Acclaimed actress Gillian Anderson has recently spoken about the sacrifices made during the early stages of her Hollywood career and how some of those decisions affected her family. The 58-year-old, widely recognized for her role as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in "The X-Files," shared her thoughts on the challenges of being a young mother amid a demanding production schedule, acknowledging certain regrets.
In a recent conversation with The Sunday Times, Anderson initially stated, "I have absolutely no regrets in my life." However, she quickly reconsidered, adding, "No, there are a couple of things, in terms of early parenting, that I now would say, I wish I’d thought this through or I wish I’d been less selfish."
Early Motherhood and Career Ascent
Anderson became a mother at 26, welcoming her daughter, Piper, with her first husband, Clyde Klotz, who served as an assistant art director on "The X-Files." Piper’s birth occurred just over a year after Anderson began filming the popular science fiction series. At this time, Anderson's career was rapidly taking off, with "The X-Files" quickly becoming a global sensation, leading to incredibly long and arduous days on set.
Following Anderson and Klotz's divorce in 1997, Piper divided her time between her mother, who was working on the series in Los Angeles, and her father in Vancouver. To maintain consistency in Piper's education, she attended a French lycée in both cities. This arrangement, however, meant frequent travel for the young girl between her parents' homes.
"It was intense for her, with no French in the household, to suddenly be getting a plane every three weeks," Anderson recounted. "It’s a lot to ask of a six-year-old."
Navigating Demanding Production Schedules
Anderson recalled working 17-hour days during that period. Despite being one of the show's two lead stars, alongside David Duchovny, she felt she was not in a position to challenge the rigorous schedule.
"That show couldn’t have done without [me], and so I had leverage that I’m not sure I knew," Anderson reflected.
The actress has previously shared her reflections on whether she could have made different choices as a working mother. In an earlier interview with The Sunday Times, she contemplated an alternative life path where she might have worked less, lived more modestly, and been more available to her children.
"There's another version of my life where I could have worked less, had a smaller life and been more present as a parent. I could have chosen that, that could happen," she explained. "But sometimes it feels like why would you, if you keep getting work as an actor, doing things you dreamt of doing and being offered incredible roles at this age, while paying the bills, and you still get to see them a huge percentage of the time and they witness a mother enjoying her work?"
Anderson's approach to parenting evolved when she later welcomed her sons, Oscar and Felix, with businessman Mark Griffiths.
Continued Success and Future Outlook
Despite her introspection about past decisions, Anderson has maintained a consistent and successful acting career for decades since "The X-Files" brought her international fame. Her recent acting credits include acclaimed roles in series such as "The Crown" and "Sex Education," as well as the film "The Salt Path." She also stars alongside Hannah Einbinder in filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," which recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
As she approaches her 60th birthday, Anderson suggests her relationship with her career remains complex. "I feel very lucky to still be working," she told The Sunday Times. While she once envisioned a slower pace in her 60s, perhaps focusing on directing and art, she is now reconsidering those plans, stating, "I’m having so much fun."
