Gillian Anderson recalls having ‘mini breakdowns’ while filming The X-Files

Actor said she ‘could not talk about’ show after she left

Gillian Anderson became a TV icon while playing Agent Dana Scully in The X-Files – but she has now revealed the role led to several “mini breakdowns”.

The X-Files ran for nine seasons between 1993 and 2002. Anderson reprised her role when the show was picked up for a revival in 2016, and again in 2018. The hit show revolved around two special agents investigating unsolved cases, which often involved unexplained, paranormal activities. David Duchovny played Scully’s FBI partner, Fox Mulder.

Speaking during the latest Hollywood Reporter actor roundtable, Anderson said: “I had a good couple of mini breakdowns during that, and at the end, could not talk about it, could not see it, could not see pictures, could not.”

She added: “I needed to immerse immediately in theatre in another country. And then after a while, I was able to embrace it again, but when I started to embrace it, it was almost like I separated myself so much that I was looking at the image as if it was another person.

“When you immerse yourself so entirely as we can and we do for such long periods of time, of course there’s going to be consequence to that.”

Anderson can next be seen in the third season of Sex Education, in which she plays sex therapist Jean Milburn. Last year, she won rave reviews for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown.