The X-Files Cost Gillian Anderson A Major Movie Role For The Dumbest Reason
Gillian Anderson became a world-famous star and a household name thanks to her role on The X-Files as FBI Agent Dana Scully, but as the show was starting to come to a close and David Duchovny was making plans to leave, she started branching out into other roles. One movie in particular could have sent her career to a whole new level, and that’s when she was up for the role of FBI Agent Clarice Starling in the 2001 film Hannibal.
That never happened, and Anderson never had a chance because of a strange clause in her contract with Fox.
Unable To Play An FBI Agent
The role of Clarice Starling helped catapult Jodie Foster to stardom in Silence of the Lambs, but when she stepped away from the sequel, almost every woman in Hollywood tried out for the role in Hannibal. Helen Hunt, Hilary Swank, Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, and Gwyneth Paltrow all reportedly tried, though the role turned into a career-making one for Julianne Moore instead. What stopped Gillian Anderson was her contract, which stipulated she could only play an FBI Agent on The X-Files while the show was airing.
An Iron-Clad Contract
It wasn’t just Gillian Anderson, either, as David Duchovny’s contract also stipulated that he couldn’t play an FBI Agent while starring in The X-Files. These clauses are common but always frustrating, and while the audience would be smart enough to realize that Anderson isn’t playing Scully opposite Anthony Hopkins‘ cannibalistic serial killer, it’s similar to how companies need to protect their trademarks. There’s some irony to this particular role, however, as Clarice Starling was the blueprint for Dana Scully.
Clarice Was The Proto-Scully
Speaking to Smithsonian Magazine in 2008, after the series had wrapped, Chris Carter said, “Silence of the Lambs was an inspiration. It’s not a mistake that Dana Scully has red hair like Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.” While it would have been a full-circle moment for Gillian Anderson to then play the inspiration of her The X-Files character, it’s also easy to see that, yes, the potential for confusion would have been quite high.
While Hannibal went on to be a hit film, it was also lambasted by critics, so Anderson missing out may have been a good thing, but she also was able to, eventually, work herself into the serial killer franchise.
Joining The Hannibal Franchise Later
Bryan Fuller brought his touch of gorgeous macabre cinematography to the television series Hannibal, which may have never been a ratings hit but is a cult classic and a favorite among critics. Gillian Anderson, long freed from her contract for The X-Files, joined the series as an occasional guest star and became a regular in the third season. Anderson played Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, Hannibal Lecter’s therapist, a job that placed her character in a very dangerous position.
Hannibal Played To Anderson’s Strengths
Starring Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, Hannibal was far removed from the film Gillian Anderson couldn’t join because of The X-Files, and in fact, the series took a lot from the one that made her a star. With an emphasis on interpersonal conflict and tense dialogue, the underrated serial killer series echoed the best seasons of the sci-fi conspiracy-filled show.
Even though Gillian Anderson’s contract with The X-Files prevented her from appearing on the big screen as Clarice Starling, she ended up with a far more compelling and interesting role in Hannibal, the series.
