"Gillian Anderson"

Summary

SmartLess Episode Summary: "Gillian Anderson"

Release Date: October 7, 2024
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Gillian Anderson

---

1. Introduction to Gillian Anderson (00:00 - 01:15)

The episode begins with the hosts exchanging light-hearted banter and teasing each other with humorous anecdotes. Shortly after, they enthusiastically introduce their mystery guest, Gillian Anderson, renowned for her iconic roles in television and theater.

---

2. Early Life and Career Beginnings (21:01 - 25:28)

Gillian Anderson delves into her diverse upbringing, highlighting her early years in Chicago, brief stint in Puerto Rico, and significant time spent in London from ages 2 to 11. She recounts how an influential English teacher in Grand Rapids, Michigan, ignited her passion for acting through community theater, specifically mentioning her role in the World War II play, Anda Nightingale Sang.

Notable Quote:

"All of a sudden, something in that inspiration and feeling like suddenly I had a purpose, it kind of shifted everything around."
— Gillian Anderson [25:10]

---

3. The X-Files Experience (08:30 - 17:52)

The conversation shifts to Gillian’s groundbreaking role as Dana Scully in The X-Files. She reflects on the immense impact the show had on her career and personal identity, discussing the challenges of being so closely associated with a single character.

Notable Quote:

"When you're on a long-running show, you literally feel like you're living and breathing this, you know, the entire crew, the entire experience."
— Gillian Anderson [13:00]

Gillian shares her initial struggle to detach from the character after nine years, emphasizing the importance of time and distance to fully appreciate the show's significance. She explains how moving back to London and immersing herself in theater helped her redefine her acting career.

Notable Quote:

"I want to get off it and start doing the things that I thought my career was going to be before I said yes to that job."
— Gillian Anderson [14:43]

---

4. Transition to Theater and Diverse Roles (22:06 - 36:11)

Post-X-Files, Gillian discusses her seamless transition into theater and other television roles. She highlights her acclaimed performances in British plays and her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Crown, a role that brought both praise and criticism due to Thatcher's divisive legacy.

Notable Quote:

"It's a bit of that, which is, okay, I'm going to do everything I can to try and succeed with this."
— Gillian Anderson [37:29]

Gillian emphasizes the responsibility and fear that come with taking on such formidable characters, balancing her creative ambitions with personal growth.

---

5. Exploring Sexual Fantasies: Her New Book (43:12 - 50:31)

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Gillian Anderson's latest project—a book exploring women's sexual fantasies. She explains the inspiration behind the book, drawing parallels to Nancy Friday's groundbreaking work, My Secret Garden.

Gillian describes the process of collecting anonymous letters from women worldwide, aiming to understand how fantasies have evolved in the digital age. She notes the surprising findings, such as the shift from explicit content to deeper emotional desires in sexual fantasies.

Notable Quote:

"It's really interesting. I would have thought that porn would have shown up a lot more in the fantasies. There's a lot of women, no matter how intense, their fantasy gets at the end of the day, just wanting to be seen for who they are."
— Gillian Anderson [49:46]

The discussion also touches upon the inclusivity of her project, incorporating voices from the trans and genderqueer communities, thereby fostering an egalitarian conversation around sexual well-being.

---

6. Reflections on Personal Growth and Career Evolution (50:31 - 37:28)

The hosts engage Gillian in a heartfelt conversation about the intersection of personal experiences and professional roles. They explore how stepping out of a defining role like Dana Scully allows an actor to embrace new challenges and reinvent themselves.

Notable Quote:

"The next thing that you get to say yes to because. Yeah, that's what it's about."
— Gillian Anderson [36:58]

Gillian shares her philosophy on embracing fear and uncertainty as catalysts for growth, reinforcing the idea that confidence emerges from taking risks and facing challenges head-on.

---

7. Concluding Thoughts and Final Remarks (50:43 - 56:22)

As the episode wraps up, the hosts express their admiration for Gillian Anderson's versatility and resilience in the acting industry. They commend her ability to transition between genres and mediums, maintaining her authenticity and depth.

Notable Quote:

"You just have to say yes to those things and then deal with your fear afterwards almost."
— Gillian Anderson [36:11]

The conversation concludes with warm farewells and reflections on the enriching discussion, leaving listeners inspired by Gillian's journey and insights.

---

Key Takeaways

• Gillian Anderson's multifaceted career exemplifies the balance between iconic roles and personal growth.
• Transitioning from a long-running show like The X-Files to theater and diverse television roles requires introspection and courage.
• Her new book offers a profound exploration of women's sexual fantasies, highlighting cultural and generational shifts.
• Embracing fear and uncertainty is essential for personal and professional development.

