Gillian Anderson Tries to Explain Why She Kissed David Duchovny Before Her Boyfriend at 1997 Emmys

Mar. 15, 2025

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny attend the premiere of Fox’s “The X-Files” at California Science Center on January 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Kevin Winter/GettyGillian Andersonis clearing the air about her kiss withDavid Duchovnyat the 1997Emmys.The actress, 55, addressed the moment in which she andherX-Filescostar, 63, shared a kiss before she turned to then-boyfriend Rodney Rowland for a smooch after winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nearly three decades ago.“OK so I’ve been told that you guys want some information about when I won the [Emmy] back about a century ago and I kissed David first and why did I not kiss my boyfriend Rodney,” she shared in anInstagram video.“The fact is that David and I were actually living together and Rodney was my beard,” she teased before quickly clarifying, “I’m joking, that’s just a joke. Is that really mean?”Anderson noted that she and Duchovny shared a tight bond after starring on the sci-fi series, which ran for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002. It returned for a tenth season in 2016 and an eleventh in 2018.From left: Actress Gillian Anderson and actor David Duchovny attend the 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 8, 1996 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty“I don’t know why I kissed him first,” she shared. “I guess because he was on the show with me and we were practically married because we spent more time with each other than we did with our loved ones. We were there to celebrate the series and so yeah. Maybe? Maybe that’s what it was?”The actress — who starred as Dana Scully on the Fox series — shared that Rowland was “a great guy,” adding, “[I] don’t think it bothered him. He understood. It was complex.”From left: Actor Rodney Rowland and actress Gillian Anderson attend the 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 1997 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via GettyWhile the costars were never romantically involved off-screen, Duchovny told PEOPLE in June that he and Anderson had an instant connection during their auditions forThe X-Files.“I think immediately, when we were reading together on the stairs to go in to audition, we knew that we could work together,” he shared. “There was an immediate connection through the work that we could do, and that lasted for a long, long time.”To the delight of their fans, Duchovny and Anderson have remained good friends over the years. In 2021, the twocaught up in over lunchand shared a selfie onInstagramthat went viral.“I was having lunch with [Gillian], and as I was leaving she was like, ‘Let’s take a photo,'” Duchovny told PEOPLE In 2021. “I was told there was a big reaction to it! I never get that stuff, but it’s really cool that people are interested after all these years.“From left: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on “The X-Files”.Fox/LiaisonNow, more than 30 years afterThe X-Filesdebuted, Duchovny understands why his friendship with Anderson has endured for as long as it has.“When you share a seminal kind of experience in your life — this huge success with the show that we had — only we know what it’s like to be in the center of that,” he explained. “It’s almost like being in the same family. We know what it was like to be raised in that time. There’s a certain kind of shared experience, knowledge, and past that never goes away.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.All 11 seasons ofThe X-Filesare available to stream on Hulu.

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny attend the premiere of Fox’s “The X-Files” at California Science Center on January 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

Gillian Andersonis clearing the air about her kiss withDavid Duchovnyat the 1997Emmys.The actress, 55, addressed the moment in which she andherX-Filescostar, 63, shared a kiss before she turned to then-boyfriend Rodney Rowland for a smooch after winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nearly three decades ago.“OK so I’ve been told that you guys want some information about when I won the [Emmy] back about a century ago and I kissed David first and why did I not kiss my boyfriend Rodney,” she shared in anInstagram video.“The fact is that David and I were actually living together and Rodney was my beard,” she teased before quickly clarifying, “I’m joking, that’s just a joke. Is that really mean?”Anderson noted that she and Duchovny shared a tight bond after starring on the sci-fi series, which ran for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002. It returned for a tenth season in 2016 and an eleventh in 2018.From left: Actress Gillian Anderson and actor David Duchovny attend the 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 8, 1996 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty“I don’t know why I kissed him first,” she shared. “I guess because he was on the show with me and we were practically married because we spent more time with each other than we did with our loved ones. We were there to celebrate the series and so yeah. Maybe? Maybe that’s what it was?”The actress — who starred as Dana Scully on the Fox series — shared that Rowland was “a great guy,” adding, “[I] don’t think it bothered him. He understood. It was complex.”From left: Actor Rodney Rowland and actress Gillian Anderson attend the 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 1997 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via GettyWhile the costars were never romantically involved off-screen, Duchovny told PEOPLE in June that he and Anderson had an instant connection during their auditions forThe X-Files.“I think immediately, when we were reading together on the stairs to go in to audition, we knew that we could work together,” he shared. “There was an immediate connection through the work that we could do, and that lasted for a long, long time.”To the delight of their fans, Duchovny and Anderson have remained good friends over the years. In 2021, the twocaught up in over lunchand shared a selfie onInstagramthat went viral.“I was having lunch with [Gillian], and as I was leaving she was like, ‘Let’s take a photo,'” Duchovny told PEOPLE In 2021. “I was told there was a big reaction to it! I never get that stuff, but it’s really cool that people are interested after all these years.“From left: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on “The X-Files”.Fox/LiaisonNow, more than 30 years afterThe X-Filesdebuted, Duchovny understands why his friendship with Anderson has endured for as long as it has.“When you share a seminal kind of experience in your life — this huge success with the show that we had — only we know what it’s like to be in the center of that,” he explained. “It’s almost like being in the same family. We know what it was like to be raised in that time. There’s a certain kind of shared experience, knowledge, and past that never goes away.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.All 11 seasons ofThe X-Filesare available to stream on Hulu.

Gillian Andersonis clearing the air about her kiss withDavid Duchovnyat the 1997Emmys.

The actress, 55, addressed the moment in which she andherX-Filescostar, 63, shared a kiss before she turned to then-boyfriend Rodney Rowland for a smooch after winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nearly three decades ago.

“OK so I’ve been told that you guys want some information about when I won the [Emmy] back about a century ago and I kissed David first and why did I not kiss my boyfriend Rodney,” she shared in anInstagram video.

“The fact is that David and I were actually living together and Rodney was my beard,” she teased before quickly clarifying, “I’m joking, that’s just a joke. Is that really mean?”

Anderson noted that she and Duchovny shared a tight bond after starring on the sci-fi series, which ran for nine seasons from 1993 to 2002. It returned for a tenth season in 2016 and an eleventh in 2018.

From left: Actress Gillian Anderson and actor David Duchovny attend the 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 8, 1996 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

“I don’t know why I kissed him first,” she shared. “I guess because he was on the show with me and we were practically married because we spent more time with each other than we did with our loved ones. We were there to celebrate the series and so yeah. Maybe? Maybe that’s what it was?”

The actress — who starred as Dana Scully on the Fox series — shared that Rowland was “a great guy,” adding, “[I] don’t think it bothered him. He understood. It was complex.”

From left: Actor Rodney Rowland and actress Gillian Anderson attend the 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 1997 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

While the costars were never romantically involved off-screen, Duchovny told PEOPLE in June that he and Anderson had an instant connection during their auditions forThe X-Files.

“I think immediately, when we were reading together on the stairs to go in to audition, we knew that we could work together,” he shared. “There was an immediate connection through the work that we could do, and that lasted for a long, long time.”

To the delight of their fans, Duchovny and Anderson have remained good friends over the years. In 2021, the twocaught up in over lunchand shared a selfie onInstagramthat went viral.

“I was having lunch with [Gillian], and as I was leaving she was like, ‘Let’s take a photo,'” Duchovny told PEOPLE In 2021. “I was told there was a big reaction to it! I never get that stuff, but it’s really cool that people are interested after all these years.”

From left: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on “The X-Files”.Fox/Liaison

Fox/Liaison

Now, more than 30 years afterThe X-Filesdebuted, Duchovny understands why his friendship with Anderson has endured for as long as it has.

“When you share a seminal kind of experience in your life — this huge success with the show that we had — only we know what it’s like to be in the center of that,” he explained. “It’s almost like being in the same family. We know what it was like to be raised in that time. There’s a certain kind of shared experience, knowledge, and past that never goes away.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

All 11 seasons ofThe X-Filesare available to stream on Hulu.

source: people.com