Gillian Anderson Lied About Her Age At "X-Files" Audition | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

In this short Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend segment, Gillian Anderson reflects on her early years on The X-Files and the pressures around the show’s success. Anderson confirms she was 24 when cast and says she told producers she was 27 because the character Dana Scully was meant to have already completed advanced degrees and professional training. She tells O’Brien she “hated” the fame, describing being followed and photographed in Los Angeles, including while with her children, and says she “pointed” her car at paparazzi on multiple occasions. Anderson contrasts that with working in Vancouver, which she says insulated the cast from constant pursuit.

She also describes the show’s punishing production routine: early call times, long days, late-week schedule drift, and high page counts, joking about the cast having to sound like “the smartest people on planet Earth”. Anderson shares a specific creative detail from series creator Chris Carter: she says he instructed her to avoid “widows” in dialogue blocks, shaping lines to form a clean rectangle on the page for visual consistency.

The conversation closes on the cultural legacy of “the Scully effect”, with O’Brien noting the role’s influence on women pursuing STEM and law enforcement careers. Anderson says people still approach her to credit the character for their career choices and for the show’s personal significance across generations.

• Anderson says she lied about her age at The X-Files audition, claiming she was 27 rather than 24.
• She says she “hated” the early fame and felt disturbed by being followed and photographed in Los Angeles, including with her children.
• Anderson claims she “pointed” her car at paparazzi “over the years”.
• She says Vancouver filming provided distance from celebrity-chasing behaviour and felt “freeing”.
• Anderson describes a gruelling TV production schedule with long days and shifting call times across the week.
• She recounts Chris Carter telling her “no widows” in dialogue blocks, aiming for visually rectangular paragraphs.
• Both discuss the “Scully effect”; Anderson says people still credit Scully for inspiring careers in science and policing.