---

Notable Quotes Summary:

1. "All of a sudden, something in that inspiration and feeling like suddenly I had a purpose, it kind of shifted everything around."
   — Gillian Anderson [25:10]

2. "When you're on a long-running show, you literally feel like you're living and breathing this, you know, the entire crew, the entire experience."
   — Gillian Anderson [13:00]

3. "I want to get off it and start doing the things that I thought my career was going to be before I said yes to that job."
   — Gillian Anderson [14:43]

4. "It's really interesting. I would have thought that porn would have shown up a lot more in the fantasies. There's a lot of women, no matter how intense, their fantasy gets at the end of the day, just wanting to be seen for who they are."
   — Gillian Anderson [49:46]

5. "The next thing that you get to say yes to because. Yeah, that's what it's about."
   — Gillian Anderson [36:58]

6. "You just have to say yes to those things and then deal with your fear afterwards almost."
   — Gillian Anderson [36:11]

---

This episode of SmartLess offers an intimate glimpse into Gillian Anderson's illustrious career, her thoughtful exploration of women's sexuality, and her relentless pursuit of artistic authenticity. Listeners gain valuable insights into the complexities of transitioning between defining roles and the importance of embracing personal growth within the entertainment industry.

Transcript

[Sean Hayes]

While Hilton is always expected to have top notch service, you'd be surprised at the unexpected places they're offering it now. They've partnered with autocamp, which offers insanely cool Airstreams and iconic outdoor destinations. Hilton also has an exclusive partnership with small luxury hotels of the world, providing Hilton Honors members access to over 300 luxury boutique hotels across the globe. And they've added romantic and refined nomad hotels and graduate hotels in your favorite college towns to their portfolio. Explore all the new ways to stay with those Hilton Honors points you've been [e-mail] Hilton for this day. It takes a lot to grow your business. A lot of audience attracting, a lot of lead scoring and all the channel managing you can manage. Plus a lot of long days, late nights and weekends. A lot of wishing there was an easier way. But with HubSpot's new collection of AI tools, Breeze, it's easier than ever for marketers to attract audiences, increase leads, and score customers fast. Which means pretty soon your company will have a lot to celebrate. Visit HubSpot.com marketers to learn more.

[Jason Bateman]

Welcome, everyone. We're going to start you off with a couple of nice softballs here brought to you by Shecky Hayes.

[Sean Hayes]

My wife asked me the other day where I got so much candy. I said, I always have a few Twix up my sleeve.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, boy. Well, now, hang on. We got one more listener.

[Sean Hayes]

I could do 100 more. I could do 100 more. Here's another one. Ugh, I hate my job. All I do is crush cans all day. It's soda pressing.

[Jason Bateman]

Welcome to Smart List.

[Will Arnett]

Smart Linus. Smart Lice. Smart.

[Sean Hayes]

Bless.

[Jason Bateman]

I went to go see a Broadway show last night, Shawnee, and I thought about you.

[Sean Hayes]

What'd you see?

[Jason Bateman]

I saw O Mary.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, you did see it?

[Jason Bateman]

I did.

[Sean Hayes]

It's the best.

[Will Arnett]

Okay.

[Jason Bateman]

I was. I was gonna recommend it to you. But you've seen it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I've seen it. Yeah, it's great.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you think it was. I loved it.

[Sean Hayes]

I thought it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

[Jason Bateman]

I was thinking about you the whole time, thinking, oh, my God, Sean's gonna lose his fucking mind on this. I mean, it seemed like he's. Yeah. I mean, I know he didn't, but it seemed like he's watched you do a thousand of your funny bits in front of us and stolen them all.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, no, no. Cole's an original. He's great. Cole Escola stars in the show.

[Will Arnett]

I was telling you guys to go see In March?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Jason Bateman]

Hang on, guys. Will was first.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

I didn't go. I didn't go.

[Sean Hayes]

Have you not seen it yet? Will, you'll pee in your pants.

[Jason Bateman]

So it was off Broadway then? Yes. Now it's on Broadway.

[Will Arnett]

Lortel.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Cole Escola plays Mary Todd Lincoln, who's an alcoholic wannabe cabaret star, and Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln doesn't let her leave the White House, so he hires an acting coach for her so she could just, you know, explore her artistic sites.

[Jason Bateman]

Don't reveal anymore.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, that's it.

[Jason Bateman]

You're gonna do. Those are spoilers.

[Sean Hayes]

But how about the end? How funny was that?

[Jason Bateman]

It's fucking great. It's just the whole thing is incredible.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it's really funny.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Yeah. Willie, you got it. You got to get on it.

[Will Arnett]

I know.

[Jason Bateman]

You gotta get yourself. Expose yourself to some culture, you know, get out of.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, did Franny see it?

[Jason Bateman]

She did. She and I went. We had a date night. It was great. Yeah. What do you. You got your hand on a bug there. You pulling out?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I just gotta pull it out.

[Jason Bateman]

Sean's got three hands in his hairdo right now.

