16 Questions With: Gillian Anderson
X-Philes, rejoice! A full decade after the first 'X-Files' movie (and 6 years after the series' end), Mulder and Scully return in 'The X-Files: I Want to Believe.' There have been big changes for both of them (we'd tell you what those are, but then we'd have to kill you) -- and big changes for star Gillian Anderson (she's one of the new hosts on Masterpiece Theater, for crying out loud!). We talked to the star, pregnant with her third child, about why the sequel took so long, why sex ruins everything and what Fox megahit she turned down. -- By Liane Bonin
WireImage.com
1. Why did it take so long to make the second movie?
It certainly wasn't anybody's intention. I know there was a desire among all of us that when the series ended we would eventually come back together and do something. Chris [Carter] was interested in putting the energy into writing a script, and David [Duchovny] and I agreed it was something that we'd jump on board for were it to come to fruition. There were a couple of times over the years where it looked like we were close, then something happened with the deals. Even a few months before we started shooting, there was a slight chance it might fall apart. So the fact this movie is going to see the light of day is quite something.
20th Century Fox
2. It's been six years since the show went off the air, and even longer since you and David left. Do people still care?
I hope so. Everything I've heard from fans over the years is that there's a whole new fan base out there because of DVDs. Kids these days love horror films. My 13-year-old watches stuff like 'Saw.' I don't get that at all, but there's this trend right now toward scary stuff, and certainly that's where a lot of our episodes lived. People watched our show because they were scared out of their seats. Now there are parents who watched the series on their first date night and their kids are getting into it as well.
Fox
3. What about kids who haven't seen the show?
Because this is a stand-alone movie, and it's ultimately an old-fashioned thriller that doesn't have a lot to do with the mythology of the series, hopefully that will appeal to people that know nothing about it or care nothing about the series itself.
Fox
4. You know hardcore fans are going to miss the mythology, though.
But the series wasn't always about mythology. It wasn't always about the Cigarette Smoking Man or about the aliens or black oil. It was also about good old science fiction and the paranormal. It was about reading minds and telekinesis and being able to move objects across the room with your mind.
Fox
5. That sounds like a spoiler! Is it hard to promote a film that has been kept so completely under wraps?
I think it's probably harder for you. All I have to say is sorry, I can't talk about this. It's probably the easiest press I've ever had to do for a film.
20th Century Fox
6. Why skip the mythology?
I think it was important to Chris and Frank [Spotnitz] to start quietly. There are some pretty profound and controversial ideas that are brought up in this film, and I think it was important for Chris that we start here, and open up the door to other things in the future. He felt like one of the biggest draws for the series was the relationship, anyway.
20th Century Fox
7. Things have changed a lot for Scully in the six years since we've seen her. How did you feel when you read the script?
I loved that time hadn't stood still. I feel that the weight of time and what they have lived with and through is a huge element, especially at the beginning of the film. You really feel the weight of those years, and there's this heaviness. It's tangible. It was in the script and it got translated onto the screen, and I loved that you can feel where these guys have been in their individual lives and also where they are at this stage in their relationship. That's fun to work with as an actor.
20th Century Fox
8. But you've said it wasn't easy to get back into Scully mode.
A lot has been written about my initial comment about that, and the truth is, the bulk of the difficulty was in the logistics of it. I'd flown in from India to London to Vancouver, and we started shooting the next day in probably one of my most difficult scenes in the film. I'm confronting Billy Connolly's character in his apartment in this two-day scene, and it came down to standing in that room on the set and being at a loss as to how to get into it between the jet lag and the intensity that the scene required and having not spent any time with the script or even any of the other characters. I couldn't think of anything else that would work further against me. I wouldn't want to replay those days again, but it was definitely a big challenge.
20th Century Fox
9. Considering how long it's been, did you and David do anything to reconnect?
A lot of what we have between us has always been there. It was there from the first day we showed up on set together, it was there, strangely, even in the hallway outside the room we auditioned in. So it's really just the two of us showing up with a knowledge of what the script is calling for and pushing play.
