‘The Crown’ Star’s Outfit Caused a Full-On Zipper Meltdown

Gillian Anderson, 57, shared a candid video documenting her struggle to squeeze into an extremely tight top, embodying the “beauty is pain” cliché.

The Emmy-winning actress, who portrayed British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of The Crown, shared an Instagram video from what appeared to be her hotel room in Paris.

In the post, Anderson wears a black one-shoulder top from the Spring/Summer 2026 collection by Serbian fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić, which featured a cutout detail along the sternum.

Anderson looked effortlessly elegant, yet the final slide of her post revealed that putting on the Vala top ($1039, Roksanda) was anything but.

The video showed four people surrounding Anderson: three working on the zipper, visibly struggling, while one kept the top in place.

The X-Files star maintained a positive attitude throughout the video, grinning as she encouraged her entourage to keep pushing. Once the zipper finally budged, the group erupted into cheers and applause.

Anderson paired the top with matching black pants by Roksanda Ilinčić, and black heels with straps, chosen by her trusted stylist, Martha Ward.

Hairdresser James Rowe put Anderson’s hair into voluminous, silky waves for the occasion. Makeup artist Amanda Grossman kept the actress’s lips nude and her skin dewy, choosing instead to emphasize Anderson’s eyes with fluttery lashes.

In the same post, Anderson switched into a black gown with a V-shaped strap and a large golden flower embellishment by Taller Marmo. Anderson’s caption read, “48 hours [in] Paris with @lorealparis!”

The comments were filled with praise for Anderson’s look.

“Ok, just WOW,” one fan wrote, while another commenter said Anderson always looks like a “goddess.”

“I’m pretty sure time signed a contract not to touch Gillian Anderson,” wrote a third. “At this point, I think aging forgot her address.”

Despite her corseted struggles, Anderson is a fashion and beauty icon, having been named a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris in 2025. She walked the Paris Fashion Week runway for the brand during their Le Défilé. Liberté, Egalité, Sororité “You’re Worth It” Spring/Summer 2026 show.