[Sean Hayes]

I had a mole removed.

[Jason Bateman]

Just step on it. Make sure you step on it.

[Sean Hayes]

Look at that.

[Will Arnett]

You know. You know, you don't have to do it while we're doing the.

[Jason Bateman]

Try not to pick your scalp while we're.

[Will Arnett]

You could have done before or you could have saved it after. We wouldn't have known.

[Sean Hayes]

I forgot to take it off this morning, but I need to let the air get to it.

[Jason Bateman]

How was your mole removal?

[Sean Hayes]

It was good.

[Jason Bateman]

Painful?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. No, it wasn't. It wasn't painful. It was just. It was big. Man was honking and he scraped.

[Jason Bateman]

So this was a result of just a age. Well, you went in, you got yourself combed like a. Like a. Like a cat. You got checked for all your skin cancer.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. So. Yeah, but they mean like a chimp.

[Will Arnett]

You mean like when they do like that?

[Jason Bateman]

Everybody's got to do that, by the way. We're joking. But, you know, get yourself in there and get yourself checked if you're. If you're of a certain age.

[Will Arnett]

It's true. And vote a lot of.

[Jason Bateman]

We do a lot of damage when we're like, 20 and get out there and fucking vote. Yeah. And then go ahead and vote.

[Sean Hayes]

Or vote at the place you get checked.

[Will Arnett]

Whoever. Yeah, whoever. By the way, that'd be great if they did that while you were waiting.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, vote.

[Will Arnett]

You have to do stuff like that where you can get. Bring back shit where you can kind of get a bunch of different shit done at once. You can get a.

[Jason Bateman]

Or how about just declare election day a national holiday? And let me tell you something. I know our surprise guest is a female. I can tell you that right now. And I can hear her enjoying and giggling. There's another one.

[Sean Hayes]

There's another one. But yes, it should be a national holiday.

[Will Arnett]

Obviously should be a national holiday for all the obvious reasons. And. But at the same time, imagine if you could, on that day, get a bunch of stuff done. You could get a. If you wanted to get a Brazilian, you could do that.

[Jason Bateman]

Sham coach.

[Will Arnett]

I'm just saying if whatever your thing is.

[Jason Bateman]

Shampoo. And then in the back, you can go ahead and get yourself your sham coach.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, so that was Ali's bit. My buddy Ali. Sham coach. And in the back, you put your. You bring your pet and they get a shampoo.

[Jason Bateman]

You get your dog wash.

[Will Arnett]

It depends.

[Jason Bateman]

No, the pet would be the front. The front place.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, Go ahead, Sean. Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

Whenever you order food for takeout, like from a restaurant, do you sometimes order extra so you don't have to, like, as a grocery shopping kind of? So, like, you.

[Jason Bateman]

What?

[Sean Hayes]

Wait a second.

[Jason Bateman]

I was just getting a Brazilian, and now you're talking about shopping via.

[Will Arnett]

Now you're talking about getting cash back. When you get groceries. What's going on?

[Sean Hayes]

No, no, no. When you go. When you order.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, can I get at. What are you doing?

[Sean Hayes]

No, when you order takeout from a restaurant, sometimes I'll order an extra meal or something and put it in the fridge. So, like my quote, grocery shopping so that I don't have to. So that I just have a meal I could pop in the microwave.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, how long have you been in college?

[Will Arnett]

What are you doing, man?

[Sean Hayes]

It's true. That's what I do. How? Instead of grocery shopping, you just order an extra meal.

[Jason Bateman]

America, this is spoken to you by a guy who's got a full time chef.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, so.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I don't. My full time chef is me.

[Jason Bateman]

And what is it, five days a week?

[Sean Hayes]

Sorry.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Bateman]

So is she offended at all that you're doubling up at Chin Chin because you don't have confidence in her?

[Will Arnett]

Shawnee, I never knew this about you. This is phenomenal information.

[Sean Hayes]

Always order an extra meal.

[Will Arnett]

Is this your way? Because sometimes you feel bad because you've ordered so much food, so you justify it by saying it's for tomorrow.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, something like that, yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, Shani, are you in New York? Is that New York behind you?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, how come we're not hanging out? What's going on?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, because you work every day 17,000 hours, but if you're not JB, how.

[Will Arnett]

You like, how you liking the weekend in the city, jb? It's the first weekend. You've been there for a while.

[Jason Bateman]

I don't, I don't. I'm not crazy about it because I feel like I'm missing, you know, my wife and my youngest daughter back in la. I should have gone back and picked up Maple from farm camp where she. So she was living at farm camp for a month up in Northern California, sleeping outside in a tent and taking care of.

[Will Arnett]

Let me just say. And by the way, I think they've. The farm camp is amazing, but can you imagine going back 150 years bringing somebody back from the past? And they come and they go, who? Working on a farm. They're like, what's this, this farm camp?

[Jason Bateman]

It's a camp.

[Will Arnett]

It's a bunch of kids from LA and New York because they don't know when to get exposed. They're coming here to play farm, old timey. And these kids are slaving away. Did you go to school? Yeah, I went to school all the way till I was nine. Yeah, you know, working on the farm.

[Sean Hayes]

Farm, farm.

[Jason Bateman]

She had kitty chore.

[Will Arnett]

Guys, listen, we gotta get to our guest. She's just sitting here listening to us wasting our fucking time. And Sean, you're gonna love this because, yeah, she's done a lot of iconic stuff on tv, stuff that I can't really mention, even stuff that was my favorite. But she's done a lot of theater. She's been nominated for a bunch of Olivier. She's done. She played Blanche dubois in Streetcar British. Great acclaim in the. Well, she's sort of British, kind of was raised there, then moved back and now has lived there again for years. Well, she was, but Sean. But born in Chicago.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, Sean, do you think she might have a story about maybe something crazy that happened on stage?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God. She better get ready with a story with.

[Will Arnett]

Do you remember when we used to hang out at Haney's? And did you ever go to Haney's in Chicago? And then. So she's won all these awards, she's been nominated for all this stuff. She's done dozens of films. But I loved her in that amazing series the Fall. But I also loved her in the amazing series the Crown. But I also loved her as. And everybody else did as the amazing FBI Special Agent Dana Scully. Guys, please, it's Jillian Anderson.

[Jason Bateman]

Jillian Anderson's in this.

[Gillian Anderson]

Did you almost say special anus? I think you almost said special anus.

[Will Arnett]

Well, that's what the notes gave me and I made the correction, but they sent me that.

[Jason Bateman]

Hello, Jillian.

[Gillian Anderson]

Oh, my God, you guys are hilarious. Oh, my God, you guys are so funny.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you so much for being here.

[Sean Hayes]

This is so cool.

[Will Arnett]

And joining us on this. On this blessed day.

[Jason Bateman]

Jillian, go ahead. Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

I was just gonna say I've been such a fan for so long. I mean, I know you hear this all the time. I love all of your work.

[Gillian Anderson]

Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

But you know, when you're a young person.

[Will Arnett]

But the one that really disappointed.

[Sean Hayes]

Sorry, no, just when you're a young person and stuff stays in your DNA. The X Files is part of me, so therefore you are a part of me. So thank you.

[Gillian Anderson]

I get it.

[Will Arnett]

The truth is out there.

[Gillian Anderson]

I can feel that I woke up this morning feeling like I was part of you.

[Jason Bateman]

What are the questions? What are the questions that you weren't asked about X Files when you were publicized?

[Gillian Anderson]

I remember one time being after one of the awards, standing backstage, where they take you backstage, and then you've got the tier of tears of press back there from the back row. Somebody said, do you believe in aliens? Which of course, by that point I'd been asked every single year of my life. And I think I might have said, are you fucking kidding me?

[Sean Hayes]

Are you sure?

[Gillian Anderson]

I think I literally out of my mouth, I was like, really? That's what you're going to fucking ask me?

[Sean Hayes]

I'm sorry.

[Jason Bateman]

Sean, you do though, right?

[Sean Hayes]

Absolutely.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you believe there's probably something out there? It probably doesn't look like the egg shaped head, but it's probably some sort of.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Anytime anything is on TV about. Is there. Isn't there? I watch and I'm all into it.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Do you. And what is it, Sean? You're just, you're. You, you find it like, interesting. You find it exciting. You're hoping, you want to get out. You're. Are you trying to get off this, this globe?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. No, I just think it's fascinating that the whole concept that we come from something we don't know, so. And I think there's answers there, that, that.

[Will Arnett]

What have you got? I'd like for you to get abducted. Like, they reveal themselves in you and then they start to like, murder you. You're like, I thought you'd be fun and interesting.

[Jason Bateman]

But are you saying alien life form, Sean, might be responsible for the start of mankind?

[Will Arnett]

By the way, jump in Anytime you want to here.

[Sean Hayes]

I do believe that. Part of me believes that. Part of me believes that.

[Jason Bateman]

Whoa. That. That mankind came from a higher, sort of more complex life form of sort of aliens and stuff, as opposed to the aliens and mankind coming from sort of like a godlike creator.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm open to both.

[Jason Bateman]

You think we come from the aliens?

[Sean Hayes]

I'm open to both, but I lean towards the alien thing only because. Did you see Prometheus? Did you see the movie Prometheus?

[Jason Bateman]

I think so.

[Will Arnett]

You mean the Hollywood. The Hollywood feature film? No, but I saw Star Wars. How much of that is true? What are you talking about?

[Jason Bateman]

Please let Sean finish with this.

[Will Arnett]

You're right, you're right, you're right.

