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CBC Radio Interview
September 16, 1995
Hosted by Leora Kornfeld

Leora Kornfeld hosted RealTime on CBC Stereo Radio on Septermber 16, 1995 with special guest, Gillian Anderson of The X-Files. The interview was broadcast live at the CBC Vancouver station at around 7:15 pm PST and was simulcast across the Internet using Progressive Network's RealAudio. [Transcript provided courtesy of Cynical ( and CBC RealTime (]

LEORA: Gillian Anderson is here to talk to me and to talk to you and to take calls and e-mails. We're actually simulcasting on the net and on the CBC Stereo network. This is wild. So, toll-free from within Canada, 1-800-563-2328; from anywhere else in the world it's 604-669-3733, e-mail is We've got a whole bunch of e-mail, we've got a whole bunch of calls already so we're going to try to keep them moving fast. The lines may be jammed so redial, redial, and uh, Gillian...hello!


LEORA: Hi, how're you doing?

GILLIAN: I'm good.

LEORA: It's kind of wierd [Gillian laughs] because the first thing Gillian and I were chatting during the song, I said, "Did you see a band called Quintron last night?"

GILLIAN: Yes, I did.

LEORA: Yeah.

GILLIAN: That's Mr. Quintron.

LEORA: It is Mr. Quintron? Explain what he does. See, I had a friend who was at the show who called me. "She's going to be on your show. Here, she's really here. I said, "No, no, it's not her - it's somebody else." and he held up the phone and it was just this bizarre organ music.

GILLIAN: Organ music, yes. Um, Mr. Quintron is an old friend of mine from Chicago and he was in town, um, for the night playing at the Malcolm Lowry room and we were there to witness it.

LEORA: And nobody bothered you, right?

GILLIAN: No. Nope. Nope.

LEORA: Nobody did that 'you really look like that woman from The X-Files' to you?

GILLIAN: One person said, "You really look like the woman from The X-Files." to me and I said, "Thank you very much."

LEORA: And that was the end of that? [Both laugh] That was the end of that. Well, I have heard, because we're sort of getting into your musical past here. I've heard that you used to be a punk, that you had pink and purple and black hair, and all this kinda stuff.

GILLIAN: Ummm...I did.

LEORA: Yeah?


LEORA: When was that?

GILLIAN: It was, um, in high school and, uh, in college. I went through a stage. Although, I don't necessarily feel like I've rid that part of myself yet. I mean if I weren't doing the show right now I'm not quite sure what colour my hair would be [Leora laughs] but, uh, so it's still inside of me somewhere.

LEORA: It's in there somewhere. What kind of bands were you into at that time?

GILLIAN: Ummm...oh, Circle Jerks, Dead Kennedys, um, I guess a little bit of Elvis Costello, um, I'm trying to think of...

LEORA: This is great, this is a whole new side of you.

GILLIAN: A whole new side...

LEORA: That's great. Well, we should take some calls 'cause we've got one from Australia right now. Uh, Mary, go ahead.

MARY: Hello?

GILLIAN: Hi...Australia!

MARY: Um, my friends from IRC told me you'd that you'd be on so I thought, hey, I'll ring you. [Laughs]

GILLIAN: Well, you got lucky. [Laughs]

MARY: Yeah, very! Um, I was just wondering: are you going to be coming to Australia anytime soon?

GILLIAN: I hope so. Um, I'm not, uh, I have no idea when we will be shooting the show until May at least if I can get a job that takes me to Australia in the very short hiatus we have. Um, I'd be very happy but, um, I really don't know that far in advance.

LEORA: Thanks for the call, Mary.

MARY: Okay.

LEORA: It's exciting getting calls from Australia. 1-800-563-2328 within Canada, 604-669-3733 from anywhere else in the world because we are simulcasting on the net and on the CBC Stereo Network through RealAudio and you can get in on all this fun by downloading the - what is it? - it's the RealAudio server, We can take another call right away. Why not? From Halifax, it's Alia? There you go, here's Gillian.


ALIA: Hi, um, I have a couple of questions. First, is your hair really that colour or is that, like, not real.

GILLIAN: That's a big, big secret.

ALIA: Oh. [Gillian laughs]

LEORA: It looks real, though.

GILLIAN: It looks real.

LEORA: It looks very real.

GILLIAN: It does.

ALIA: Um, I had another question.


ALIA: Is the next season gonna be more like aliens or is it gonna be um, Mulder versus the F.B.I. and all that stuff. Is it gonna be, like, bureaucratic or is it gonna be...?

GILLIAN: I think it's a mixture of the two. The first two episodes at the top of the third season are Mulder and Scully versus the F.B.I. and, um, and then it goes back and forth, um, between F.B.I. and aliens. Just...

ALIA: Oh, okay.

GILLIAN: ...normal X-Files stuff.

LEORA: Thanks for the call.

ALIA: Bye.

LEORA: It is RealTime on CBC Stereo. Gillian Anderson of The X-Files is here with me. Got an e-mail here from Greg on the SaskNet in Saskatchewan. This is a good one. You'll like this question. "If you could be any of the aliens from the show, which one would you be?"

