Cinescape contributor Cindy Pearlman recently sat down with X-Files star Gillian Anderson for an in-depth talk about life, love and acting. Pearlman's account of the conversation can be found in the most recent issue, on sale now. But a few choice tid-bits didn't make it into the issue due to space limitations. Here's some of what Anderson had to say that didn't make it into print.
Cinescape: How much input are you allowed to make into your character?
Anderson: Well, I can speak as much as I want. It's a matter of what is heard. There is never a time where I would say, "Oh, Scully would never say that." It just wouldn't happen.
Cinescape: Did you get to make comments on the Scully action figure before it came out?
Anderson: I had to approve and disapprove her parts. I don't know how to contemplate these things. I don't know how to put it in my frame of reference. The doll is taller than I am -- proportionally taller. The other thing that's weird is that probably at some little girl's house I'm dating Ken.
Cinescape: Do you believe that "the truth is out there"?
Anderson: I believe in certain things that would be considered paranormal. I'm not sure if I really know what "the truth is out there" means.
--Cindy Pearlman
Don't worry about spoilers here, X-Philes. Chris Carter has been called many things -- "visionary," "driven, "ingenious," "really, really rich" -- but words like "talkative," "effusive" and "verbose" would never be associated with him. The man who created The X-Files is a TV genius, but not much of a conversationalist. Nevertheless, Cinescape contributor Cindy Pearlman tried to drag a few details about The X-Files' next season out of him. Here's what she got.
Cinescape: Will we ever find out what happened to Mulder's sister?
Carter: Yes, but not next season.
Cinescape: Is the character played by Mimi Rogers [in the season five cliffhanger "The End"] dead?
Carter: We've established her as Mulder's old flame. I don't know how we're going to play it out, but remember dead on The X-Files is relative.
Cinescape: Is Scully Mulder's sister?
Carter: That's really interesting. I've never heard that one before.
Cinescape: Yes, you have.
Carter: O.K., the truth is that I have heard it before. There is a fiction created by fans and I can't say what's really true.
To get a better feel for what season six of The X-Files will be like, pick up the November/December issue of Cinescape. It features a look ahead to the next season, plus an in-depth profile of series star Gillian Anderson.
--Cindy Pearlman
Frank Spotnitz, co-executive producer of The X-Files feature film and one of the show's key behind-the-scenes talents, is already settling in to work on the first few episodes of the series' sixth season. From his Los Angeles office, Spotnitz shared his thoughts on the number one film in the country.
Cinescape: Chris Carter has said his goal was to make the film something that both fans and non-fans of the series could appreciate. Do you think you've achieved that?
Spotnitz: I think we have. I've heard from a lot of people, non-fans who have seen the movie that they enjoyed it. I think what people need to understand, it's like walking into Star Wars. There's a universe that already exists and you just need to sit back and enjoy it. I think if you expect to know too much or understand too much, then that will frustrate you and it's not really necessary.
Cinescape: How many of the events in the film will be expanded upon next season?
Spotnitz: All of them. There's going to be a total integration of the movie and where we left off in the TV series in the fall.
Cinescape: What's the likelihood of a sequel?
Spotnitz: I'd say much better after this weekend. We're all waiting to see. Honestly, it's a financial issue. Creatively, all of us on the show, we'd love to do it. It's a huge kick to see it all up there on the screen, and The X-Files just lends itself to the big screen. I think it's been worth it.
--Gina McIntyre
1 When The X-Files episode "The Beginning" airs November 8, long-time fans will notice that the show's look has changed. Gray, cloud-choked skies are out. Sunshine and palm trees are in. "The Beginning" doesn't just mark the opening of the show's sixth season, it's the first episode to be shot in Los Angeles. It has been reported widely that the move from gloomy Vancouver, British Columbia, was prompted by demands from series star David Duchovny. Cinescape contributor Cindy Pearlman recently had a chance to ask Duchovny about those reports.
Cinescape: It's been said you demanded the move to L.A. Is that accurate?
Duchovny: I don't have any need to show my power. I just have a need to do what works for me in my life. I thought we were just shooting a pilot in Vancouver [all those] years ago....Every year, it was, "Oh, we'll come back to L.A." It became time for me to put my foot down and say, "Now I have a wife and it's not my problem the show will be harder to shoot in L.A. or look different or be more expensive. That's your problem."
Cinescape: So how will the show be different now?
Duchovny: One change is that high-ranking officials in the American government will no longer have Canadian accents.
Cinescape: Will all the sunshine and fresh air help Mulder cheer up?
Duchovny: No, that's not for him. That's for other people. He's a questing hero. I don't think if I was a fan that I would want to see Mulder happy. I would want to see Mulder actively pursuing something. That's what he does.
Read more about the new season of The X-Files when the November/December issue of Cinescape hits newsstands this month.
--Cindy Pearlman