David Duchovny & Gillian Anderson Reunite at SAG Awards—Fans React
‘The X-Files’ Stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson Reunite at SAG Awards, Sparking Discussion
Netizens thought Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny’s on-stage appearance was strange when they reunited at the SAGs, despite their strong friendship when co-starring on “The X-Files” years prior.
Two legendary former co-stars returned to the stage for the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards in 2025. In the 1990s, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson worked together on the popular science fiction program “The X-Files.”
Anderson played Dana Scully, and Duchovny played Fox Mulder. These were two unique FBI agents that looked into odd, unexplained, and unsolved crimes while secret powers attempted to thwart their investigations.
Because Scully, the skeptic, favored a more scientific approach, and Duchovny’s character believed in the paranormal, the two characters frequently battled. The program ran from 1993 to 2018 and won 16 Primetime Emmy Awards in addition to many other honors.
Anderson and Duchovny were among the other presenters the SAG Awards revealed on their website before to the event. The two were booked by longtime SAG Awards Talent Producers Joey Petrovich, Sarah Cowperthwaite, and Maggie Barrett Caulfield.
Ariana Grande, Ayo Edebiri, Bowen Yang, Colin Farrell, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Drew Starkey, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Fran Drescher, and more celebrities were also signed by the talent producers.
The two exchanged a discussion as part of their performance on February 23, when they took the stage to present the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Duchovny turned to Anderson after a thunderous round of applause, saying, “It’s great to see you, Gillian, you look, uh…”
The actress finished his statement with the amusing comment, “…Younger than you last saw me when we shot 218 episodes?” With much enthusiasm, her former co-star said, “Yes, that’s exactly right, yes.” Then Duchovny asked her what she considered to be a good drama.
“Oh, there’s really only one thing,” she said in response. It’s something unique. She dragged it out and clarified that it couldn’t be purchased or imitated, and her ex-co-star concurred. “Timing,” Duchovny surmised, while Anderson wondered if it was “chemistry.”
When the actress answered that her ex-co-star still had “chemistry,” he stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, “Yeah,” before she dubbed him “hilarious.” At the end of their skit, Anderson joked, “We did that so well.”
In order to “get out of here as soon as we can,” Duchovny then made the amusing suggestion that they make the category winner known as soon as possible. But first, they made the nominees public.
Anderson posted a picture and a video of her stunning black-and-white, strapless Carolina Herrera gown to Instagram with the message, “we [sic] still got it! 🤪 @davidduchovny.” She also posted a video of them talking about their skit script with the teleprompters backstage.
The actress also disclosed that she was styled by Martha Ward, had her hair done by Ian James, and had her makeup done by Kate Lee. Her jewelry was made by Martin Katz Jewels. She was photographed posing with other guests in the post as well.
Duchovny also shared pictures of himself, Anderson, and other celebrities at the occasion. In his post’s description, he wrote, “[I] had a great time at the @sagawards with @gilliana and friends.”
Fans should have felt nostalgic when the two reunited, but some were more scathing of their exchange. In response to a TikTok user who claimed that Anderson and Duchovny had the best chemistry on “The X-Files,” another user wrote, “I [sic] don’t see chemistry now.” Another internet user asked, “This was weird, no? [sic] Haha.
“Their bit was so weird,” said an Instagram user who wasn’t happy with their engagement. She was obviously having trouble. “That was painful to watch,” said another reviewer. For what reason do they appear to be there for a root canal? A little cheering up, huh? another person said, “It felt awkward.”
Another individual pointed to Duchovny and remarked, “He seems lost.” Another said, “They’re always such a disaster,” mentioning both actors, and another said, “This looked.. Painful..”
One user chuckled and commented, “Wow,” after seeing a photo of the two celebrities posing together at the event. They don’t appear to be happy. Not at all. Another Instagram user expressed disapproval of the exchange, saying, “Horrible, just read the prompter.”
Duchovny asked Anderson to listen to his “Fail Better with David Duchovny” Spotify podcast in November 2024. The host of the episode mentioned that there was a time when they collaborated on “The X-Files” without interacting off-camera due to a lot of conflict.
Anderson concurred and thought it was absurd that they could continue to act appropriately on TV while going weeks without speaking. Although her ex-costar thought it was strange, she surmised that it might have benefited them because they could record their interactions for the camera.
He did acknowledge, though, that “I could’ve handled myself better.” As they navigated celebrity while working on a globally recognized show, he ascribed their estrangement to their inexperience at the beginning of the project.
She was in her 20s and he was in his 30s at the time, and the play completely upended their world. In a 2014 interview, years before they reunited on the podcast, Anderson talked candidly about their friendship.
She and Duchovny reconnected during the San Diego and New York Comic-Con events the previous year, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of “The X-Files,” and they also took part in a Reddit panel. Rumor had it that the two were romantically involved at the time.
The actress denied the claims, stating that they never dated and that while it was a “nice idea,” “It’s not gonna happen.” They wouldn’t date because they knew each other too well, she said, adding, “I think we probably know each other better than we know our spouses at any time that we might have had spouses.”
Although there might have been some attraction, Anderson acknowledged that it would not last. During her appearance on “Larry King Now,” two years later, she disclosed that her relationship with Duchovny was “complicated” because they were together all the time for nine months out of the year for seven years.
She acknowledged that there were ups and downs on site and that they both occasionally felt the strain of having such a tight working connection. She did, however, restate that they never went out to eat or spent time together outside of work.
Over the years, questions have been raised about their relationship, and in 2024, the actress created a video after realizing that people were curious about why, when she won a Golden Globe in 1997, she kissed Duchovny first rather than her then-boyfriend, actor Rodney Rowland.
The celebrity joked that she and Duchovny were living together at the time and that Rowland “was my beard.” Then, quite seriously, Gillian Anderson admitted that she had no idea why she had kissed him first, speculating that it might have been because they were practically married while on the program.
She added that compared to her loved ones, she and her former co-star spent more time together. According to the actress, Rowland was a wonderful man, and she didn’t believe it bothered him. Having determined that her ex-boyfriend understood, she went on to say, “It was complex.”
There may have been conflicting emotions to their reunion at the SAG Awards, underscoring the deep fondness for their classic roles. Decades after their “X-Files” days, their relationship still enthralls audiences, whether it is embarrassing or funny.