GILLIAN: Oh, gosh. Um, I guess I would have to be, uh, Squeeze, um, just right off the top of my head. Uh, he didn't have any strange things protruding from his body or um, slime. Well, I guess he did have slime didn't he but he could fit into lots of spaces and I guess it would have to be Squeeze.

LEORA: Well, there. Good answer.

GILLIAN: Tooms, Eugene Tooms.

LEORA: Yeah. The, uh, toll-free number from anywhere in Canada: 1-800-563-2328 and from anywhere in the world, 604-669-3733. That's 604-669-3733 and Gillian Anderson of The X-Files is my guest, uh, tonight. Now, there is a... [A strange sound occurs]

GILLIAN: [Both laughing] That wasn't my stomach!

LEORA: That was not Gillian's stomach or a ghost. [Laughs] That was...microphone movement, if you can forgive us, I'm sure. Um, there's a very interesting - it's sort of a conspiracy theory. I've been checking out all this net stuff and everything about the alien autopsy that was shown on Fox a couple of weeks ago. Did you see it?

GILLIAN: No, I didn't see it. I think it was originally a German movie, wasn't it?

LEORA: That's what they were saying.

GILLIAN: It was shown in Germany first of all but it was a documentary made on the, uh, supposed alien that they found in Roswell. Uh, 1947, I think?

LEORA: 47, yeah, but now some people are saying: "Oh, this is just a really, really elaborate promo for the third season of X-Files."

GILLIAN: Oh, dear.

LEORA: See, people [Gillian laughs] have very fertile imaginations.

GILLIAN: No, I, um, wow. I was actually very, um, intrigued in seeing it but I missed it. I, um, just kind of assumed that it was for real.

LEORA: Do you think it's real?

GILLIAN: Yeaaah.

LEORA: I read an article that said they're monkeys. They were really monkeys. They didn't look like any monkeys I've ever seen.

GILLIAN: No, it's real...

LEORA: Okay, it's real. There, Scully says it's real [Gillian laughs], it's gotta be real. We're gonna go to the phones again. It's Afshan in Toronto. Hi, Afshan.

AFSHAN: Afshan: Hi. Hi, Gillian. How are you?

GILLIAN: Nice name.

AFSHAN: Thanks. Um, first I'd like to say Happy Belated Birthday.

GILLIAN: Thank you very much.

AFSHAN: And, um, how has The X-Files heightened your career? And what, in terms of your acting career, will you be doing after The X-Files is over?

GILLIAN: Um, how has it heightened my career? It's, um, I guess it's put my face out there a lot more than it was beforehand considering I wasn't working beforehand. Um, so more people are seeing my work and hopefully it'll easier in the future for me to get more work, um, also....See, your second question, in the future I don't know yet. I, um, they usually cast movies pretty close to the time that they start shooting them and, um, my next break isn't until May and then I have no idea when the show's gonna end. I'd like to move on and do features and independant films and, uh, theatre again but, uh, who knows?

LEORA: Thanks for the call, Afshan. Good question. The international number to get through to us here is 604-669-3733. That's 604-669-3733 because chances are, you are listening to this on your computer. Really! 'Cause we're doing a simulcast on the Internet thanks to, uh, Progressive Networks and RealAudio. The, uh, toll-free number from within Canada, 1-800-563-2328 and we've got a caller from St. Petersburg, Florida. It's Jennifer. Hi, Jennifer.

JEN: Hi.

LEORA: Do you have a question for Gillian?

JEN: Um, yeah. What was your favorite episode of The X-Files?

GILLIAN: Oh, boy. Um, I have a few favorite episodes actually. Uh, one was Beyond the Sea, one was Irresistable and then I think the first two in the third season are gonna be pretty hot and I haven't seen them yet but they might be part of my list too.

LEORA: Thanks for the call, Jennifer. It is RealTime on CBC Stereo. Gillian Anderson is my in-studio guest. Um, we're talking about The X-Files and we're trying to find out about her 'punk past' as well. I think we found out quite a little bit about your punk past. [Both laugh]

GILLIAN: It just sounds like, you know, I mean for true, you know, I mean, say 'a punk' or 'punks' it's almost like saying 'a gay'. I'm 'a gay' as opposed to 'I'm gay'. You know what I mean? So, it sounds funny to me. [Laughs]

LEORA: I wish you would have brought some photos - photographic images of you and your gothic phase. [Laughs] Heavy black eye makeup...

GILLIAN: Ohhh, yeah, yeah yeah.

LEORA: ...stuff like that?

GILLIAN: Okay, next question...

LEORA: Yeah. Okay. The toll-free number from within 1-800-563-2328. From anywhere else in the world it's 604-669-3733. Got an e-mail from Mary on the net and she says, "Gillian, I love the show. I watch it every week. I also love your wardrobe and was wondering if you have a special designer or if you could let me know who does most of your clothes?"

GILLIAN: Um, in Canada, there's a couple of designers. One is Fiso Verani who does some wonderful outfits for Scully. One is Jax. And then we have a lot of Armani, a lot of Maximara, um, and, uh, that's sounds about right.

LEORA: Do you get to keep the stuff? Is it in your closet?

GILLIAN: You know, after wearing 'em zillions of times on the show, I never want to wear 'em again. There's some that I prefer and I'd like to borrow sometime but I don't think I could actually keep them in my closet.

