Gillian Anderson wants her partner to desire the real her instead of a "perfect version"

She explained: "I think what was remarkable about the book and the conversation that it's started, was because of the courage of the women who submitted the letters.

"The bigger light bulb is: 'If I'm not able to ask for what I want of the person I've been married to for 25 years, does that have any link to why I'm not able to ask for what I want in the work that I do?

"And the raise that I've been thinking about asking for? Or actually to assume that I might be talented at this other thing that I haven't gone after because I've been kind of wrapped up' ...

"I didn't expect the reaction that we've had and I didn't expect that these were the types of conversations that we'd be having. I've had women come up to me and say: 'This has changed my life'. And at the end of the day we're talking about courage really."

She went on to add that a lot of the writing seemed to be about being "seen" and she opened up about how she wants to be looked at by her partner.

Gillian - who is in a relationship with screenwriter Peter Morgan - added: "There's a lot of really, really touching writing in here and real touching honesty and part of that too which really moves me, was women writing about being seen.

"Yes there's a version of a fantasy where even in my mind I look a certain way and I'm imagining that they are desiring me as that way, but actually the thing that I really want is to be looked at adoringly for who I am, and how I look and for that to be the thing that my partner is desiring - not the perfect version of it, but actually you."