David Duchovny apologizes to 'X-Files' co-star Gillian Anderson for strained relationship during show
David Duchovny is burying the hatchet with his "X-Files" co-star Gillian Anderson.
Duchovny and Anderson made amends during the Tuesday episode of Duchovny's podcast, "Fail Better with David Duchovny," speaking about their strained relationship during their days on the hit Fox television show.
"The part of this conversation that is the trickiest part for me is, I guess, I would talk about my failure of friendship or my failure of companionship or just co-starring," Duchovny said to Anderson.
"There was a long time, working on the show, where we were just not even dealing with one another off camera," he continued, adding that, for the most part, the audience had no idea.
The pair, who are now friends, weren't close during the shooting of "The X-Files," Duchovny said, and for that, he apologized.
"There was a lot of tension, which didn't matter apparently for the work," he said, adding, "I guess that we could just go out there and do what we needed to do."
Anderson agreed.
"It's crazy that we were able to present on camera the various feelings and emotions and attraction and all that kind of stuff, but then not speak to each other for weeks at a time," she said.
Duchovny added that the two "missed a chance" at a friendship earlier on.
"We missed a chance ... because you're the only person that knows what I was going through, and I'm the only person that knows what you're going through, and we didn't make use of that."
He concluded, "It's nice for me to be able to say 'I'm sorry' or 'I regret' or 'I could have done better.' Because once that's out, all that's left is gratitude and that's the best place to be."
The pair also discussed the twists and turns of the "X-Files" plot, the nuances behind each of their characters, lessons they each learned from parenting, Anderson's new book "Want" and more.
"The X-Files" ran for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002 and starred Duchovny and Anderson as FBI agents investigating secret supernatural activity.
The show returned in January 2016 for a short six-episode 10th season and in January 2018 for a 10-episode 11th season. The series also spawned two films, "The X-Files" in 1998 and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" in 2008.
