Gillian Anderson Talks London, David Duchovny, and ‘The X-Files’

Gillian Anderson was excited about setting up home in a new place after The X-Files had originally ended.

The actress first played FBI Agent Dana Scully in the popular TV show, alongside David Duchovny, from 1993 until 2002. After the show finished, Chicago-born Gillian relocated to the UK and has been happy raising her three children in London.

“I was excited about seeing how my career and my life was going to evolve,” she recalled during an interview with Britain’s Hello! magazine. “I went back to London because I love the city and the life there and also I wanted to do stage work again. Living in London has had a very positive impact on the kind of work I was hoping to do. It’s also been a wonderful place to raise my children.”

Gillian has a 21-year-old daughter, Piper, with her first husband Clyde Klotz and two sons Oscar and Felix, who are nine and seven, with ex-boyfriend Mark Griffiths.

The 47-year-old star became a mother for the first time while she was originally working on The X-Files. In March last year, Fox announced The X-Files would be returning to the small screen, with Gillian and David both agreeing to reprise their roles, and juggling her family and work commitments has been less stressful this time around.

“It’s much easier because I was still in the process of figuring out many things about myself when I had Piper,” Gillian explained. “And I was just grateful to have a regular job. Now I’m constantly facing the choice about whether I want to spend more time away from my kids to do a particular project or should I wait until something else comes up. That’s why the idea of working on The X-Files was a lot easier because it didn’t involve a nine or 10-month commitment, which would have been impossible for me.”

Despite rumors of a tumultuous relationship with David, Gillian insists the pair now get along better than ever. While she admits it was tense at times on set in the past, the stars have always enjoyed a special bond.

“There is something extra and I don’t know what that is,” she added. “It seems like it’s separate from us, almost like a third (element). We had chemistry from the very beginning.”