20th Century Fox
Reader Comments (38)
don at 12:24AM on Jul 28th 2008
Just watched the Xfiles movie with daughter and we loved the movie. As the credits and music was playing at the end everyone was still sitting in there seats wanting more ...and not wanting it to end...Can't wait til the next xfiles move is made...This was long overdue. We also wished that the show would return on TV....I DO BELIEVE......
Love XFILES
Don
Force at 8:13PM on Jul 25th 2008
I just returned from seeing this piece of filth and I do believe that this is the angriest I have been in quite some time. It is painfully obvious now why Chris Carter made sure no one knew what the plot of this movie was until now.
Let me spoil it for you... basically two gay men, one of whom is dying some freakish death, conspire with a modern-day Frankenstein in the most homo-hating plot ever. EVER! Forget your ice-pick wielding homicidal Lesbians - you won't believe what Chris Carter pulled out of his ass and flung at the GLBT community. Grab your popcorn.. hear we go...
The story starts slow - and I mean s-l-o-w but was tolerable just to see our favorite star-crossed, weird-science duo back in action. The plot develops like one of the old shows, a female FBI agent is abducted causing a psychic connection to occur with a former priest, played by Billy Connolly. This ex-priest slash convicted pedophile introduces us to the same weary argument between faith and science that Carter keeps stirring in lieu of any actual sexual tension between Duchovny and Anderson. Nonetheless, I am still on board - having been an avid fan for many years I am ready for another ride on the X-train. It took about 10 seconds into Scully's rant toward our pedophile priest to figure out that one of his victims was the source of his psychic connection to the FBI agent, but what the hell, Carter is surely going to surprise us.. right?
Right.
A big stinking turd of a homophobic surprise.
Keeping in mind that we are seeing multiple abductions and finding a series of mutilated bodies that are all female and only with the help of a pedophile, let's talk about our villains... two gay married men.
Through a homo-hating tirade delivered by Alvin Joiner, who seems to only have been hired to deliver the first punch, we discover that the victims (again.. all female) are being collected by a pair of yellow-toothed, astonishingly un-gay men. Never mind that the characters are introduced as Russian, they were somehow married in - wait for it - Massachusetts! My husband and I sat mortified as Alvin delivered the news with a dripping disdain that really got across the feeling that he wished he had some queer to fuck up on the spot. We both look at each other with a brow-furrowed, 'Excuse me?"
So we shifted in our chairs and I thought, "Well, all straight men feel the need to piss on gay men at some point to establish their cred. It's what they do." I have never left a movie before but was really tempted at that point. I resolved that the character was just being an ass and that surely this was just a bad joke not the actual truth of the story line.
Boy was I wrong. In the final scenes we learn that, with the help of a mad Russian scientist working out of a filthy dog kennel, the head of the dying queer is being kept alive and attached to the bodies of the the abducted women. Only through Mulder's sheer tenacity can these fags be stopped from killing the FBI agent and wearing her body like some kind of bizarre drag.
But alas the healthy, grief-stricken, organ-harvesting, woman-abducting muscle of the gay duo nearly beheads poor Fox with a rusty axe (ice-pick wielding Lesbians anyone?) before Scully appears to save him. Hetero love rules! HOO HOO!
And in one final slap to the filthy degenerate queers who thought they were part of this X-File world... Fox convinces Scully that the pedophile priest redeemed himself by helping them track down these terrorist queers. Never mind that the dying queer in search of a female body was one of his victims.
Seriously.. did the Catholic Church pay you to do this? Because I walked away with the distinct feeling that the X-Files believes all gay men really want to be women and even pedophiles deserve respect compared to the vile fags.
Or is the Cast and Crew of the X-Files donating all their winnings to help pay for the care of the 150,000 (that we know of) victims of the real pedophile priests. As a long-term survivor of childhood sexual assault I can assure you that treatment for PTSD is not cheap and it's effects NEVER go away.
I want to believe that Chris Carter, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly and Alvin Joiner would never intentionally send such a disgusting message.