LEORA: Don't want 'em around. We've got another call. It's Julie in Halifax. Hi, Julie.



JULIE: Hi. [Sheepish laugh]


JULIE: Hi, um, first of all, I'd like to say I'm a great fan of the show...

GILLIAN: Thank you.

JULIE: ...and I really like your character. Uh...

GILLIAN: Thank you.

JULIE: ...I have sort of a two-part question.


JULIE: Being a skeptic, sort of, in the show, is Scully going to remain a skeptic or, um, or what? What sort of things are going to happen then? Second of all, um, in real life what sort of view do you have on supernatural things?

GILLIAN: Um, in terms of Scully in the future, I mean, uh, it's a very valid question and one that I'd be asking myself, um, over and over again. Um, she basically remains a skeptic through the show and I don't see that changing at all because there is a certain dramatic dynamic in that dichotomy between Mulder and Scully that keeps the show moving forward. Um, she has become much more open-minded over the past couple of seasons and, um, what I keep on relying on as an excuse is the fact that, um, she does have a major history and background in the sciences and in medicine and, um, even though she has witnessed some supernatural things it doesn't necessarily mean that she's going to automatically, sweepingly believe in everything supernatural and paranormal so she's always gonna go back to trying to prove things from a scientific or, uh, medical standpoint. Um, so that's that question. And to answer your second question, I'm not as skeptical as Scully is. I'm, um, much more inclined to believe in, uh, life on other planets and people who bend spoons [Leora laughs] and catch things on fire and some of the stuff that we deal with. Not all of it but some of it.

LEORA: Thanks for the call, Julie. Um, now last year you were on the show and you had a brand new baby. Little Piper was just, I think, 8 weeks old. You did it on the phone. I know you're looking at me like, "I wasn't on this show before."

GILLIAN: I had a baby on the phone?

LEORA: No, no, you had a brand new baby.

GILLIAN: I did have a brand new baby.

LEORA: And now, and now...

GILLIAN: She's now almost one year old.

LEORA: Almost one year old. So how's the juggling going?

GILLIAN: It's, um, it's juggling. It's fine. It's working out just fine. I'm blessed to be able to bring her on the set with me everyday and she loves hanging around and being with the crew and she's got a big family over there and everybody plays with her and she makes everybody laugh and it's just fun...

LEORA: She's the X-Files baby!

GILLIAN: She is.

LEORA: Does she have the little X-Files shirt and everything?

GILLIAN: No, she doesn't.


GILLIAN: She doesn't have a shirt yet. We have some but she has to grow into them.

LEORA: Yeah, and that'll happen soon. The, uh, international number if you want to get through to us, if you're listening via RealAudio on the net, is 604-669-[Gillian chimes in]-3733. You have a good memory.

GILLIAN: Yeah, I'm reading it off your paper.

LEORA: Oh, are ya? Okay. I wanted people to think I memorized it. Look, I did. [Gillian laughs] Look, 604-669-3733. I did that with my eyes covered. Uh, toll-free from within Canada, 1-800-563-2328. And, on the line from Montreal, it's Bruce. Hi, Bruce.

BRUCE: Hi, how you doin'?

GILLIAN: Hi, Bruce.

BRUCE: Gillian, I just wanted to tell you I'm a big Circle Jerks and Dead Kennedys fan. [Gillian and Leora laugh] Um, I just want to ask you: exactly where are you from and how do enjoy living in Vancouver while you're shooting the series?

GILLIAN: Um, were am I from? I, uh, was born in Chicago and grew up in London and Michigan, um, then moved around from Chicago to New York to Los Angeles blah blah blah blah blah. And now I'm up here. Um, and, I do enjoy it. It gets, um, frustrating when it rains and rains and rains and rains and rains and rains and, uh, we shoot a lot outside in the rain, in the cold. Um, I don't like that very much but other than that it's a beautiful, beautiful city.

LEORA: And they give you nice raincoats and wardrobe, right?

GILLIAN: Yes, they do...

LEORA: Those have a lovely...

GILLIAN: ...but rarely umbrellas. I think only twice in the entire season have we ever had umbrellas, even when it was raining.

LEORA: Hmmm...well, that's interesting. Thanks for the call, Bruce

BRUCE: Thank you very much.

LEORA: And on to Ruby in Toronto. Hi, Ruby.



RUBY: Hi, Gillian.

GILLIAN: Hi, Ruby.

RUBY: I love you. You're great!

GILLIAN: Thank you. I love you, too. [Ruby laughs]

RUBY: I was wondering, what's your off-screen relationship with Mr. Duchovny like, in comparison to that of Mulder and Scully?

GILLIAN: Um, we have sex once a day, [Leora stifles laugh] um, we eat off each other's feet, Um, let's see. What is our relationship like? We're friends. We, um, don't usually socialize that much together. On the weekends, we generally separate and, uh, do our own thing. But it's good. It's a good, down-to-earth, platonic relationship.

LEORA: There you go. Thanks for the call. He's with his dog, Blue. I always read about him and his dog, Blue.

GILLIAN: He is with his dog, Blue.

LEORA: Blue. What kinda dog?

GILLIAN: Ah, Border Collie.

