Transcript from Gillian Anderson's AOL Chat -- X-Philes World-X-Files Movie 2

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Date Posted: 05:27:02 04/08/00 Sat
Author: Scullystar
Subject: Transcript from Gillian Anderson's AOL Chat

TVGLive3: Joining us right now is Gillian Anderson. Thanks for coming to chat.
Gillian Anderson: Hey, everybody! I'm here. Thanks for waiting...
Question:: What motivated you to write and direct an X-Files episode? Did you achieve what you wanted to achieve?
Gillian Anderson: I had been asked recently if I would ever consider writing one, and I initially thought that I might attempt to write something with one of the other writers. Then I was asked if I ever had an idea myself, and I described something that was more of a couple of images. And the motivation for the episode was based on those images. So someone asked if I wanted to write one.
Gillian Anderson: So, I sat down one evening and wrote the entire outline for episode.
Gillian Anderson: And I think that it majoritivily what I had envisioned.
Gillian Anderson: There are certain areas where you have to let go... and let go. :)
Gillian Anderson: There are certain pieces of dialogue which had to be taken out for timing purposes.
Gillian Anderson: But I think it still makes sense.

Question:: Did you write the entire outline of the script in one sitting, or was it gradually developed over the course of the year?
Gillian Anderson: I wrote the outline in one sitting.
Gillian Anderson: And then I wrote the script, the first three acts, over about five months.
Gillian Anderson: Then continued to tweak it until we started shooting.

Question:: where did the inspiration for your episode's story came from?
Gillian Anderson: Just from those two images I had.
Gillian Anderson: The rest came seemingly out of nowhere... LOL

Question:: Gillian, Can you give us any background on "all things"? What's your favorite part in the episode? --Agent Amy--
Gillian Anderson: I think my favorite parts have to do more with camera work, with particular shots and
Gillian Anderson: transitions from one scene to another scene.
Gillian Anderson: I hesitate to speak too much about it...
Gillian Anderson: I feel like I've been describing it in interviews for the past couple of weeks, and I'm
Gillian Anderson: kind of at a point where I just want people to see and have their own reactions and
Gillian Anderson: responses to it.

Question:: Did you ever write scripts while in school?
Gillian Anderson: Never.

Question:: what authors do you read? what kinds of books?
Gillian Anderson: I think I've only actually read like two or three books over the past seven years...
Gillian Anderson: which makes me kinda sad.
Gillian Anderson: The last book that I read from start to finish is "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb.
Gillian Anderson: Most of the time it's difficult for me to allow myself the time to read.
Gillian Anderson: Between the episodes and other scripts, and the rest of my life, if I do read, it's usually more spiritually minded books. And one of my favorites of those over this past year has been a book called "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron.

Question:: I am looking forward to Sunday's episode. Did you like writing and directing? And also , what actors/actresses have been the biggest influence on you?
Gillian Anderson: I did enjoy it very much.
Gillian Anderson: It was an incredible learning experience for me and an insight into how hard and complicated the task is for writers and directors. I feel like I learned so much in the whole process from beginning to end. I think influentially, let's see, actors... Well, the usual response from female actors Meryl Streep, Kathy Bates. Kevin Spacey I love... Stephen Tucci.
Gillian Anderson: I love it when actors take it upon themselve to create material.
Gillian Anderson: I love what Sam Mendes has been doing.
Gillian Anderson: I love what Stanley Tucci has been doing.
Gillian Anderson: I think that Paul Thomas Anderson is very talented.

Question:: After so many years of playing Scully, was it easier or harder than u thought to write for the character? LGW
Gillian Anderson: Easier to write for the character.
Gillian Anderson: Scully has become so much a part of myself, and it was just second nature for me.

Question:: Are you going to be watching the show with everyone else on Sunday?
Gillian Anderson: I am.
Gillian Anderson: Some friends are throwing a little gathering for me and we're all going to watch together.

Question:: How long does it take for you to learn all those medical terms in the show. Seems like one can easily get tongue tied.
Gillian Anderson: I guess I do kind of learn them... It kind of depends.
Gillian Anderson: I study the script the night before and show up at work and work on them throughout the day... continue going over them and over them.
Gillian Anderson: Working on getting my mouth around them.