I really do.
bellis at 12:53PM on Jul 26th 2008
I've missed these characters so much and it was great to finally be reunited with them again. To me, the X-Files was never about Aliens and conspiracies. . I was never a big fan of the MythArc because it dealt with bigger things that I could never follow. I was drawn in by the strange, scary intricate storytelling and the wonderful acting by the storytellers, the actors. I've always loved Mulder's dry wit, Scully's intensity & and I am still intrigued by Mulder's eternal search for salvation to be forgiven for losing his sister.
I loved visiting my favorite characters and finding out how they've progressed. Much was said about Gillian Anderson & David Duchovny's difficulty in finding the rhythm on their first scenes but if there were any problems, it did not translate onscreen. Every scene they had was electric. If somebody could bottle it up, they'd make a lot of money.
(To Chris Carter. Thank you for that scene after the credits)
Gillian Anderson is in fine form as always and David is still his subtle best.
The science, ah the science. Sometimes too farfetched but that was what the series was about. A 2-headed dog? But then did a Flukeman really ever existed?
I think I’ll go watch it again.
misti at 12:36PM on Jul 26th 2008
I saw this movie last night and I really enjoyed it. It was intense and gritty and real. Loved seeing Mulder and Scully again!!
lisa at 12:39PM on Jul 26th 2008
i loved the movie!! Ijust wish it would of never ended!! i needed to move of a Mulder & Scully FIX!!! I need more on screen time with just them and more intimate moments!! I love they way their relationship seemed so REAL!!! they still have it!!! xfiles III William returns.
Larita at 12:43PM on Jul 26th 2008
I saw the movie last night...it was excellent. Had all the elements that made me such a fan during the TV series...great Mulder and Sculy dynamic, sppoky story and a very well written plot.
Definitely two vigorous thumbs up!! (Roger Ebert loved it as well)
Crystal at 12:48PM on Jul 26th 2008
I have to just review this and get rid of some of the strangling negativity that is being posted about this film. I have been a fan of the series since I started watching the sixth season and missed the experience of seeing the first film. So for me, being able to actually go to an X-files movie and watch it now was a huge thing.
To get to the review, I will just say this: I LOVED IT. True enough, there are some minor flaws with the film. Overall however, the movie portrays the Mulder and Scully dynamic beautifully.
The case itself does not pack the scare factor, instead depicting a sometimes stomach churning account of medical experiments. The landscapes are breathtaking, the music is beautiful yet suspenseful, and Gillian Anderson delivers a riveting performance.
If you want to see a movie with explosions and comic book action, there are other movies out there. If you want to see a good film with a lot of heart, buy the ticket for The X-files: I Want to Believe.
Rosario at 11:35AM on Sep 25th 2008
Saw it last night, loved it. Mulder and Scully are back and their chemistry is still there. Besides that, the movie made me think, which was a trademark of the show.
Ashley at 3:49PM on Jul 26th 2008
The movie was fantastic! Fans of the show will love it. The scenes with Mulder and Scully made me so very happy. I truly feel that this film was made for the fans. I brought a non fan with me to see it and she enjoyed it as well. Go see it! It's great.
Ky at 6:52PM on Jul 26th 2008
I just went and saw it and after the negative reviews I was worried going in. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. The movie was simple, brilliant and thought provoking. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny gave stellar performances as did Billy Connelly. This was a welcome break from the hype surrounding Batman. A small, well thought out film. I'll definitely be seeing it again. Go see it. And bring a friend or two.
Patricia at 7:46PM on Jul 26th 2008
I would ignore some of these negative reviews. This was an incredible movie! It was intense, creepy, and I was on the edge of my seat. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny gave excellent performances. I highly recommend people to go see this movie.
batcountryyousay at 9:37PM on Jul 26th 2008
The film was mediocre, but it was great to see Mulder and Skully back together again. The movie follows the general path of a normal X Files episode, but includes much more character development. In response to the second thread on this thing, this film is in no way indorsing the Catholic church, because it did quite the opposite. As we all know Skully struggled throughout the show with her faith and the film is no exception. Perhaps the strongest example of Carter's disdain for the Church is when Skully turns to stem cell research instead of faith in order to save her patient. Here's how I see it: the dialogue was childish in parts; Anderson and Duchovny as veterans performed well with the dialogue they were given, but the rest of the cast failed to deliver; and the conflict between the pair and the development of their relationship was good, but I found the case they were working on to be unimpressive. If that had been the plot of an episode, I think it would have been forgotten by the audience rather quickly. Over the years the writers pulled some pretty cool stuff out of their hats and this is all they have to offer after 6 years? Come on. However, it satisfied my inner nerd because like I said before we got to see these characters again doin their thing and that's always fun. See it but don't see it in the theaters. Your money would be best spent on seeing the Joker do his thing in The Dark Knight...
Cory at 3:56PM on Jul 27th 2008
This was one of the better movies of the summer. If you haven't seen Dark Knight, go see it. But this is certainly a hell of a lot better than Mamma Mia or The Will Farrell Bomb. This is a scary, disturbing crime genera movie. Think saw with less gore. Definitely interesting to see Mulder and Scully solving a crime from their new place in life, i.e. outside of the FBI. If you were a fan of the show, you'll love this movie. If you didn't catch the show, this is still a pretty gritty, scary movie that is a good change of pace from the musical/comedy genera.
heather at 10:04AM on Jul 27th 2008
i just saw this movie and it's freaking amazing!!! I can't wait to go again!
Annette at 2:22PM on Jul 27th 2008
The movie was extremely dissappointing. It had nothing to do with unexplained phenomena. It was merely a modern-day Frankenstein movie. Two thumbs down!!
Slhayne at 4:26PM on Jul 27th 2008
I just seen the Movie, and I loved it, My husband and I didn't want the beloved duo of Mulder and Scully to end! Please bring back the XFiles instead of all this reality crap that is not worth watching. I still Believe.
Janet at 4:49PM on Jul 27th 2008
Went and saw the movie 3 times already and will go again. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were great. Just wish they had more screen time together. Hope we get an X-files3. 2012
M McG at 6:12PM on Jul 28th 2008
I am an Xfile fan.........Loved the series.....Loved the first Xfile movie.....went to see the movie Xfiles/I want to believe and I hated it, very disapointed and angry when I left........
A movie about a crazed scientist cutting off mens heads and attaching them to female bodies...itch
And the worse part is that Skinner only appears in the last 10 minutes of the show...
I wanted to see something about aliens, spaceships, super soilders, isn't that what X-FILES is REALLY ABOUT....... and where's William????
MULDER AND SCULLY FINALLY BEING A COUPLE WAS THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE MOVIE.......................
Gary at 9:31AM on Jul 28th 2008
Just a quick note to say I enjoyed the X-Files I want to Believe movie.
Very interesting to say the least. I expected to see Frank Black to show up anytime with the plot they were dealing with in the movie. Here is hoping to see a third X-files movie! Are you listening Chris Carter!
MayBTheresHope at 10:45PM on Jul 27th 2008
As a fan of TXF, I really enjoyed this movie, as did my hubby (who is NOT a fan, so I was surprised about that). I actually think hubby might have liked it even more than I did, which says a lot since he never watched the tv show.
The film does not deal with your typical X-File story; instead it is a thinking psychological casefile with several twists & turns, the paranormal aspect being a psychic priest. I feel that I will need to go & see it again to really digest all the details, as there is A LOT of info to put together.
I loved seeing David Duchovny & Gillian Anderson together again as Mulder & Scully. I think the movie could have benefitted from MORE involvement of the other actors on the series, so I hope that they bring them back for the next movie in a greater capacity.
I did find myself missing the mytharc aspect of TXF, so I hope the next movie deals with that (although hubby was happy that there were no aliens &/or government conspiracies). All in all, I think philes and non-philes alike will like this film, so go see it; but plan to see it more than once if you truly want to absorb it all.