LEORA: Oh, good for...

GILLIAN: And I'm actually in the process of getting a dog, um, who is actually blue. Will be a blue-coloured dog.

LEORA: What kinda dogs are blue?

GILLIAN: So it'll be interesting. Ah, Neopolitan Mastiffs are blue, some, um, some other dogs, Cane Corsos are blue and, uh, Weimaraners are bluish, you know?

LEORA: You're really gonna stick out on the streets though if you've got a blue dog.

GILLIAN: Well, it's not like blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.

LEORA: I know it's not but...

GILLIAN: It's not like blue, blue.

LEORA: It's bluish.

GILLIAN: It's bluish.

LEORA: Bluish.

GILLIAN: Grayish-bluish.

LEORA:> Got an e-mail here. Oh, yeah, now we're getting into it. Do you know about the G-A-T-B? Of course, you do. The Gillian Anderson Testosterone Brigade. This comes from Grim Reaper on the net and he says, "I wanted to know if Gillian got the present the G.A.T.B sent her when Piper was born."

GILLIAN: Which one was that?

LEORA: Doesn't say!

GILLIAN: No, it doesn't say.

LEORA: Did you get a lot of stuff?

GILLIAN: I've gotten a lot of presents. I'm sure that I did get that. I remember, um, I wish I knew what it 'cause I could say, "Well, yeah, it's sitting on the shelf. Or, yeah, it's in her little playpen-thingie." But I can't because you didn't tell me what it was. I'm sure I got it...

LEORA: And it was lovely.

GILLIAN: ...and it was fabulous! [Laughs] No, I, um, I remember around the time that she was born sending a thank-you note to the G.A.T.B. via somebody. Um, Jerry, was his name? Terry somebody? Um, I can't remember but, um, I'm sure I got it and I'm sure I loved it to death. Thank you very much.

LEORA: The good ol' G.A.T.B. There's also the D.D.E.B., the David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade. And, uh, these are just people on the net. Do you spend a lot of time checking that stuff?

GILLIAN: I don't, I don't have a lot of time and it takes a lot of time to check that stuff. Um, I'd like to sometimes but I just, I don't.

LEORA: It's extremely time-consuming.

GILLIAN: It is time-consuming.

LEORA: Yeah.

GILLIAN: I usually opt to play with my daughter.

LEORA: And you've got, what, sixteen-hour workdays as well.


LEORA: So, five days a week at least. It is RealTime on CBC Stereo. I'm Leora Kornfeld and Gillian Anderson of The X-Files is my guest.

GILLIAN: 669-3733! [Laughs]

LEORA: What's the area code?

GILLIAN: 604...

LEORA: That's the international number.

GILLIAN: I thought that was coming, I thought I'd might just...

LEORA: Okay, what about the toll-free number in Canada? Do you know that one?

GILLIAN: It's 1-800 something probably.

LEORA: Yeah, 563-2328. She wants my job! [Gillian laughs] I'm gonna be Scully and Gillian can do the show. [Laughing] So it's 1-800-563-2328 within Canada and outside Canada 604- [Gillian joins in] 669-3733. What about the e-mail address, smarty-pants?

GILLIAN: Oh, no, I haven't a clue.

LEORA: Realtime@...

GILLIAN: It's goobledegook.

LEORA: [Laughs] On the line from Edmonton, it's Don. Hi, Don.

DON: Hi.


DON: Hi, um, what I want to know is: will you be directing or writing any episodes this season?

GILLIAN: Um, probably not directing. Um, I don't know about writing. It's, ah... Usually, what David does is he comes up with ideas and makes an outline or something for Chris and I'd be very interested in doing that as well. Um, and then together they come up with an episode. And I've got a few ideas, um, but, um, I haven't actually done that yet and I couldn't tell ya whether I'm actually gonna do it this season or not, but, um, maybe!

LEORA: There! How's that for the middle? [Gillian laughs] Thanks, Don. Onto Catherine, another caller from Australia. Wow! Hi, Catherine.

CAT: Hello?


CAT: Gillian?


CAT: Oh, my God! Hi!


CAT: I'm talking to my idol! I idolize you so much. You're the best actress.

GILLIAN: Thank you very much.

CAT: I love The X-Files. I watch it every week. Oh, um...oh my God!

GILLIAN: What season are you in? Are you presently in the second season?

CAT: Just finished second season.

GILLIAN: You just finished second season?

CAT: Yeah.

GILLIAN: So you have to wait a whole another few months till the third.

CAT: I know, I'm really depressed. [Laughs]

GILLIAN: Oh, I'm sorry! [Laughs]

LEORA: Do you have a question, Catherine?

CAT: Oh, that's okay. Oh, wow, this is so great, thank you.

LEORA: Do you have a question, Catherine?

CAT: Um, yeah, I wanna know, um, how you maintain such a [Static] acting under so much pressure from everyone and so much grueling hours and everything. I just wondered how you do it.

GILLIAN: I, ah, ohhh, boy. I don't know. I guess, um, I guess you just kind of have to as much as you may not want to at any given time. There's enough producers around and, and people around to remind you of why you're there and what it's really all about. So, uh...

CAT: Yeah, um. Oh, wow. Um, how's your baby?

