wearing nothing but a pair of costume cat ears in a new photo on her Instagram.
The X-Files star is the latest to embody PETA’s “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” slogan, following in the footsteps of Pink, Taraji P. Heson, Alicia Machado and many other models, actresses and performers who have posed for the organization.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Anderson’s portrait isn’t just an Instagram stunt — the photo will appear on a 70-foot billboard over Penn Station in New York City during New York Fashion Week in February. The 49-year-old Emmy-winning actress acknowledged that the campaign is a textbook example of using sex to sell a message, but she doesn’t see a problem with that if it’s for a good cause.
“I found it liberating to use my body to make an important statement,” Anderson told People of the powerful photo shoot. “People tend to look away from anti-fur ads showing mangled animals, but they’re drawn to PETA’s ‘naked’ campaign, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
PETA’s work has driven many prominent fashion designers away from the use of real animal fur. Just recently, Michael Kors and Gucci announced that their collections wouldn’t include any real fur going forward.
The organization has been criticized in the past, however. Feminist pundits often say that the campaign objectifies women in the pursuit of liberating animals — in a sense, valuing the lives of the animals over those of the models.
Anderson, for one, seems to disagree. This isn’t the first time she’s worked with PETA. In 2015, she did a pro-vegitarian ad for the organization in character Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier from NBC‘s Hannibal.
“Eating meat is a matter of taste,” Anderson said sinisterly in the commercial, as the camera panned down to her severed leg.
New York Fashion Week begins on Thursday, Feb. 8, at which point New Yorkers won’t be able to escape Anderson’s laughing stare.
