‘I almost got fired’: Gillian Anderson opens up about returning to shoot The X-Files 10 days after giving birth

Despite having just given birth, X-Files actress Gillian Anderson appeared on Today for an interview. During the interview, she discussed her experience of returning to work at the young age of 24, only a week after giving birth.

On April 3’s episode, Anderson mentioned:

“But I think I was so wrapped up in, ‘I almost got fired, I’ll mess this up, I’ll do whatever they say.’ So yeah, 10 days after a C-section.”

The actress, who is 55 years old, stated that she has no interest in being involved in a reboot of The X-Files. However, she did mention that she would be open to the idea if it were to be led by Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther.

Gillian made an appearance on the show to discuss her upcoming project Scoop, which is scheduled for release on April 5, 2024 on Netflix.

Gillian Anderson Reflects on Balancing Motherhood and Work during the First Season of The X-Files

During the episode, Gillian Anderson discussed her upcoming film and her career with Savannah Guthrie. Anderson, who is now a mother of three children – Piper (29), Oscar (17), and Felix (15) – also shared her experience of being pregnant with her first child in 1994.

According to Anderson:

“If I didn’t feel so guilty that I got pregnant in the first season, I might have taken better care of myself and been more thoughtful about what I needed for my best interest at the time.”

During a recent interview, Anderson revealed that she had a C-section to deliver her daughter Piper. Despite only taking a 10-day break, she immediately returned to work. Guthrie also praised Anderson for becoming an advocate for women and self-acceptance.

Her response was to say:

“I mean, I’ve got a book of letters, and we put a call out international around the world for women to write in their sexual fantasies in a way the My Secret Garden was in the 70s.”

Anderson Discusses Her Latest Project and Potential Role in The X-Files Reboot

Gillian Anderson provided insight into her upcoming film Scoop, in which she portrays Emily Maitlis. The film follows the sequence of events surrounding the 2019 BBC interview with Prince Andrew. When asked by Savannah Guthrie if she had viewed the original interview at the time, Anderson responded,

“I think I put it off for a long time because I knew how cringe-worthy it was and eventually really dug into it when I started this project. And yeah, it’s jaw dropping.”

Despite being an award-winning actress, Gillian initially turned down the opportunity to play the role of Emily Maitlis. She explained that Maitlis was a household name in every other British household, which made the idea of portraying her feel intimidating.

During the interview, Gillian Anderson’s statement about the possibility of her appearing in the reboot of The X-Files may have sparked excitement among fans of the show. She shared,

“Ryan Coogler, who is the director of Black Panther — brilliant, brilliant director — has approached Chris Carter to say that he wants to do a take on it, and I cannot think of a better way around for a reboot to happen.”

She then stated,

“I’m not saying no. I think he’s really cool and I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well. And maybe I’ll pop in for a little something something.”

Released in 2022, Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has proven to be a huge success, earning five Oscar nominations.