?Gillian Anderson Uncertain About ‘X-Files’ Return: ‘I’m Getting On With My Life’


Despite Fox saying more episodes of The X-Files are in the works, Gillian Anderson says she has not been approached about continuing her role as FBI agent Dana Scully in the paranormal drama. Last month, CEO Dana Walden said that “conversations” have been taking place with Gillian and David Duchovny to return for another season. However, Anderson has said she’s getting on with life and booking other gigs. If series creator Chris Carter wants her to return, then the conversation needs to happen sooner than later.

Anderson told Deadline, “For me, it was important that I thought of this season as being just these six shows when we were doing it. The long insanity of the schedule [demanded it]. I’m open to the conversation, though they haven’t come to us yet. I have no clue when they’re going to. I’m getting on with the rest of my life and I’m booking other jobs, so if it is indeed something that they would like to continue, then that conversation will need to be had. And I have no idea when that will be able to take place at this juncture.”

23 years after making its debut, The X-Files returned to Fox this year with a limited, six-episode series, reuniting David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson for the first time since the 2008 feature film The X-Files: I Want To Believe. In late May, Anderson and Duchovny gathered once more by phone to discuss the possibility of a series return.

“I can’t really say that I’ve wanted it to return, necessarily. I guess I just always assumed it would,” David said when asked how long he and his co-star have wanted the series to return. “I mean, when I left the show after eight years I had hoped and assumed that we were going to continue doing movies; that was always the thought behind it.”

David also expressed some reservations about continuing the story, saying, “I’m pausing, and I don’t know why I’m pausing. I would say, I guess what we found with this season was that it’s possible to still get it. It doesn’t not work. And then the question becomes, if we were going to move on, how do we make it work even better? That’s a question we’d want to ask. This one was, ‘Phew, we can do it. I guess it did work.’ But now it’s like, now what? How do we make this interesting again for all of us?”

Gillian and David confess that the key motivator for returning to the series would be so that these two longtime friends can work on something that’s special to only them.

“David and I have solidified and intensified our friendship and our working relationship since the series ended, so it really is just going back and choosing to work with somebody, and feeling like we are doing something that only the two of us have the experience of. We’re there for each other, and enjoy that in and of itself. It was something I looked forward to with this series, and something I would potentially look forward to doing again. It’s a nice thing to have in one’s life.”

The X-Files creator Chris Carter has also confirmed that a Season 11 is planned, but a production start date is a matter of finding time in the busy schedule of the stars. Carter told Digital Spy, “There was talk of trying to film them in November, but that said, that would mean I would have to be getting to work right now, and I’ve not even made the calls. I’d have to go into very quick action to make that happen, so, until someone gives me a clear idea about when they would actually have open schedules to film episodes, I’m going to continue on my vacation.”

Gillian Anderson just wrapped production on Young Vic’s production of A Street Car Named Desire. She also has another season of The Fall in the works, as well as a starring role in American Gods. The DVD set for The X-Files Season 10 is in stores now.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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