Movies - TV
The X-Files' Dana Scully Is A Direct Homage To Another Classic FBI Character
By CHRISTIAN GAINEY
When “The X-Files” aired in 1993, Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully stood out amongst the other TV female characters at the time whose everyday life was often depicted as that of a partner and mother. In an interview, series creator Chris Carter hinted that Scully was inspired by a ‘90s character that also broke traditional female roles in movies – Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Carter stated that it was not a coincidence that FBI Special Agent Scully had red hair like FBI trainee Starling. While he didn’t explain further, it’s easy to see the similarities between the two characters as they were both trying to prove themselves and thrive in a male-dominated career, were ambitious, competitive, and did not shy away from danger.
Starling and Scully also knew how to put on a brave front and hide their vulnerabilities. Starling cried after meeting Hannibal Lecter, but she did it when she was not in his presence while Scully showed the same kind of emotional control around psychopaths like Donnie Pfaster and Dwayne Barry.