Question:: What did you think of William B. Davis' script? Was it fun to work with someone who was obviously eager to work with you?
Gillian Anderson: Yeah, it was.
Gillian Anderson: I thought it was good.
Gillian Anderson: It's tricky... I'm not sure in the end how much of it was his.
Gillian Anderson: Our scripts are syphoned through Frank and Chris.
Gillian Anderson: Sometimes they let them be, sometimes they readjust them.
Gillian Anderson: But, I think it was good.

Question:: Is the title of your episode based on the ee cummings poem?
Gillian Anderson: No.

Question:: Have you given any thought about going back and doing stage work?
Gillian Anderson: Very much.
Gillian Anderson: I was considering doing different pieces over the summer, and have been looking for the right project, and will eventually --- probably either in New York or London.

Question:: Wow! You go girl! You're so talented..the first woman to write and direct an episode of The X-Files.
Gillian Anderson: Thank you. :)

Question:: Are we going to see a different side of Scully in this week episode?
Gillian Anderson: Yes, we are.
Gillian Anderson: And I think it may shift things slightly for future episodes as well.

Question:: At the NY xfiles expo two years ago, you said you would feel weird directing David Duchovny in an episode. When you actually did it, was it as strange as you thought?
Gillian Anderson: It wasn't THAT strange.
Gillian Anderson: I didn't write him in very much of the episode so it wouldn't be too strange.
Gillian Anderson: But he was very acquiesent.

Question:: We're all in love with Scully's knee-length fitted black jacket! Can you tell me who the maker is?
Gillian Anderson: She has a few, and I couldn't tell you any of them.
Gillian Anderson: I think that Thari is one of them.
Gillian Anderson: The others... I couldn't tell you.

Question:: Do you plan on doing any more animation films; you did an excellent job in Princess Mononoke
Gillian Anderson: Thank you, and I would love to.
Gillian Anderson: It would depend on the project.

Question:: What is it like to know that you are the first women on XF to do this, I know what if feels like to be in a boys club, I played football my Sr. year of high school. I just wonder what it felt like to you?
Gillian Anderson: I've been in the middle of a very powerful boys club for the past seven years,
Gillian Anderson: and have gotten used to it... as much as anyone can.
Gillian Anderson: I actually found everyone, especially the men, to be incredibly supportive, gentle
Gillian Anderson: and agreeable from the moment we started working on this together.
Gillian Anderson: And the crew was just phenomenal.
Gillian Anderson: And at no time did anyone ever roll their eyes... which was great.
Gillian Anderson: And they all did exactly what I said! LOL

Question:: I would like to know what your dream role is--any character from any play or piece of literature that you could choose.
Gillian Anderson: I have many.
Gillian Anderson: I love some of the contemporary female roles that have been written in films.
Gillian Anderson: I loved all the characters in American Beauty and Shakespeare in Love and Magnolia.
Gillian Anderson: Historically, I'd love to do Lady MacBeth.
Gillian Anderson: I love to do Hedda Gabler.
Gillian Anderson: And eventually, I'd love to do Blanche.

Question:: is most of this script your own words or did you conference a lot with Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter to get the right feel for the dialogue?

Question:: I imagine that you wrote most of the dialogue since you know Scully so well.
Gillian Anderson: I wrote most of it.
Gillian Anderson: And then the next step was to go through it with Frank and determine which order of scenes was most effective and what the right tone for each of the scenes.
Gillian Anderson: And then I went back and I rewrote, and we kept going through that process for a while.
Gillian Anderson: Brainstorming and me re-shifting.
Gillian Anderson: Then Chris stepped in and rewrote.
Gillian Anderson: Then, I went back and tried to get it back to my original idea... :)
Gillian Anderson: Which worked. :)
Gillian Anderson: A lot of it was a matter of lack of time I had after a certain point.
Gillian Anderson: So, once and a while there were short scenes that we would both write, then come
Gillian Anderson: together and hash out the best version.
Gillian Anderson: This was way at the end, when there were a couple of weaker scenes that needed
Gillian Anderson: some fixing.
Gillian Anderson: Then, Chris actually wrote the final scene, because we'd left it up to the last moment.
Gillian Anderson: And I was already in prep and didn't have time.

