The X-Files: 10 Facts We Learned About David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson at Wizard World Chicago
If you are anything like me, you probably figured that we would never see the friendly faces of Agent Scully and Mulder after the conclusion of The X-Files Season 11. Luckily, we were both wrong!
At Wizard World Chicago 2018, actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reunited on stage to answer questions for their fans — who still just can’t seem to get enough of their mystery solving capers. They proved that if you look hard enough — the truth is out there!
Here are 10 facts we learned about these amazing actors that we have loved for so many years.
1. Movie Stars
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson weren’t always headed toward your living room television set.
Years ago, movie stars and television actors were two totally different animals. It was very rare if there was a crossover between both genres of entertainment.
And typically, if we saw someone go from the big screen to the little screen, we assumed their career was struggling. This was still the case when Duchovny and Anderson started out.
Gillian Anderson, a former theater actor, had this to say on the subject: “At a certain point, I was auditioning for stuff beyond theater. That included mostly film — I didn’t want to do television. After a year of saying no —giving a strict no —I auditioned for a television show, and that was that.”
David Duchovny added, “Like Gillian, I didn’t want to do television, because at that point in history — back in the 20th century — there was a big difference in television and film. There was a difference in the perception of television actors versus film actors. It wasn’t something people were dying to do.”
2. Small Potatoes
On every season of The X-Files, there was always at least one or two episodes that had an air of comedy. Although episodes like The X-Files Season 4 Episode 20, “Small Potatoes,” were fun for us to watch — that wasn’t necessarily the case for the actors.
“I don’t know if they were fun because I felt pressure for it to be different. If I liked the script, I sometimes wanted it to be great. Well, funny for that case,” David Duchovny said.
“That would sometimes feel more like pressure to me. It would be fun in a challenging sense, but not fun in a way like we’re making comedy, and laughing all the time fun,” he added.
Anderson chimed in, “I do remember that when we got them it felt like a relief — the relief of not having 14 paragraphs of medical jargon.”
3. Star Trek
Some people may argue that The X-Files might never have existed if it wasn’t for the popularity of shows like Star Trek. As it turns out, David Duchovny is a big Trekkie himself.
“I’m a big Star Trek — sorry only the original — Star Trek fan. The rest of it was shit. I’m kidding. Please don’t take any offense, but fuck you. I loved that show,” chuckled Duchovny.
I guess you can say he is a little passionate about it.
4. Feminism
Gillian Anderson is known for being a feminist role model. She is very active in standing up for women’s rights and letting her voice be heard.
If she was the one writing The X-Files, the series might look a bit different.
“I’m pretty sure that it would be less focused on her reproductive abilities. That would be less of an obsession. And I think probably early on she would have positioned herself differently in conversation,” Anderson stated.
“As we can see from all the fans, we can see the impact she did have. Regardless, she remains a feminist icon.”
5. The Whisper
Toward the end of The X-Files Season 11, there was a scene where Agent Scully whispered into Mulder’s ear. This is a moment of much speculation for fans, causing everyone to wonder what she possibly could have said.
Looking to Gillian Anderson, Duchovny said, “You didn’t really say any words. You were just gumming around, you didn’t say anything at all.”
Anderson responded, “At some point, I was like, what am I saying? Do you know what I meant to be saying? Is there something we aren’t getting?”
I guess that mystery will remained unsolved for now.
6. Directing
There is no doubt that Gillian Anderson is an amazing actress, but as the years move on, she may move off the camera and take a behind the scenes role.
“I have thought about directing, but it feels like something I would like to do later on. If I start getting less work as an actor — then I will probably head in that direction,” she said.
With all her experience, I’m sure she would do a great job and put a real stir into the industry.
7. Reuniting
With no word on a new season of The X-Files, a fan pondered aloud if the two would ever be co-stars again.
David Duchovny quickly answered, “It’s impossible to say.”
But Anderson wasn’t as quick to turn the idea down. “We talked for a while about how it would be fun to do a proper spoof — an Airplane type of thing,” she suggested.
That is definitely not a no, folks. Quick, someone jot down a script!
8. The End
Just like the endings of most series, there were many fans disappointed with how things were left. Gillian Anderson couldn’t agree more.
“I’m so sorry — I’m sorry it’s over for you. I’m sorry for the way it ended — I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That’s all,” she stated to her fans. Her demeanor showed her sincerest of regrets.
9. Changes
It is somewhat rare for a show to last as long as The X-Files did. Spanning over a decade, there were many changes along the way — not all of them were positive ones.
“When you are on the set and they have to change the film mag — back then you actually had a break. Now they don’t — because it is all digital — so everything is much speedier. But they seem to shoot the same amount of hours.”
I guess what they say is true — there is no rest for the weary. Thanks for your dedication!
10. Acting pitfalls
Often, we tend to believe that acting is a rather glamorous job. The fame, the fortune, and everything that goes along with it — comes off as something quite elegant. For David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson that isn’t always the case.
“I think it is kind of lonely — because you’re in charge of your job — and that is the only job you are really involved in,” Duchovny said.
“The way that we were working, there was no time to be social with each other. The time that you do have, you kind of don’t want to see the people you are working with. You want to take a break, or spend time with your children,” Anderson added.
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Charles E Henning
Charles E. Henning lives in a quaint town of Illinois with his ever-loving wife since 1998. He is new to writing reviews, but has over thirty years of fictitious writing for his own personal fulfillment. His interests range from science fiction to character-based dramas, but he is a sucker for anyone in a cape.