GILLIAN: She's wonderful, thank you very much.

CAT: Is she? Ohhh.

GILLIAN: Yeah, she's almost a year.

CAT: I thought she has a great life and everything with you.

GILLIAN: I hope so. She seems to be very happy.

LEORA: Thanks for the call, Catherine.

CAT: Thank you.


CAT: I'll see you later. Buh-bye!


LEORA: Australia, twice. How 'bout that? And on to Ottawa. Samantha? Hi, Samantha.

SAM:> Hi, there.


SAM: Hi. First of all, my sister Karen wants to telephone a hello.

GILLIAN: Hello, Karen.

SAM: She couldn't - well, obviously only one of us could be on the phone at once, but...

GILLIAN: Hi, Karen...

SAM: We both love The X-Files and we watch it faithfully. In fact we just got the full first season and second season and watched them all in a massive marathon.

GILLIAN: Holy cow!

SAM: Yeah, our eyes are bugging out but I'd better get to the question.


SAM: We were just wondering: do you realize what a good role model you are for young girls? Such a strong, female character?

GILLIAN: Um, I think that that first started to hit me somewhere in the middle of the first season when a lot of young girls, um, would write to me and tell me that. Um, and I think it's probably one of the most wonderful things that could come out of this, um, this job. Um, because of all of Scully's positive attributes: um, her perseverance in her work, her perserverance in studying, um, she's in pursuit of justice, and truth, and honesty and, um, she's strong and intelligent and independant and capable and, ah, those all are wonderful things to try and achieve in one's life and so I think it's *excellent* that a lot of young girls are attracted to that. I've many young women actually, writing to me, saying that they have now decided that they want to become F.B.I. agents [Leora laughs] when they grow up and I think that's fantastic.

LEORA: And you can encourage them. Thanks for the call, Samantha. I have to say, Gillian, we've got a stack of e-mails about just that thing, what a positive role model the Scully character is because there aren't a lot of positive female role models on TV.

GILLIAN: No, there aren't.


GILLIAN: It's fabulous.

LEORA: It's a big responsibility, though.

GILLIAN: Um, it used to be. When it first started to hit me I felt the weight of the responsibility but it's, um, it's just become part of the whole thing, now and it's, um, it's excellent. I'll say that word one more time. It's excellent.

LEORA: Exccccellent, there you go. Ah, it's, ah, B.J. in Sarasota, Florida. Hi.

BJ: Hi, there.


BJ: How you doin'?


BJ: I'm a very big fan. Our whole family loves to sit and watch the show. Um, I was wondering: were you prepared or did you expect the success to be as good as it is and to have some many fans and t-shirts [Gillian laughs] and Internet, live broadcasts?


BJ: Is it overwhelming?

GILLIAN: It's, um, it's not overwhelming anymore. It was. There was a transitional stage between um... I don't know, you know. I'm not sure if I completely realize how big the show has gotten yet and it's probably good that I haven't realized that. There was a transitional stage, um, about the time that I was pregnant which may have only had to do with hormones, I don't know but when I did start to get a little freaked by it all. I don't think any of us realize that it was become as big as it has become. Especially not Chris Carter. I mean, for Chris, it's completely a dream come true and he deserves all of it.

LEORA: He's the creator, producer, writes a lot of episodes.

GILLIAN: He's the man. He's the main man.

LEORA: And, and he is also the godfather of your daughter?

GILLIAN: Yes, he is. He is the godfather of Piper and he just finished directing an episode, number five, which is, I don't know how he does that because he's also, you know, in post-production for three other episodes and writing five other episodes and doing all that kind of stuff.

LEORA: And he surfs too, doesn't he?


LEORA: Or used to?

GILLIAN: He used to surf. [Laughs] He doesn't surf in Vancouver very much.

LEORA: Yeah, but thanks for the call, B.J. The number within Canada, 1-800-563-2328. That's toll-free from anywhere in the country. 1-800-563-2328 and, uh, from elsewhere in the world, 604-669-3733. That's 604-669-3733 [Laughs] and our e-mail address - We are broadcasting across Canada on the CBC Stereo Network and around the world on the Internet thanks to Progressive Networks, RealAudio. That's why we're gettin' calls from Florida, Australia, and all over the place. Actually, two from Florida and two from Australia. Got some e-mails from California, too so it's pretty, pretty exciting. Another e-mail question here. Funny, we were just talking about Chris Carter. This comes from Wallace on the JaxNet and he says, "How much creative freedom do Chris Carter and the producers give you in developing your character?"

GILLIAN: Not much.

LEORA: Not much?

GILLIAN: Not much. Um, at the beginning, Chris had a very clear specific idea of who these characters were and made sure that we stuck to it as much as possible as we were trying to, know, I mean when we first got these jobs we were up here and shooting right away so there wasn't really a lot of time to think about or come up with, um, brilliant characters. It was just something that kind of happened over time in front of millions of people on the air and, um, I think at least for myself, it wasn't until somewhere through the second season when I really started to feel comfortable with Scully and then I got pregnant and didn't feel comfortable [Leora laughs] with Scully at *all*. And so, the beginning of the third season is feeling comfortable with Scully again. I think that, uh, most of the time we are guided by the scripts. It's very specific in the scripts how, um, just from the dialogue and the side-notes how we react to certain situations and, um, it's very story-driven more than character-driven this show is and so it's pretty cut and dried how it's gonna go. I don't know, um, in the future where are characters are gonna go. It's probably gonna remain pretty much by the book. So far it seems to be working.

LEORA: It seems to be working extremely well. That's the thing. Do you ever stop and think, y'know, I'm here doing my best, the writers are doing their best and, y'know, it's is a good show but this is gotten out of hand? Do you ever think that?

GILLIAN: Well, yeah. There are times when I wish that it would stop, y'know, but I wish that, um, something would happen and, um, I wouldn't have to work sixteen hours back to back anymore but, you know, then I have a good day and, um, y'know, the work is good and the script is good and, uh, it's a pleasure to work on and everything goes smoothly and I change my mind and, uh...It's just like life, you know? I mean, I think everyone faces that from time to time, showing up at work, really wishing that they didn't have to do it. Um, you know, the blessing would be to be in a situation where you're doing exactly what you want to do and also have your own freedom around it. That's something to search for.

LEORA: Yeah. And we have another call. This is Noreen in Toronto. Hi, Noreen.

NOREEN: Hi, Gillian. How are you?


NOREEN: Um, I just want to know, um, how you got this part. Like, I know you've done theatre acting before but how did you get this part and what did you have to do to get it?

GILLIAN: You mean who did I have to sleep with to get it? [Leora laughs]

NOREEN: Well...

LEORA: She didn't ask that!

GILLIAN: No, it was just...I was living in Los Angeles and, um, going to a lot of auditions and, uh, eventually this one came along and it seemed, at the beginning, to be just like any other audition. I went in for the casting director and then got called back for Chris Carter and, uh, a couple other producers and the director of the pilot and then got called back again and then went to network which is an L.A. thing which is terrifying where you go in front of all of the network producers and, uh, practice how to have a heart attack and, um, then they cast you or they cast somebody else. And they just happened to cast me and so it was one of those kind of things where I was in the right place at the right time and did the best that I could do and they said, "Okay! You're the one now." My turn!

LEORA: And it has been your turn. Thanks for the call, Noreen. Another call from Australia. It's Kylie. Hello, Kylie.

KYKIE: Hello, there. Oh, my God, I'm your biggest fan, I swear. You're my idol!

LEORA: They love you in Australia!

GILLIAN: Hi, Kylie! How are you?

KYLIE: Um, I'm good.


KYLIE: Um, how are you?

GILLIAN: I'm excellent!

LEORA: Kylie, is there a doctor near you? [Laughs]

KYLIE: Um, okay. Um, I was just wondering, um, what do you think of all your fans? Like, do you ever get scared of them, you know?

GILLIAN: Um, I don't get scared of them. I mean, once in a while, I get some strange letters. Most of the letters though are correspondances that we get are wonderful and incredibly flattering and sweet and positive and congratulatory. It's not scary at all.

KYLIE: Okay...

LEORA: Thanks for the call. You can breathe again, Kylie. Breathe, breathe.

KYLIE: Okay...bye.

LEORA: Thank you. [Laughs]


LEORA: You can reach from outside Canada at 604-669-3733. 1-800-563-2328...

GILLIAN: Too bad these interviews are so short.

LEORA: I know....You can stay for a couple hours. You want to?


LEORA: Unless you have something else planned.

GILLIAN: Awright, let's stay a couple hours.

LEORA: Okay, we can spin some tunes, we can play some Dead Kennedys, it'll be a great time. [Gillian laughs] I've got an e-mail here from New Zealand. From New Zealand. This is from Gordon and he says, "On Anne Rice's Exit to Eden..."

GILLIAN: Oh, no!!

LEORA: " did you do so many voice variations?" What is he talking about?

GILLIAN: Gawd! I did a booktape once as a favour to...well, not as a favour - I needed the money desperately but it was a friend of mine was producing and recording booktapes for Random House, I think it was, in New York, and, um, I was back and she'd...I auditioned for it and ended up getting it and it was Exit to Eden which has recently become a film. It's an Anne Rice, um, or Anne Rampling is her name, for her sexy books, and, uh, it was something were we had like two days to read. It was myself and a guy and, um, I was reading like half of it, and he was reading the second half of it, and it's based on, um, based on the novel, Exit to Eden, which is not a comedy like the movie. It's a very serious, very actually somewhat romantic book and, um, you know after doing one read-through, realizing that we had to do all of the voices, um, some French, some Southern, male, female, all this stuff! [Leora laughs] I was like, "Whaaat did I just get myself into?!" And you know, it was like a matter of like, "Okay, now we have to record it." Cause that's [laughs] So we sat in the studio for a couple of hours and just, you know, I just 'wung' it, even though that's not a word, is it?

LEORA: Now you know what I'm going to ask you. Yeah, no you've got to give me, give me some Southern...

GILLIAN: No, thank you.

LEORA: But this guy says, he says, "Simply it's amazing what you can do with your voice." So he thought you did a great job.

GILLIAN: Oh, wow! Well, thank you very much.

LEORA: Yeah, he says, "Did it all come naturally?"


