Inside Gillian Anderson’s feud with X-Files co-star David Duchovny
Gillian Anderson is an incredible actress who has impressed fans from all over the world with her iconic roles. Over the years, the star has appeared in hit series including The Crown, Sex Education and The Great - and is perhaps best known for one of her first roles in The X-Files - but did you know she and her co-star, David Duchovny, openly disliked one another during filming? Find out more…
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Speaking to Metro back in 2008, David opening up about the pair’s hostility towards one another, saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt. It’s nothing to do with the other person. All that fades away and you’re just left with the appreciation and love for the people you’ve worked with for so long. We used to argue about nothing. We couldn’t stand the sight of each other."
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Gillian also spoke about the situation to The Guardian, explaining: "There were definitely periods when we hated each other. Hate is too strong a word. We didn’t talk for long periods of time. It was intense, and we were both pains in the [expletive] for the other at various times.”
The pair opened up about their relationship
The pair have thankfully since put their feud to bed, and opened up about why their relationship was so bad during a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live back in 2016. At the time, Gillian explained: "I wondered this for a long time and I think part of it [is that] we shot in Vancouver, and it’s very moist in Vancouver… and so my hair gets very frizzy and so it takes forever, and between every single take we’d have to stand there and blow-dry my hair."
The pair are now friends
David asked: "And I got [expletive] at that?" to which Gillian said: "I think it added to the tension that I took so long! Is that anything to do with it?" David then joked: "It kind of makes me sound like an [expletive]."
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Fans clearly love the pair’s jokey banter, with one writing: "They're not together, but it is like watching a married couple who've been together for years and have a great relationship," while another joked: "Their chemistry is off the charts."
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