90s television was the home to many shows that have been able to stand the test of time and maintain large followings. Shows like Seinfeld, Friends, and more have all been able to outlast many of their contemporaries. It was during that same decade that The X-Files made a large impact on home audiences.
Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files was a brilliant show that tapped into the weird and the wonderful each week. Gillian Anderson did quite well for herself in the financial department, but over time, fans have learned that Anderson had to fight tooth and nail just to get equal pay while on the show, leading many to feel that she was underpaid.
Let's take a closer look at Anderson's pay for The X-Files.
'The X-Files' Is A Classic Series
Back in 1993, The X-Files made its debut on television, and it offered something unique for fans of the small screen to enjoy. Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, the X-Files was a smashing success that ran for over 200 episodes during the 90s and 2000s.
The chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson was off the charts on the series, and this was something that didn't need time to develop. Even early on when they first met, there was a ton of natural chemistry that wound up being evident during their years together on the small screen.
"The chemistry was there from the first day they ever appeared together in [Mulder’s] office. It was not apparent until that first day that these two people were gonna click. The chemistry you can’t manufacture. It was just total luck," said creator Chris Carter.
Naturally, a show as popular as The X-Files will pay its biggest stars a ton of money per episode, and this was certainly the case here. However, as time has gone on, a number of details have emerged about the actors' pay, including Gillian Anderson being underpaid during her time on the show.
Gillian Anderson Made Bank, But Was Underpaid
In the early years of the show, The Daily Beast reports that Anderson was making less than Duchovny was. Not only that, but Anderson herself revealed that she was told not to walk side-by-side with Duchovny on camera, being forced to trail a few steps behind him.
This is shocking to hear, and the gap in pay is something that irked Anderson, who, as she said, was not getting "equal pay for equal work."
Ultimately, Anderson would be able to close the pay gap on the show, eventually matching the money that Duchovny was making. Given the show's popularity, it's easy to imagine the type of money that these two were making, especially with the show's popularity in the syndication game.
For the X-Files film, it has been reported that Anderson took home a whopping $4 million for her performance. This was a solid salary that took her net worth to another level. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gillian Anderon's net worth currently stands at a solid $40 million, a lot of which has come from The X-Files.
When the show was coming back in 2016, most fans assumed that equal pay was on the table, but as Anderson revealed this was not the case.
She Was Offered Half Pay For The Comeback Show
The comeback that the series made in 2016 was huge news, and fans could not wait to see what Mulder and Scully had been up to. One thing fans were surprised to see, however, was the Anderson was not offered equal pay once again.
When talking about this, Anderson said, "Especially in this climate of women talking about the reality of [unequal pay] in this business, I think it’s important that it [the pay gap] gets heard and voiced. It was shocking to me, given all the work that I had done in the past to get us to be paid fairly. I worked really hard toward that and finally got somewhere with it."
Thankfully, Anderson was able to stand her ground and negotiate equal pay for the comeback series. It has been reported that both performers made $240,000 per episode of the revival. A lot has been made about the pay gap in Hollywood, and Anderson being offered half of Duchovny's pay, despite them both being the leads on the show, is pretty insulting.
Gillian Anderson was definitely underpaid during her initial years on The X-Files, and it is saddening to hear that she had to fight for equal pay multiple times through the years.