Gillian Anderson Speaks Out on Hollywood Pay Gap and Unequal Salaries With Male Co-Stars

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Gillian Anderson recently discussed the ongoing issue of unequal pay in Hollywood, revealing she still earns less than her male colleagues. The 57-year-old actress, known for her roles in The X-Files and Sex Education, shared on Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show that she was recently offered a significantly lower salary than a male costar.

Looking back on her long career, Anderson admitted she used to avoid being a strong voice for change. After years of speaking out about issues like the gender pay gap, she felt like she was repeating herself. As she explained, talking about equal pay and the positive impact of her character, Scully, started to feel stale. However, when she personally received a discriminatory job offer, her perspective changed. She realized she needed to continue speaking up, because the problem was clearly still prevalent.

I’ve always admired Gillian Anderson’s strength, especially considering what she’s faced throughout her career with The X-Files. I remember hearing about how, back in the 90s when the show started, the studio actually made her stand behind David Duchovny in every scene! It was a clear message that they didn’t see her character as equal. She joked about it once, saying it was like the audience couldn’t handle seeing her and David walk side-by-side. And incredibly, even when the show was brought back in 2016, she still had to fight to get paid the same amount as her male co-star – they initially offered her half his salary! It’s frustrating, but she always stood her ground.

In addition to her ongoing activism, actress and writer Natasha Lyonne continues to be incredibly productive. She’s about to appear in her first horror film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, a slasher directed by Jane Schoenbrun, which comes out August 7th. She plays a secretive actress who becomes dangerously fixated on a young filmmaker, alongside Hannah Einbinder.

Beyond acting, Lyonne is expanding her work as a creator and businesswoman. She recently announced More, a follow-up to her book Want, which will be published in September. More features personal letters from women around the world. She also runs G Spot, a brand of functional drinks designed to promote wellness and mental clarity.

Lyonne’s production company, Fiddlehead Productions, has a deal with Netflix to develop new projects. She’s expressed that she’s finding more fulfillment in using her platform to speak out on issues she cares about. Through her writing, activism, and diverse acting roles, she remains a powerful and outspoken figure in the entertainment industry.

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2026-03-06 14:15