[Jason Bateman]

He's got the answers, Guys.

[Will Arnett]

I'm gonna start writing.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you ever watch Ancient Aliens? Do you ever watch Ancient Aliens? And we watch it all the time. And all these theories about all the hieroglyphics that show, you know, engraved into the walls about, like the, you know, things they're all looking up at, these sauce, these flying things, and they're all kind of similar.

[Gillian Anderson]

I think 20 of our episodes, 20 of our 220 episodes were about those hieroglyphics.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Will Arnett]

Anyway, how far is your house from the nearest library, do you think?

[Sean Hayes]

Hey, anyway, Jillian, welcome.

[Will Arnett]

So welcome. Jillian. Jillian. Speaking of extraterrestrials and Stu, the one thing I do want to ask you is at what point, obviously X Files played a huge part in the early part of your career, and you've gone on to do so many amazing things, and I think of so many different things. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

I love you, by the way.

[Will Arnett]

It's one of those things. And Sean, you could kind of know what this is like. And Jason, you do, too. When you do something that is such a sort of hit that crosses all demographics, et cetera, at a young age. When you look back on your experience as X Files, is it a positive feeling? Are you like, oh, that was the greatest thing, or did it open all these millions of doors?

[Sean Hayes]

Or, oh, is it. Oh, just. This is what I'm using as a platformer.

[Gillian Anderson]

It was. You know, what happens when you're on a long running show is everything becomes so enmeshed and not incestuous, but you literally feel like you're living and breathing this, you know, the entire crew, the entire experience. And so I think by the time we were done after, you know, we did nine years, and I think I was, well, ready for it to be over. And it took me a while to properly think of I think I compartmentalized it. I so wanted to get off it and start doing the things that I thought my career was going to be before I said yes to that job. So I imagined I'd be doing merchandise films, and I imagine I'd be doing all this. And so I really wanted to, on the one hand, forget that that happened and bounce off it to the stuff that I really wanted to do. But then, you know, it was probably about five years when I suddenly. Cause when you're doing something like that, all anybody says is, oh, my God, the show. Oh, my God, it's the most amazing. And you don't want to hear that anymore. You don't. You don't. You've heard it so much. And then I suddenly got what they were talking about. Like, five years after the show ended. I was kind of like, yeah, that was kind of cool.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Gillian Anderson]

Like, I was on this really.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, like anything. You need time and distance away to appreciate it.

[Jason Bateman]

But it is interesting how, like, the things that sort of, like, landed all four of us with a career are things that, I'll bet you none of us would have said this would be the exact thing that would condition the audience and the industry to the kind of person and career I want to have.

[Sean Hayes]

That's exactly.

[Jason Bateman]

And it's like you basically, it's not that you take what you get, but you're appreciative of the job at the time. But then by the time you're done with the job, guess what? That's who you are now. And now what do I. What do I do with this? And this is.

[Gillian Anderson]

This is.

[Jason Bateman]

I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining at all, because I could not be more appreciative of, you know, as I'm sure you guys would agree where we're at and what. But you, you, you, you. You tack towards what you're now identified and labeled as and. And build on that or try to offset that a little bit and have a little bit more of a. Of a different kind of career with. It's like.

[Gillian Anderson]

But you need time to reckon with it. You need. You need time and space to be able to figure means to you. Because for the last however long you've been hearing what it means to everybody else. And, you know, but we have those.

[Sean Hayes]

We have people on here all the time, Jillian, that have been fortunate enough to do what you do, which is, you actually have gone on and created the whole identity for yourself as an actress, as one of the leading voices and actresses in the business.

[Jason Bateman]

And X Files just happens to be one of the jobs you've done, as opposed to the thing that identifies you.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, but it takes, you know, it takes a while. It takes focus. It takes, you know, saying no to a lot of stuff. But it also. I remember at the beginning one of the first things that I. Because after the series ended, I didn't know if I could be on a set again. I didn't know that for myself. It just felt so. I knew that I just needed to get away from Los Angeles and set. So I had grown up in London. I moved back to London, and the first thing I did was a play. But the second thing I did, I was offered was, you know, a British BBC, a short series of Bleak House and, you know, costume drama. And when they offered it to me without an audition, I literally, in the meeting with the producers, I said to them, what makes you think I can do this? Because I knew I could do it, but I just spent 10 years doing exactly the opposite of that. And I was so curious.

[Sean Hayes]

What did you see in me that I didn't.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, that I. Yeah. That I feel like maybe has been lost or that nobody. Yeah, so.

[Jason Bateman]

And what did they say? Do you remember?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, I'm sorry. We thought you were.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, we thought you were.

[Will Arnett]

We like to watch people fail.