LEORA: Took a lot of work, I bet.

GILLIAN: It's...well, there wasn't any time to work on it. It was mostly [laughs] just diving in head-first and hoping that I didn't completely embarrass myself.

LEORA: And is this thing still out there?

GILLIAN: It is still out there.

LEORA: It's still out there.

GILLIAN: It is still out there and obviously people [laughs] are buying it.

LEORA: In New Zealand, too!

GILLIAN: Ohhh, boy.

LEORA: See that's what happens. I know, you can't escape.

GILLIAN: Oh, New Zealand? That's even worse!

LEORA:'s everywhere, it's everywhere. We're just going to take a couple more questions. Uh, Timothy in Michigan. Hi.

TIM: Hi.

GILLIAN: Where in Michigan?

TIM: Well, uh, just outside Detroit.


TIM: Yeah.

GILLIAN: ...yummy!

TIM: I know you said that you and David have nothing going on but how about Scully and Mulder? Is there anything planned for the next season?

GILLIAN: Um, I don't know much about the future season. Um, the writers may have something planned. I doubt it though.

TIM: Okay.

GILLIAN: Um, I've heard Chris Carter say over and over again that he wants the relationship to remain platonic and, um, I think both David and I agree that that's the right direction to go.

TIM: Oh, it would be an interesting change. [Laughs]

LEORA: Yeah, thanks for the call, Timothy.

TIM: Okay, bye-bye.


LEORA: And on to Jeff in Calgary. Hi, Jeff.

JEFF: Hi, there.

GILLIAN: Hi, Jeff.

JEFF: I'm afraid I'm not Australian. [Gillian and Leora laugh]

GILLIAN: It's okay.

LEORA: It's okay, we'll let you through.

JEFF: I was wondering, my friends and I have noticed from the first and second season that your appearance seems to have changed a bit. [Gillian laughs] There's more of an emphasis on your femininity now and I was just wondering if you agree, and if you agree, if you mind at all.

GILLIAN: Between the first and second season?

JEFF: Yeah, once the show got popular, it's like they had to have a beautiful woman up front.

GILLIAN: Well, I...

JEFF: Not that you weren't before but...[Laughs]

GILLIAN: Well, I became pregnant and I gained about 52 pounds. [Laughs]

LEORA: Are you serious?

GILLIAN: Yeah, 52 pounds. I packed it on there for a bit. Um, but, I don't know what to say, Jeff. [Jeff laughs] Um, I don't know if they have, I don't know. I didn't notice that. I don't think that the wardrobe has changed any. My skirts haven't gotten shorter or anything like that. My hair might have changed a little bit. Certainly from the pilot my hair changed. You know, from looking like my mother to [Leora laughs] looking like not my mother.

LEORA: But, uh, good question. Thank you. I also read - this is more Internet stuff - people on the net said they didn't like your hair all of the second season and then they said *you* didn't like your hair all of the second season.

GILLIAN: I didn't. You know, and a lot of women will say this, that when they're pregnant, they just want to shave it all off. That's just something that happens and, I, everyday, just wanted to shave my head and, um, I couldn't [Laughs] because I was on the show but it just, it became annoying, it was this thing that was just stuck on top of my head [Leora laughs] and I just, um, couldn't stand it. But now that's over.

LEORA: Now we're gonna have just wonderfully manageable Scully hair for the third season.

GILLIAN: Hopefully. I like it when it looks like, you know, a real person's hair. You know, when it gets messy and, um, you know, looks real.

LEORA: Looks real. Uh, we're taking just a couple more calls. Anne-Marie in Toronto, hi.

AM: Hi, there.

GILLIAN: Hi, there.

AM: How are you?

GILLIAN: I'm good. How are you?

AM: Oh, very excited to talk to someone from a show that I've just become a very big fan of.

GILLIAN: Well, thank you.

AM: I was afraid to watch it in the past because I had a discussion with my brother about your show and you mentioned earlier that you don't have much control over your position - that it's very story-driven. I was wondering whether it was based on factual information or not.

GILLIAN: Um, I have heard the writers say before that what they usually do is come up with an idea, whether it stems from something that they've read in a book or a magazine or a newspaper or something that they've heard, um, is, uh not really the point. More of the point, that they're looking for is to come up with a whole idea that can encompass the characters and the throughline of the show that we've already established. Um, and sometimes that involves, um, tapping into stuff that has been reported to be real, stuff that has been written about as being real in the past, um, but, um, I guess as Chris Carter says that most of the storylines generally fall within the realm of extreme possibility.

LEORA: I like that - extreme possibility. Thanks, Anne-Marie.

AM: Okay, thank you and keep up...[Telephone disconnects]


GILLIAN: Thank you. What was that?

LEORA: Something happened there. Phone problem. We're okay though, aren't we? Yeah, we're okay. Uh, we're going to squeeze in one more e-mail. This is from Virginia on the net. And Virginia says, "Rumours has been spreading for weeks about an X-Files movie. Can you supply us with any concrete information about it?"