Question:: Gillian - Do you plan to do more projects involving writing and directing in the future?
Gillian Anderson: I would love to.
Gillian Anderson: I"m not sure what form that will take... whether it will be from scratch, or adapting a novel, or directing someone else's script.
Gillian Anderson: But, I would love to do more of it.

Question:: Can you give us any hints as to whether or not this will be the last season? ~Mystic
Gillian Anderson: If I knew... I'd give you a hint. :)

Question:: Gillian, when you began directing all things, did you discover that you had learned alot from watching the Directors on your show for the past seven years? Heidi from Phoenix
Gillian Anderson: Yes.
Gillian Anderson: I was very nervous that I didn't know anything, until I started to work out my shot list
Gillian Anderson: and I realized that I knew a lot more than I thought I knew.

Question:: Did you enjoy working with your sister on the episode Christmas Carol?
Gillian Anderson: Yeah... I did. :)
Gillian Anderson: She just visited... actually they just left yesterday, and I was thinking about that.
Gillian Anderson: It was fun, and I think she did a great job. I think it was exciting for her at the time.

Question:: What is your favorite Hobbie?
Gillian Anderson: I think the only hobby I have, and it's one that I've started since January, is riding.

Question:: What has been you're favorite episode thus far this season?
Gillian Anderson: That's a good question.
Gillian Anderson: I've actually missed the last six episodes, and it's the first time I've ever missed some.
Gillian Anderson: But, with the whole writing and editing and such, there just wasn't time.
Gillian Anderson: In fact... I'm not sure I can remember what we shot this year... LOL

Question:: Gillian, your the best!! Thanx for bringing one of my role models to life every week! I'm so glad your writing an episode..My question is when did you find the time to write?
Gillian Anderson: I have no idea... :)
Gillian Anderson: I wrote in between scenes in my trailer.
Gillian Anderson: I wrote a little bit on weekends, as much as I could.
Gillian Anderson: And as much over Christmas as I could.

Question:: We will lobby Lucas for you! Gillian for Jedi! What type of music do you like?
Gillian Anderson: I've been listening to a lot of soundtracks lately.
Gillian Anderson: I like the Magnolia soundtrack, and one for The Hurricane.
Gillian Anderson: And I'm listening to Annie Lennox's new album. And Moby.
Gillian Anderson: In fact, I use one of his tracks in my episode.
Gillian Anderson: And Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Gillian Anderson: And this album called Ron Rocco.... guitar music.
Gillian Anderson: I like a lot of world music.

Question:: In the show filmed like "cops", was alot of that improv? It seemed that is was hard for you to keep a straight face at times (or was David trying to crack you up?). How much artistic license do they allow you?
Gillian Anderson: I don't think it was trying to keep a straight face or cracking up.
Gillian Anderson: It was just so intense and nothing like what we'd done before. And everything was reacting in the moment on a whole new level than what we're used to that there may have been a feeling that we were flying by the seat of our pants.
Gillian Anderson: Because we were. :)

Question:: Have you had the opportunity to work with real F.B.I. agents, as tech advisors for your show?
Gillian Anderson: Technical advisors we work with when there's specific medical procedures that
Gillian Anderson: we need to adhere to.

Question:: Is there one material item that you can't live without?
Gillian Anderson: My daughter. I'd say she's material... LOL

Question:: Are you nervous about what the public's reaction will be to your directing debut?
Gillian Anderson: No.
Gillian Anderson: I made this episode for myself, for many reasons.
Gillian Anderson: To see if I could do it, and as a vehicle to express some philosophies that I
Gillian Anderson: believe in.
Gillian Anderson: I've done the work... and I've let it go.

Question:: Can fans expect a second X-Files movie?
Gillian Anderson: Most likely.
Gillian Anderson: Almost certainly.

Question:: WOuld you say you are more skeptical or less skeptical than Scully at this point in the show?
Gillian Anderson: I've always been much less skeptical.

Question:: When did you get your DGA card?
Gillian Anderson: I'm qualified now. I applied for it as of this episode. TVGLive3: Thanks for chatting with us tonight Gillian.
Gillian Anderson: Thanks everybody for coming.
Gillian Anderson: I hope that you enjoy the show.
Gillian Anderson: I want to remind everyone that througout the month of May on the Gillian Anderson website is an auction of X-Files memoribilia.
Gillian Anderson: The proceeds of which will go towards NF Inc.
Gillian Anderson: Thank you!

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