Gillian Anderson sure has come a long way since debuting on a little show called The X-Files more than 20 years ago. She went from being David Duchovny's side kick in what would eventually become a cult classic hit show to a solid force both onstage and screen. Anderson is a busy mom of three with a real knack for taking on a few projects at a time. In the U.S. she is prone to pop up on Hannibal while doing double duty on the BBC's The Fall 2. In a recent interview for the cover story of the Nov. issue of the U.K. Magazine Red, Anderson discusses sexism in Hollywood and how it's alive and well.
The first major way that Anderson felt the differential treatment between men and women was by her X-Files paycheck, when Duchovny was earning quite a bit more than her for basically the same job. Obviously, after 20 years in the industry Anderson's checks are a lot nicer now but that doesn't mean that she has forgotten the struggles that still befall younger actresses currently on the rise.
"At the beginning, the pay disparity was massive. But that happens all the time in Hollywood. It's, 'Do this for me, I'll get you a job.' All the stuff in the papers today about people in entertainment who have abused their position ... it's built into our society. It's easy to miss and it's easy to get used to it. There are things that are intolerable in today's world, in terms of the perception of women. Whether they're vamps or vixens, the expectation that, if a woman is wearing a short skirt, she's 'asking for it.'"
Since Anderson is in the middle of promoting the second season of The Fall she finds herself constantly asked about Jamie Dornan, her costar in the series. The show has garnered critical acclaim from the British press and Anderson hasn't held back when it comes to praising her hot costar. She also finds it ironic that since Dornan signed on to play Christian Grey in a little trilogy called Fifty Shades of Grey, more people actually ask about him now than about her time spent on The X-Files.
When asked about Dornan on this particular occasion Anderson said:
"He's a lovely young lad. On the first series, people were like, 'Who is this guy? Is he an ex-model or something?' Now people don't ever want to talk to me about 'The X-Files.' They only want to ask about Jamie Dornan."
If you think about it, Anderson has had probably one of the best careers in television over the last twenty years because she has always worked. If not swiftly hopping from one project to another then she has juggled a few at a time. She also likes to be pretty candid in her interviews, unless you ask about her relationship with Duchovny—then she clams up or teases a little. Anderson and Duchovny have been rumored to be living together in NYC for more than a year now, although neither will fully confirm it.
The X-Files helped to launch Anderson towards exactly the kind of career that she envisioned having. Did it also hand her the love of her life, Duchovny, after 20 years of being best friends? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