[Gillian Anderson]

I can't remember what they said. I mean, I think that somewhere in the work that I did at X Files, they gleaned that I could, you know, that I could act as opposed to what I felt like I was doing was not necessary. But of course I was. I mean, they were. You know, we got to. We learned how to be actors during that period of time.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Sean Hayes]

We'll be right back. There's a lot to say when buying a new home or car, but only one thing to say that can help you protect them. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. And just like that, a State Farm agent will be there to help you choose the coverage you need. No matter where you are in life, when you need coverage options, your State Farm agent is there to help. Help on the phone or in person. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Our show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Ever hear people say that something is like therapy for them? Playing tennis is therapy for me. Listening to music is my therapy. Cooking is like therapy. Well, you know, what's therapy for me? You guessed it. Therapy. Because when it comes to sorting out issues, figuring stuff out, and just making you feel better about yourself, you can't beat the real thing. BetterHelp Online therapy is the easiest way for you to try out therapy for yourself. BetterHelp is convenient, flexible and built around your schedule. Start by filling out a simple questionnaire to be matched with a licensed therapist who fits your needs and preferences. Connect with them via phone, video, text or chat. Whatever works for you at a time and place that works for you. It's surprisingly affordable too. So if you ever struggle with depression, relationship problems, social anxiety, or family conflicts, give BetterHelp a try. It's not a substitute for therapy. It is therapy. I talk about it all the time. I've benefited from therapy myself. As you all know. I've been in New York for almost three months now. Three months is a long time to be away from home and Ricky and all my familiar surroundings and stuff like that. So I talked about it in therapy last week. Not that earth shattering end of the world, but it just helped to talk it through and that's what therapy does for me. You can visit betterhelp.com smartless today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L p.com smartless you know what? I'm kind of known for my deep voice. I think Will's is a little high. Mine's probably a little deeper, which can be useful for commanding respect from pets, making anyone a convincing superhero. But having a very deep voice can also be helpful for getting hired for advertising campaigns. But a deep Voice doesn't sell B2B and advertising on the wrong platform doesn't sell B2B either. That's why if you're a B2B marketer, you should use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has the targeting capabilities to help you reach the world's largest professional audience. That's right. Over 130 million decision makers all in one place. All the bigwigs and medium wigs, also small wigs, who are on the path to becoming big wigs. That's enough about wigs. LinkedIn ads allows you to focus on getting your B2B message to the right people. So does that mean you should use ads on LinkedIn instead of hiring the man with the deepest voice in the world? Yes. Yes, it does. Get started today and see why LinkedIn is the place to be. To be. They'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com Smartless to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com Smartless terms and conditions apply.

[Jason Bateman]

And now back to the show.

[Sean Hayes]

Where did you grow up in Chicago, by the way?

[Gillian Anderson]

Here we go, well, I kind of. I kind of didn't. I was born there. Six months later we moved to Puerto Rico because my story goes that my dad wanted to go to film school. And he said to my mom, I want to go to film school. Do you want it to be Los Angeles? Do you want to move to Los Angeles or London? And she said, London. And so they didn't have any money to move to London. And so we left the apartment, apparently moved to Puerto Rico, where my dad's parents were living, and we basically slept on their sofa for a year and a half so my parents could save money and we could move to London. So I only got like six months there.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you remember where you were born?

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, at St. Mary's Hospital in Cook County.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, yeah.

[Gillian Anderson]

I actually ended up back there because when I went to college I moved to like Wicker Park Bucktown area. Before it was Wicker Park Bucktown, it was still, you know, low income, Hispanic families.

[Jason Bateman]

And how long were you in England?

[Gillian Anderson]

Until I was 11. So from about a year. And from 2 to 11.

[Will Arnett]

And your dad went to film school then? Yeah. When you were in London and your dad was an editor, is that right?

[Gillian Anderson]

No, no. Well, see, he wanted to be a cameraman, he wanted to be a director, filmmaker. And after. But then they fell in love with London, we were always going to stay. We eventually, you know, could afford to rent a decent two bedroom apartment. And so we stayed. And he got, you know, various jobs working in various places. And then he got a call from a film school friend, a fellow American, who basically said, I am starting to make industrial films. Come to Grand Rapids, Michigan and get rich quick. And he said, okay, yeah, I'm gonna do that. So he went out and we ended up moving to Grand Rapids. We went from London to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

And there you stayed until.

[Gillian Anderson]

Until I went to college. Yeah, until I went to college.

[Jason Bateman]

Which was where?

[Gillian Anderson]

To the Goodman Theater School in Chicago.

[Jason Bateman]

So then. So then your spark was kind of lit by your father's interest in the business. Is that kind of how it started?

[Gillian Anderson]

No, I don't. No, I don't think it was. I think the high school that I went to in Grand Rapids, there was an English teacher. We didn't. It was an academic high school. And I mean, I said, I've said this so many times, but the only reason I got in was because I had an accent. And, you know, under normal circumstances, I don't think I would have made it into the academic high school, but so I got into that. And there was no theater department, no sports or anything. And so. But there was an English teacher who, a couple times a year or semesters or whatever, she would direct a play that would be put on in the lunchroom. And at one point, I think Our Town. I can't remember who I played, but I think in the middle of grilled.

