1994-95 1996-97 1998 1999-00 2001-03 2004-06

Triple J Radio Station
June 30, 1996

Creatures of the Spotlight

(Opens with XF theme by Triple X playing in background)

Gillian Anderson: "Exhausting"

Skinner Quote:"Intangible evidence"

Gillian: "Wet"

Skinner Quote: "Anonymous witnesses"

Gillian: "Uh, sometimes scary. "

Lawrie Zion "Gillian Anderson, with some descriptive terms for what it's actually like to work on the X-Files, the program in which, of course, she stars as Dana Scully, and earlier in the week I actually caught up with her while she was in town, and soon you'll hear my little tete-a- tete with Gillian Anderson. But, before that, following on from last Sunday's 'Creatures of the Spotlight' where we opened up the phones and said "What would you ask Gillian Anderson if you could talk to her?" We're going to have some of your questions and Gillian's answers..."

(missing 5 seconds here)

(Triple X theme in background again)

Gillian: "...I think there are limits that, that Chris Carter and the network have imposed on the relationship because they realise that were we to consummate a relationship in any way it would destroy the fabric of the show, and I'd have to agree with that."

Scully Quote:"Mulder, Colton plays by the book and you don't. They feel your methods, your theories are..."

Mulder Quote: "Spooky? Do you think I'm spooky?"

Gillian: "There is a tension there that I think the audience would miss - I think it wouldn't be there anymore if they jumped in the sack together and I think that once they did consummate their relationship in that way then that's all the show could be about - I mean, how are we supposed to y'know, chase after aliens if we're waking up in bed in the morning together and having to deal with that part of it as well - they love each other very much and respect each other very much, but the attraction is one of the minds and not of the body."

Scully Quote: "On X-File cases investigated by Agent Mulder and myself to date, we have a conviction or case solution rate of 75% - that's well above the current bureau standard."

Skinner Quote: "And that is your only saving grace."

Scully Quote: "May I ask, sir what more you require?"

Listener question: "I want to know who she named her baby after, Piper?"

Gillian: "She's not named after anybody, it was just a name that both my husband and I thought was perfect for the personality that seemed to be developing in my belly, so we stuck with it."

Listener question: "I think a good question for Gillian might be what are her real beliefs about the afterlife and aliens and the supernatural -her personal beliefs?"

Gillian: "well actually there's been a lot of press about the fact that, that I am more of a believer than David is, in our personal lives and so... but there are certainly areas that the show gets into that I do not believe whatsoever and certain areas that I am interested in because I think that there is some...(something in here that I can't hear) ...possibility."

Lawrie "Such as?"

Gillian: "Oh, uh, I mean I believe that there's a great possibility that there are UFOs, that there's life outside this universe outside this planet... psychokinesis, and ESP interest me, I think that there's some truth there."

Listener question: "I'm just wondering if you would like to work...do you prefer a film career as opposed to television?"

Gillian: "Yeah, I mean, I'm very interested in moving into film and it will happen eventually, maybe during the breaks between seasons at some point, but it's definitely in the forefront of my plans."

song: PM Dawn's 'The X-Files theme'

Scully Quote: "Mulder, they don't want you involved. They don't want to hear your theories. That's why Blevins has you hidden away down here." Mulder: "You're down here too. Look, why don't we agree on this - they'll have their investigation and we'll have ours and never the twain shall meet."

Lawrie "Gillian Anderson, it's great to meet you, welcome to Australia."

Gillian: (laughing) "thank you."

Lawrie "Can we start with your pre-X-Files life 'cause I assume it's still Out There somewhere. I've read in a number of articles you've had a punk phase, you once had mohair...sorry..."

Gillian: "Mohair?! (laughing) I did, in fact have a mohair sweater"

Lawrie (laughing) "...you once had a mohawk...had mohawk hair and that I've also read that you claim acting saved you from all of this - can you elaborate a bit or have I got it all wrong?"

Gillian: "Well, I guess in a way it did save me from it - not that I needed to be saved, but it, changed my focus, I think, for some reason...well for whatever reason... when I started acting, I suddenly had found something that I was intrinsically excited about and enthusiastic about so it made me want to learn, and want to study and made me just feel... happier in general and so my grades went up when I was in school and I'd found my place, in a sense."

Lawrie "Does that mean you don't listen to punk music anymore?"

Gillian: "I don't, but It's more to maintain a sane state of mind than it is for any other reason. "

Lawrie "Do you have a favourite punk band?"

Gillian: "Not anymore, I did then, I mean I loved um, Dead Kennedys and... Velvet Underground and stuff like that."

Lawrie "So, you started acting and you were in a few things before the X-Files, but essentially as far as the television industry was concerned when you went for that audition with the X-Files you were an unknown, and there's well documented accounts of how it was a little bit hard for you to get the role - you didn't sort of clinch it first go. What were you thinking about at the time? Did you think 'Oh, I've got to be in this show no matter what'?"

Gillian: "Well, it was something that I was very interested in, and I put all of my energy into preparing for it, but I also didn't expect to get it and I knew what the chances were of an unknown getting the role and so I'd, basically, I guess, told myself that if I got it, that would be great, and if I didn't get it then that would be fine."

Lawrie "What did you think of Dana, the first time you read about her?"

Gillian: "I thought she was wonderful. I think that that's one of the things that really attracted me to the script was what a strong character she was and continues to be."

Lawrie "If you just met Dana Scully, would she be someone you'd want to be friends with?"

