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Special Agent Scully: The Gillian Anderson Files
Traces the life and career of the popular X-Files star and discusses behind-the-scenes details of the show and the actress's future endeavors.
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 1997
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April 4, 2026
I *just* rediscovered this book that I got (was probably gifted) over twenty years ago. What a delightful find! This is a very quick read. From the language you can certainly tell that the author, Malcolm Butt, is British. Seeing as how this book was published in 1997 and it is currently (checks notes) 2026, I wasn't expecting to find some groundbreaking new information about my favorite TV show, The X-Files. Rather, I read this for the nostalgia, and Special Agent Scully did not disappoint in that respect.
There are a couple of minor grammatical errors, but that's to be expected with every book out there. While I love reading about the show, and about Dana Scully, it feels invasive to read details about Gillian Anderson's life. The author acknowledges both the issue with fans, some of who took on a dangerously obsessive interest in Gillian Anderson/Dana Scully and failed to distinguish the actress from the character, and the issue with Gillian Anderson herself, who was both thrilled with the fame and yet afraid of this burgeoning monster that meant forever losing her anonymity.
Reading that part of the book, about how Gillian felt that the fame was getting to be too much and she's actually a very private person in real life, it reminded me so much of Britney Spears went through in the height of her fame and how she felt so trapped. I'm sure this is the case with most celebrities, unfortunately, that the fame quickly gets to be too much and there's no way to reign it back in.
Although now, speaking from the future in terms of the book, Gillian Anderson has gone on to be successful in many varied roles, she will always be best known as Dana Scully. I'm thinking about how I recently got to meet Gillian Anderson at a convention and, while I acknowledged that we shouldn't idolize celebrities, that is exactly what I took part in. I cosplayed as Dana Scully and I got a photo and two autographs with Gillian Anderson. I know she must be eternally grateful for that role in catapulting her into success, but I'm sure she must be exhausted at having to constantly re-hash this character.
There are a couple of minor grammatical errors, but that's to be expected with every book out there. While I love reading about the show, and about Dana Scully, it feels invasive to read details about Gillian Anderson's life. The author acknowledges both the issue with fans, some of who took on a dangerously obsessive interest in Gillian Anderson/Dana Scully and failed to distinguish the actress from the character, and the issue with Gillian Anderson herself, who was both thrilled with the fame and yet afraid of this burgeoning monster that meant forever losing her anonymity.
Reading that part of the book, about how Gillian felt that the fame was getting to be too much and she's actually a very private person in real life, it reminded me so much of Britney Spears went through in the height of her fame and how she felt so trapped. I'm sure this is the case with most celebrities, unfortunately, that the fame quickly gets to be too much and there's no way to reign it back in.
Although now, speaking from the future in terms of the book, Gillian Anderson has gone on to be successful in many varied roles, she will always be best known as Dana Scully. I'm thinking about how I recently got to meet Gillian Anderson at a convention and, while I acknowledged that we shouldn't idolize celebrities, that is exactly what I took part in. I cosplayed as Dana Scully and I got a photo and two autographs with Gillian Anderson. I know she must be eternally grateful for that role in catapulting her into success, but I'm sure she must be exhausted at having to constantly re-hash this character.
Displaying 1 of 1 review