[Sean Hayes]

Cheeses and, like, French fries.

[Will Arnett]

Any fun stories from the lunch room? Sean doesn't care whether they're theater or food related. Either. Either is fine with me.

[Gillian Anderson]

No, but I remember asking for another sandwich so I could take it home later and have it for another meal. I remember I did that when I was in high school.

[Will Arnett]

Great callback.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, I. Yeah. Anyway, so I think that was probably what ended up getting me interested. And then I started auditioning for community theater and stuff.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow. You know, I love the Goodman Theater. I did a play there a few years ago. It's so great. But. And they're great.

[Will Arnett]

What was the first. What was the first gig that you got that you were like, oh, you know what? I can really do this. I think that I. Not. I can do this. Not that I have the ability, but this is going to be. I can have a life doing this. I can have a career. I can make a living.

[Gillian Anderson]

Well, I think one of the, you know, one of the community shows that I auditioned for and was cast in, you know, it was the first time that I was properly doing something, you know, professional, you know, and there must have been, you know, I think I suddenly felt like, oh, I can actually do this. Like, I. I can do this. There is something I can do. And it really changed my life around.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you remember what it was?

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, it was Anda Nightingale Sang. It was a British. I think, a World War II play. But anyway, the applause or whatever got to me.

[Jason Bateman]

How old were you?

[Gillian Anderson]

16, I think.

[Will Arnett]

Wow, 16. That's young to have that kind of.

[Gillian Anderson]

Well, all of a sudden, before that, I was sitting on the back steps with. With the, you know, smoking weeds in my lunch breaks and not doing my homework. And suddenly something in that. In the inspiration and feeling like suddenly I had a purpose, it kind of shifted everything around. And I started doing better in school, and I was voted most improved student. And, you know, suddenly I was.

[Will Arnett]

It's kind of a backhanded compliment, by.

[Sean Hayes]

The way, when the only way is up.

[Will Arnett]

Hey, you know what? You're not an idiot. But the reason I ask that is because, like, jb, you grew up doing this, so you always knew that it was a viable thing. But for people like us who don't come out, who weren't born into it, there is that moment, Sean, I don't know. I asked you the same thing, which is that moment where you're like, I think there are plenty of people who I grew up with who never thought that I would ever be able to make a life out of doing this. You have lots of good friends who go, yeah, you could. But a lot of people are like, yeah, nice try. It's a big fucking scary world.

[Gillian Anderson]

Like, yeah, well, my dad. I mean, I think when I started to audition for theater schools, I mean, I auditioned for one, it didn't occur to me that I wasn't gonna get in. Like, I didn't have a plan B. So I auditioned for the Goodman Theater School. Meanwhile, I only take, you know, 20 people every year. I didn't. I. You know, I don't know what I would have done if I didn't get in. But anyway. But my dad sat me down and said, this is an impossible career to get into, and you've got to have a backup. And he was trying to convince me to study word processing because he knew that computers were going to be a thing and that I could always get a job on the side when I wasn't acting or able to act or getting hired so that I'd be able to teach people how to do WordPress to help them on their computers, which is a fantastic piece of advice for somebody else. It just, you know, there was no way in hell that I was going to never. I would. I. My brain just doesn't work that way. But it was a great piece of advice.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gillian Anderson]

And the kinds of things that I'm saying to my sons right now. You know what I mean?

[Will Arnett]

Like, have a contingency plan.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

But, you know, like, this part of people's lives, I'm surprised there's not more stories about. Or movies about, or TV shows about, because, like, there's tons of movies and TV shows about, like, falling in love or deciding to have children or grappling with mortality, and here comes death, and somebody's got a terminal, you know, diagnosis. No one ever does anything about, like, that moment where every young adult has that scary question about, what am I going to do with my life?

[Will Arnett]

Who am I gonna be?

[Jason Bateman]

Who am I going to be? Is it going to. Should I pursue something that I'm passionate about to the extent that you even know what you're passionate about yet at that age, or should I pursue something that's going to give Me a path towards provid.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, but doesn't that feel like an idea from the 1980s or something these days? It's different.

[Will Arnett]

I guess it is, but there's always jumping off points and everybody has a different height from which they're jumping off. There's more different risk involved.

[Jason Bateman]

But just choosing what that lane is, what the industry is, it is so important. It's like one of the biggest forks in anyone's life. What you're going to actually put your weight behind and choose to study in college or take that first job after college or before or during college. I've got a 17 year old and a 12 year old and they're dealing with that right now. Willie, I'm sure you know your boys are thinking about it as well. It's like a big, big fork. Do you go left or right? And Scotty's going through.

