A Streetcar Named Desire and Gillian Anderson’s top 10 performances so far
10. The X-Files (1993)
Original release date: The X-Files premiered on FOX on Sep. 10, 1993.
Ratings: The series pulled in anywhere from 12 to well over 20 million viewers, depending on the season and episode. The X-Files Season 6, which aired in the 1998-1999 TV year, “was Fox’s highest-rated show, averaging 15.2 million viewers a week” per The Los Angeles Times.
It was popular enough to continue through the end of a ninth season, be given two featured films (The X-Files: Fight the Future, which aired between Season 5 and Season 6, and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which came after the original series ended). And then, there was even a revival, the first episode of which kind of destroyed modern-day ratings, to put it lightly.
What we’re saying here is The X-Files did very, very well in its day and continues to be viewed by many, thanks to its availability on streaming services.
Critical acclaim: The X-Files was nominated for multiple Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globe awards. Gillian Anderson won back-to-back (1995 and 1996) Screen Actors Guild Awards, the 1996 Golden Globe, and the 1997 Emmy. That’s to say nothing of all the many, many additional nominations she received.
About the role: Gillian Anderson played Agent Scully, who was the skeptic to David Duchovny’s believer, Fox Mulder. Agents Mulder and Scully worked for the FBI; but instead of investigating your run-of-the-mill cases, they got wrapped up in anything leaning toward the paranormal. That, of course, over-simplifies both the amazing relationship between the two characters and the massive government conspiracy they uncovered. But anybody who knows doesn’t really need it explained to them…and anyone who doesn’t should be able to experience the journey on their own.
Why it’s the best: One of the best things about watching Gillian Anderson on The X-Files is actually seeing her grow with the role. Somewhere around Scully’s cancer arc, her true ability to devastate an audience came to light; and when, in later seasons, she had to basically carry the entire series on her shoulders, she succeeded as only one of the greats can. Even before then, in earlier episodes, it was easy to see that Anderson was someone to watch out for.
But for as angsty and dramatic as The X-Files was at times, it also gave the actress what would (unfortunately) become one of the rare chances to see her as a comedienne. Anderson’s professed favorite episode, “Bad Blood,” is the perfect example of that. But even in places where the story was intended to be more serious, she could easily switch to a funny tone with a sarcastic quip before turning the drama right back on. That, more than anything else, makes this early and long-running success among Gillian Anderson’s top 10 performances.