X-Files star Gillian Anderson reveals her character FBI Agent Scully has inspired generations of girls to explore careers in science and mathematics
She is best known as the skeptical FBI Special Agent Scully, who, together with sidekick Mulder, applied science and logic to ‘supernatural’ investigations in the cult TV show The X-Files.
But now actress Gillian Anderson, who shot to fame alongside David Duchovny in the series, has revealed how her character has inspired generations of girls to get into STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) – and she’s even met female scientists who said they owed their careers to her.
Calling it the ‘Scully effect’, 56-year-old Anderson has admitted that she gets ’emotional’ when she encounters female fans of the science fiction series who are inspired to pursue a career in science because of her on-screen character.
“I’ve encountered scientists who literally said, ‘I’m now a practicing scientist working in a lab because of Scully.’
“I always find that incredibly moving,” said Ms. Anderson, also an ardent women’s rights activist, whose adventures with Duchovny spanned nearly a decade from 1993 to 2002 and were later restaged.
“When I played Scully there was something about the ‘Scully effect’, where young girls went into science after being inspired by my character,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
Actress Gillian Anderson, who shot to fame alongside David Duchovny in the X-Files series, has revealed how her character has inspired generations of girls to study STEM
Ms Anderson, 56, calls it the ‘Scully effect’ and has admitted she gets ’emotional’ when she encounters female fans of the sci-fi series who are inspired to pursue a career in science because of her on-screen personality (Stock Image)
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson pictured in season one of X-Files
“Every time I come face to face with a young woman who got into STEM because of Scully, the best interaction is with fans. Every now and then I come across someone who still says that.’
Anderson made the comments after her co-star David Cuchovny revealed last month that the pair had a strained working relationship on the set of X-Files, prompting the show’s creator to suggest the two attend couples counseling .
In the latest episode of Duchovny’s Lemonada Media podcast: Fail betterthe actor shared how their “butting heads” prompted creator Chris Carter to pitch an unusual solution.
Anderson, 56, was a guest on the episode and while she couldn’t remember that specific conversation, she did remember their tenuous working relationship at the time, during which they didn’t speak off camera for weeks.