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The phenomenal ‘90s drama seriesThe X-Filesis reportedly getting a reboot fromBlack Pantherdirector Ryan Coogler. The legendary show became a worldwide phenomenon in the 90s due to its blend of investigative drama with supernatural elements. The show also skyrocketed actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny to global stardom.
While the new reboot is still in development, original creator Chris Carter mentioned how difficult it was for him to mount the show. He recalled an instance where he had to fight for Anderson to be a part of the series as the Fox Network preferred someone who would fit in their idea of s*x appeal. The network reportedly wanted someone like Pamela Anderson for the role of Dana Scully.
The Fox Network Did Not Want Gillian Anderson ForThe X-Files
Creator and showrunner Chris Carter reportedly got the idea to develop a show based on conspiracy theories and the supernatural when he read an article that said over 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens. Carter, who had been working with Walt Disney Pictures at the time, reportedly pitchedThe X-Filesto Fox Network after developing a pilot based on such claims (viaEW).
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Carter will reportedly not be involved in the upcoming reboot by Ryan Coogler. In a recent art exhibition consisting of the works by Carter, some memorabilia ofThe X-Files, including his audition notes, were reportedly displayed. Chris Carter mentioned toInversethat he was immediately convinced by David Duchovny’s performance and had written a ‘yes’ next to his name.
However, the part of Dana Scully was reportedly more difficult. The creator mentioned that the studio wanted someone more traditionally s*xually appealing as Agent Fox Mulder’s partner instead of Gillian Anderson. He said,
“For Gillian, I wrote ‘Test,’ which means I wanted to take her before the studio and the network…Even though Gillian’s beautiful, she wasn’t their idea of sexy. First, because they didn’t understand what I was trying to do with the show. And she was an unknown so that never helps.”
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The studio reportedly wanted to capitalize on the success of s*xually appealing shows such asBaywatchand actually eyed Pamela Anderson for the role of Dana Scully. However, the other Anderson prevailed when Chris Carter stood his ground and convinced Fox to go ahead with theSex Educationstar.
Gillian Anderson And The Dana Scully Effect
Christ Carter’sThe X-Filesbecame an extremely popular series in the ‘90s and early 2000s. The show is credited with being one of the first shows to develop a strong fandom due to the Internet (viaThe Age). Fans of the show, who were known as the X-Philes, reportedly shipped Dana Scully and Fox Mulder and even wrote fan fiction based on the couple (viaMetro Active).
One of the most alluring phenomena that occurred with the popularity of the show was ‘The Scully Effect’.Gillian Anderson’sportrayal of Dana Scully reportedly became a role model to women pursuing the STEM fields due to the character’s medical and federal background. The character reportedly inspired many women to pursue the field, which was largely dominated by men.
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According toAll That’s Interesting, Scully’s independence and intelligence made her a ‘pop culture patron saint’ for women studying in the STEM field. Anderson reportedly mentioned at Comic-Con that she was proud of ‘The Scully Effect’ and recounted how she would get many letters that spoke about the fans’ decision to pursue the field. She said,
“It was a surprise to me, when I was told that. We got a lot of letters all the time, and I was told quite frequently by girls who were going into the medical world or the science world or the FBI world or other worlds that I reigned, that they were pursuing those pursuits because of the character of Scully. And I said, ‘Yay!’”
The show is also notably an inspiration to many popular shows that came after includingLost, Breaking Bad, Supernatural,andGravity Falls.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
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