Gillian: "Well, I think that we might be able to have a minor conversation, but she's much more intelligent than I am so she'd go off talking about things that I didn't have a clue about and I would want to talk about things she didn't have a clue about, so I'm not sure how long it would last."

Lawrie "And of course there's her forensic career, which she's quite obsessed with at times - do you like to dissect things as well?"

Gillian: "I didn't, but I used to enjoy it a lot in school, in high school. I loved dissecting pigs and crayfish and stuff like that."

Lawrie "Is there anything about Dana that you find annoying?"

Gillian: "well sometimes it gets frustrating as an actor to play the same reactions and the same frame of mind all the time - I wish sometimes that she was more open minded and she's become so, especially in the 3rd season, which you haven't really seen yet... she becomes much more relaxed, seemingly, and open to Mulder's ideas."

Lawrie "The Australian edition of Rolling Stone had that now very famous - internationally famous - portrait of you and David Duchovny in bed together on the front cover. What do you think about that photo?"

Gillian: "Well, I thought it was a lot of fun, it was ... kind of a statement we were making against the talk of the characters getting together and I think that...I think that ... we had a lot of fun doing it, it was a very risky shot for us to do and it turned out incredibly well - I think it was a very great photograph that they've come up with, and so I think we're all very proud of it."

Lawrie "Do you have a favourite X-Files episode?"

Gillian: "I have a few - one of them I think is in the third season called 'Piper Maru' which you won't have seen yet, which is one of my favourites and then a couple from the first season, 'Ice' and 'Beyond the Sea' were big favourites of mine and one from the second season called 'Irresistible'. "

Lawrie "Empire Magazine in Britain claimed there's a 90% chance now of an X-Files film being made - can you tell us more about developments on that front?"

Gillian: "I don't really know - I wish I knew - I know that it was something that, or is something that they're very interested in putting together - I'm not sure when they plan for us to shoot it but it is something that's going to be happening in the future - I just don't know when."

Lawrie "The fan base is just so enormous for The X-Files that I guess it almost defies comprehension, and one of the things that has developed are these conventions, can you...um you've just been to one, I believe, earlier this year - tell us about it."

Gillian: "I was very nervous going in, I wasn't sure what to expect and, and I came out feeling ...much less nervous about it. The audience, was wonderful, they were terrific, they were all very sane - most of them were - very sane and just very sweet and wonderful and they were just there because they love the show and it ended up being a wonderful experience."

Lawrie "But what do they do at the conventions?"

Gillian: "they buy merchandise, they sit and you go up onstage and talk to them and they ask questions and you answer questions and some other actors in the show do little skits and stuff like that and so it's a free-for-all."

Lawrie "You've got an increasingly pervasive presence on the internet, I'm just wondering, like, if that's something that you pay much attention to, or is it just something that's happening in another parallel universe that you can afford to ignore?"

Gillian: "The second part of your answer (laughter) coincides with my thoughts... I don't log onto the internet and it is something that's taking place in a very different reality than one that I'm living in."

Scully Quote: "Are you suggesting that I go before the Violent Crimes Section and present a profile declaring that these murders were done by aliens?!"

Mulder Quote: "No, of course not. I find no evidence of alien involvement."

Scully Quote: "What, then, that this is the work of a 100-year-old serial killer that is capable of overpowering a healthy 6 foot 2 businessman?"

Mulder Quote: "And he should stick out in a crowd with 10 inch fingers."

Lawrie "Would you do a film with David Duchovny as an actor in it as well? He's very good in films."

Gillian: "I'm not sure if - other than in an X-Files film- anyone would ever hire us together because of the connection."

Lawrie "Is he good to work with, David Duchovny?"

Gillian: "yeah, he's very intelligent and he's got a wonderful sense of humour, he can be a lot of fun."

Lawrie "Do you actively keep up other interests as well um, apart from your family, I mean, are there other things you're trying to pursue while doing this?"

Gillian: "There's not really any time - I mean, but I recently had the experience of scuba diving and I would love to get certified but I don't even know if I'll have time within the next 10 months of the season to fit in lessons, in that respect, so there's really not much time to do anything but work on the show and spend what little time we have left with our families."

Lawrie "Any chance of an X-Files episode being shot in Australia?"

Gillian: "Um, I *doubt* it. It would be very hard to shoot the season and have to make that plane trip..."

Lawrie "(laughs) So you're not out here location scouting?"

Gillian: "NO. no, no, no."

Lawrie "Is it true that Bananas in Pyjamas (an Australian children's television show) is watched in your household?"

Gillian: "Yes, it is, it definitely is, um, in fact we recently have some more videos since we've come to Australia, of course..."

Lawrie "That's why you came out here actually..."

Gillian: "Yes, that's exactly why I came out here - it was to stock up on Bananas in Pyjamas videos."

Lawrie "No chance of a guest role with B1 and B2 (the Bananas) (Gillian laughs) or for them to appear on the X-Files -they do look like aliens."

Gillian: "(still laughing) I don't think so - I think that would be going a little overboard.

Lawrie "The Bananas are Out There. Did you get a chance to see any of the country while you were here?"

Gillian: "Well, I did go to the Zoo the other day which was nice, and we've taken a drive along the beaches just to see the coastline and stuff - it really is a very beautiful city but that's really all the time I'm going to have. "

Lawrie "Well, it's great that you could make it out here, finally. Gillian Anderson, thanks for talking to us."

Gillian: "Thank You."

Transcript provided by Medellia and appears courtesy of Triple J radio station.