Star X-File / Gillian Anderson
by Gill Pringle

"Happiness seemed an alien concept to Gillian Anderson after the break-up of her marriage and another disastrous relationship. But now she wants to make human contact"

When Gillian Anderson first arrived on the set of The X-Files she was in her mid-20s, single and broke; a novice actress, she was told to stay a couple of steps behind her more experienced co-star David Duchovny.

Today she is 32, divorced and mother to six-year-old daughter, Piper. She's also a millionaire, an experienced TV actress and a movie star to boot. 'I have processed so much stuff, and I've actually grown up on The X-Files' she says. And with the end finally in sight - Gillian's contracted to appear in a final ninth series next year - she's delighted to talk about her future, having won rave reviews for her performance in the period movie, The House of Mirth.

With her professional career on the up, Gillian is the first to admit that the past few years have been a struggle. It was during The X-Files first season that she found herself pregnant by new husband Clyde Klotz, the show's art director. Two years later, she separated from him. A year-long love affair with actor Rodney Rowlands also fizzled out. 'There were times when I thought my heart was going to stop. I didn't think I could stand any more stress,' she says.

Gillian couldn't look less stressed now though as she sits sipping carrot juice in the luxurious surroundings of The Beverly Hills Hotel while discussing her plans for a future in which ultra-sceptical FBI agent Dana Scully doesn't figure. 'I am very grateful for the success the series has brought me, but there is always a time when enough is enough,' she says.

One reason for Gillian's change of heart is her daughter (pictured, see magazine). Career or no career, Piper is more important than anything else. 'I put my daughter first, always. My wish for her is that she grows up knowing how much she's loved,' Gillian says.

Gillian's keen to protect Piper from the merry-go-round which surrounds celebrities. 'I won't take her to premieres. When she's around, I run in the other direction if I see somebody approaching for an autograph. I just don't want her to witness me being special in any way. 'My hope for her is that she survives, that she comes out strong in this. I mean, what she's had to endure has been a tall order.'

For someone keen to protect her family from the limelight, she is surprisingly candid about her divorce and the subsequent effect it had on Piper. She says: 'She was my main priority throughout my divorce - and Clyde and I have worked hard at being friends, which I think we have achieved. 

'Piper has weathered the storm magnificently. She's a healthy, loving, stable, focused little girl. She understands that Clyde and I live in two separate places and that we aren't married anymore, but that we both love her very much. Piper leads an incredible privileged life, but her father and I try to keep her as grounded in reality as possible,' says Gillian, who insists that her divorce has not altered her perspective on marriage. 'If I ever do marry again, it will not be for some time. It takes a lot out of you when you separate.'

She is, however, gradually easing back into the idea of relationships. 'Already I have time in my life for the right relationship. But what I don't have time for is flings. I don't have time for somebody who's not on a similar path - which is about work and family and honesty. If I could find that kind of relationship, then I'd make time. 'But I'm in a cautious mode now. I'm currently single and enjoying that aspect, but very cautious about my relations with the opposite sex'

Cautious in relationships maybe, but career-wise the future couldn't be brighter. 'I am happier than I have ever been. I'm excited for my future on and off the show, my future as a mom, a director and an actor,' says Gillian. She has accepted a $300,000-per-episode deal to star in the next X-Files series which replaces David Duchovny with Terminator 2 actor Robert Patrick as Scully's new partner.

'It's nice to know I have more outlets in which to explore myself creatively than I originally anticipated. And that's an exciting place to be,' says the actress who's currently in talks to follow Nicole Kidman and Kathleen Turner on to the London stage.

'People can come from nothing and make something of themselves. That was certainly my experience, and it's important for me to share that,' she says.

X-FILES NIGHT / BBC2 / Sunday / THE X-FILES / BBC2 / Wednesday
THE WEB LINK www.fox.com/thexfiles

Source: TVTimes, Typed by Me, and all typed transcripts are my exclusive property