GILLIAN: Oh, boy. Um, I don't know about this X-Files movie thing. I've also read that there's going to be a movie in 1997. Um, I honestly don't know, um, who's gonna to star in that movie because I don't think David and I are going to have time to do it and, um, I have no idea when Chris Carter is gonna have the opportunity to write a feature film let alone try and direct and produce it in between seasons. It just seems like's hugely ambitious for the schedules that we're all working under right now. It sounds wonderful but I'm, you know, I also question the validity of, um, having a feature come out while the show is still running. It seems like it would be much more exciting to have a feature out, um, when the series is no longer on anymore and you don't have Friday nights to tune into a new episode. So, um...

LEORA: The Star Trek-type thing.


LEORA: Yeah.

GILLIAN: So, um, I don't know what their plans are with it. Um, so, sorry.

LEORA: Who knows?

GILLIAN: That's it - who knows?

LEORA: Who knows?

GILLIAN: Who knows what's gonna happen?

LEORA: It is RealTime on CBC Stereo and we're just wrapping up here with Gillian Anderson who plays, you know, Dana Scully on The X-Files. We have got time for...two more calls, is that right? Two more calls. Sarah in Boston. Hi, Sarah.


GILLIAN: Hi, Sarah.

SARAH: Hi, um, I just wanted to say that I'm a really big fan...

GILLIAN: Thank you.

SARAH: ...of The X-Files. Um, I know everybody's said that but I am [Gillian laughs] and, um...

GILLIAN: But they lied, and you are. [Sarah and Leora laugh]

SARAH: Yeah, um, well, not that they lie. Okay!


SARAH: Um, well, now all of a sudden I just can't think of anything to say. [Gillian laughs]

GILLIAN: That's so funny.

LEORA: No questions? That's okay.

GILLIAN:That's okay.

LEORA: You got to talk to Gillian and that was fun, right?

SARAH: Yeah, that was fun.

LEORA: Thanks for calling, Sarah.

GILLIAN: Thank you.

SARAH: Okay, bye.


LEORA: And our final call is Nichola in Montreal. Hi.



NICHOLA: Hi. I wrote down my question.


LEORA: Good thing. [Nichola laughs] Good thing.

NICHOLA: Um, I think that someone said earlier that you, that Dana Scully rather, is a great role model for...

LEORA: Mm hm.

NOCHOLA: ...women. My only problem actually with her character...


NICHOLA: that she seems to, uh, need to be rescued by Mulder very frequently and she has this problem with blood lately [Laughs] and bodies. I'm curious how she got through med school if she had this...

GILLIAN: She has a problem with blood? When did that come up?

NICHOLA: Well, for example, in the show, um...

GILLIAN: Irresistable?

NICHOLA: I don't even know the name...[Laughs]

GILLIAN: There was one episode in particular where Scully has a bit of a freakout, um, but it's an accumulation of her abduction and her father dying and everything else that she hasn't really been talking about...


GILLIAN:, which has accumulated in her freaking out. A guy, um, cutting women's hair and, uh...

NICHOLA: Yeah, right. That one.

GILLIAN: ...taking their fingernails out when they're dead.

NICHOLA: And then the one with the bugs.

GILLIAN: The bugs?

LEORA: You ate a bug, didn't you?

GILLIAN: Which one were the bugs?

NICHOLA: The green bugs.

GILLIAN: That was first season. The green bugs.

LEORA: Oh, the green bugs. Okay.

GILLIAN: Was I...Well, you know, I...along the lines of your first, uh, the first part of your question about Scully always needing to be rescued.


GILLIAN: Um, I don't know if it's necessarily her needing to be rescued or the writers needing to see her being rescued by a man.

NICHOLA: Well, that was more the impression I got and I'm wondering if they were going to be changing that perspective.

GILLIAN: Um, it changes now and again. I mean sometimes Scully rescues Mulder's life and, uh, [Laughs] rescues his life? Sometimes Scully rescues Mulder, um, you know, but I wouldn't mind seeing that a bit more myself. I'll put in a good word for you.

LEORA: How's that? Thanks a lot, Nichola.

NICHOLA: Thank you.


LEORA: Gillian Anderson of X-Files has been my guest and this has been like, this has been a first for us, possibly international broadcasting history. Did you know that? To do the simulcast on the net and do interaction from around the world. So...

GILLIAN: You mean no one across the entire world has ever done this before?

LEORA: Apparently not. Isn't that exciting?

GILLIAN:> Bum bum bum!

LEORA: Go home and tell the daughter. Well, thank you very much. [Gillian laughs] We were originally gonna do, like, 15 minutes and now it's, like, almost an hour later. Thanks so much. You're gonna do about 15 minutes on the IRC...

GILLIAN: That's correct.

LEORA: ...and people can find out how to do that. That's computer chat. Send us an e-mail. We'll tell you how. So third season of The X-Files, Friday, Fox Network. You can't tell us what's gonna happen, can you?

GILLIAN: Um, we live, we almost die, we chase monsters and...we live.

LEORA: There. Thanks so much, Gillian! Here, I've got some music I think you'll like.


LEORA: Do you like the Foofighters?

GILLIAN: I've never heard of them.

LEORA: Dave Grohl from Nirvana? It's his new band.

GILLIAN: Oh, really?

LEORA: Yeah, this is for you. X-static. [Song is broadcast]

Transcript appears courtesy of CBC Radio.

The Official Gillian Anderson Website
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