What Turns Women On

Gillian Anderson isn’t a sex therapist, but for four years, she played one on television. From 2019 to 2023, she starred as Sex Education’s Dr. Jean Milburn, a lusty, complicated, sometimes manipulative (see: human) woman, bumbling and grasping through midlife while single-parenting her teenage son, Otis. But even though the role was pure fiction, something about Milburn’s funny, loving energy made people want to talk to Anderson about sex. For years, her literary agent received inquiries from publishers and editors about interviews she might do, confessions she might write. For a long time, she put them off. But then her editor suggested something more communal: other people, submitting anonymously. Anderson was finally convinced by the idea of a large and varied group. “We had many different versions,” she says. “And then I realized what would be most beautiful and affecting was to hear from as many different women as we could.” [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [Gillian Anderson Can Tell You What Women Want]( [Gillian Anderson Can Tell You What Women Want]( Gillian Anderson isn’t a sex therapist, but for four years, she played one on television. From 2019 to 2023, she starred as Sex Education’s Dr. Jean Milburn, a lusty, complicated, sometimes manipulative (see: human) woman, bumbling and grasping through midlife while single-parenting her teenage son, Otis. But even though the role was pure fiction, something about Milburn’s funny, loving energy made people want to talk to Anderson about sex. For years, her literary agent received inquiries from publishers and editors about interviews she might do, confessions she might write. For a long time, she put them off. But then her editor suggested something more communal: other people, submitting anonymously. Anderson was finally convinced by the idea of a large and varied group. “We had many different versions,” she says. “And then I realized what would be most beautiful and affecting was to hear from as many different women as we could.” [Read More](     [10 Camel Coats That Prove the Classics Never Go Out of Style]( [10 Camel Coats That Prove the Classics Never Go Out of Style]( We have a whole caravan of the very best ones. [Read More]( [How to Buy a Watch]( [How to Buy a Watch]( When the time comes to put something on your wrist (that isn't an Apple Watch), use this as your guide. [Read More]( [Declassify the Senate Report on the Torture Program? Sounds Like A Job For Lame Duck Joe Biden]( [Declassify the Senate Report on the Torture Program? Sounds Like A Job For Lame Duck Joe Biden]( It is occurring to more than a few people that President Joe Biden is pretty much free to do anything he wants within the law for the rest of his term. (For that matter, if we take the Supreme Court seriously, he's pretty much free to do anything he wants, the law be damned. Take that immunity thing out for a spin and see what she's got.) For example, the indefatigable Jefferson Morley is ramping up his campaign for the CIA to release all the remaining documents regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, something that was supposed to happen 32 years ago. [Read More](   [‘The Rings of Power’ S2, E5 Proves Why Celebrimbor Is the Best Character]( [‘The Rings of Power’ S2, E5 Proves Why Celebrimbor Is the Best Character]( I've never seen a man (or elf!) this beautifully, hilariously gullible. [Read More]( [The 7 Best Over-Ear Headphones for Your Listening Pleasure]( [The 7 Best Over-Ear Headphones for Your Listening Pleasure]( After hands-on time with all the biggest brands, here's what we think. [Read More](     [The 40 Best HBO Series of All Time, Ranked]( [The 40 Best HBO Series of All Time, Ranked]( Roughly 25 years have passed since HBO first dominated television with The Sopranos and The Wire. Today, the network continues to age like a fine wine. Tony Soprano eventually passed the baton to the Boardwalk Empire, and now ol’ Nucky is ready to hand it off to Colin Farrell’s waddling Penguin. Elsewhere, recent shows like True Detective: Night Country sent viewers down (freezing) rabbit holes, while comedies such as Hacks and The White Lotus reminded audiences that HBO isn’t only about the drama. Just don't remind me that we now live in a world post-Curb Your Enthusiasm and Succession.While we wait to find out if any of the new series will break the list, we’ve ranked the 40 best HBO series of all time. [Read More](   [ESQ Fragrance]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Visit Esquire on Facebook]( [Visit Esquire on X formerly Twitter]( [Visit Esquire on Instagram]( [Visit Esquire on YouTube]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779