Gillian Anderson Calls Out Hollywood for Paying Her Less Than Male Co-Stars

Gillian Anderson has opened up about the ongoing pay gap in Hollywood, revealing that she still faces big differences in pay compared to male co-stars. The 57-year-old actress, known for her roles as Dana Scully in The X-Files and Jean Milburn in Sex Education, spoke to Josh Smith on Great Chat Show about a recent experience where she was offered a salary that was a huge percentage less than that of a male co-star.

Reflecting on her long career, Anderson admitted that she used to shy away from being vocal about pay equality. “I felt like after a while talking about equal pay, talking about the Scully effect… it felt like old news to me at a certain point,” she said. But after receiving a discriminatory offer, she realized, “I need to f**king talk about this because this is still an issue.”

Anderson has been navigating these challenges since the early days of The X-Files in the 1990s. She recalled that in the original seasons, studio executives made her stand several feet behind her co-star David Duchovny in every scene. “Surely the audience couldn’t deal with actually seeing them walk side by side!” she joked.

Even during the 2016 revival of the show, she had to fight for fair pay and discovered she was being offered only half of her male co-star’s salary. Despite these struggles, Anderson has stayed active creatively.

She is making her horror debut in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, directed by Jane Schoenbrun, which hits theaters on August 7. She plays a reclusive actress caught in a dangerous obsession with a young filmmaker, starring alongside Hannah Einbinder.

Beyond acting, Anderson has continued building her brand. She recently announced a follow-up to her book Want, titled More, which shares intimate letters from women around the world and will be published in September. She also runs her functional drinks brand, G Spot, which focuses on adaptogenic and nootropic soft drinks meant to support wellness and brain function.

Anderson’s advocacy extends to production work, too. Through her company, Fiddlehead Productions, she has a first-look deal with Netflix, showing her commitment to telling progressive and diverse stories.

Looking back on her career, Anderson says she is embracing her role as an outspoken advocate. Whether through her writing, activism, or work in film and television, she remains a strong voice in Hollywood for pay equality and other causes she believes in.

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