[Will Arnett]

Scotty's going through it too.

[Sean Hayes]

Scotty's going through it too. That's my husband chilling.

[Jason Bateman]

I mean, but like it's not something that people talk about a lot.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, no, no, it's true. We all go through it as parents. We all experience that with.

[Sean Hayes]

But I always say that the younger you figure that out, the higher success rate, right? Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Even if it doesn't end up being the thing that you do. It's like I always say like a lot of stuff happens on your way to something else. Like if you're just, if you're just driven and motivated to do something, it's okay if it doesn't end up being that. But at least you're, your, your feet are moving forward.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, right? Yeah. Yeah, totally.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, I remember that. I remember moving to New York when I was 20 and just. And I did not know a single person in New York and I just thought it started. Yeah, let's, let's go. I was in college and started and I dropped out because I thought everybody's just kind of not. Nobody has any real direction.

[Jason Bateman]

They're getting really good at being a senior, a sixth year senior, seventh year.

[Will Arnett]

Senior, whatever it is a lot of great people. But at the same time I just thought like, fuck, there's a whole world out there. I want to get in it. I want to get there.

[Gillian Anderson]

But that's the thing that I think a lot of teens these days are the thing of the whole world as an oyster in a way that obviously that's a very privileged perspective to have. But I feel like kids these days, that's not necessarily the perspective that they, that they have. It doesn't feel like that is what is on offer anymore. There's something. There's so. And I don't know what, you know.

[Jason Bateman]

The degree that it's harder or it's easier.

[Gillian Anderson]

No, harder. So many kids are floundering right now. So many teens are just. Or young twenties. It's because of the.

[Will Arnett]

It's the fucking phone.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, it is. It is. It is. On the one hand, you. You're seeing the world out there because everybody's posting them and their holidays on yachts and this, that and the other. But it feels so unreachable. And so, you know, it actually has the opposite effect, I think for a lot of.

[Will Arnett]

Instead of aspirational, I couldn't agree more. And this idea that you can kind of go into your phone and lose yourself into all four corners. You're not really experiencing anything. You're getting the microdopamine hits and stuff. There are lots of books about it right now, but at the same time, you're not actually getting that real world experience that we all had the privilege of getting.

[Gillian Anderson]

And while you're looking at it, you're sitting next to your friend, not having a conversation while they're looking at somebody's life too. And obviously, as you say, there's tons of books written about it, but it's a really serious problem today.

[Will Arnett]

Jillian, can I ask you, can I nerd out on the fall? I love that show so much, and I wish it's one of those shows that I wish I could watch it again for the first time because I found it so engrossing. It was so gripping. And what was that process like? Your character was very intense on that show.

[Gillian Anderson]

Well, it was. I mean, the premise is great. So in the show, you're with the serial killer for an equal amount of screen time as you are the superintendent detective who is tracking him, which is me. And I think it was the first time. I don't know what it was the first time, but it was. It felt quite unique that, you know, that. That setup felt quite unique at the time. And it was so. It started, you know, it started where I was brought a script and I'd been in the process of producing something myself that I couldn't just. I couldn't get there. I was really, really struggling with the writers and the other producers to get the script to where it needed to be. And then this script landed in my lap and it was like, now that is. That is writing. And it was so spare, you know, it was just. It was like. And I've spoken About this before, it felt like when I was reading it, my experience of the character, it almost. Despite the fact that it was so spare, it felt like my fusion with her was almost alchemic. And because there wasn't a lot to go on in a typical American way of reading a script where it's all described, you know, all the descriptions are in the directives, in between, where you get so much information, you feel like you're slightly treated like an idiot. But this was really beautifully, beautifully spare. And yet you just got who she was, what the world was, who the different voices were in it. And it was so. It was really special. And, you know, I. I met them and the producers and the director, and it was a fantastic. I'd just come off of. I don't know which version of which Hollywood thing I had just finished doing, but all of a sudden I was in Belfast shooting this little series, and it was a real collaboration. I went from. From being on something where I was so detached and so not part of the creative process to all of a sudden being with these guys in Belfast and really immersed and included in the conversation and, you know, in the end, got to make notes on the edit and all that kind of stuff. So it was the first time that I was being allowed into that part of it. And, you know, if I wanted to go back to London, you know, it was a matter of texting the travel coordinator, as opposed to sending an email to somebody at Fox. And a month later they tell you that yes, or you can and cannot take that flight. So it felt like the whole experience of it was like, this is the real thing.

[Will Arnett]

You know, this is what I want to do.

[Gillian Anderson]

This is what I want to do. And she was an extraordinary character. I felt, before it aired, when I started to do Pressure, I remember saying to the press, who hadn't really seen it yet, you know, they do or they don't watch the screeners that they're sent. And I kept thinking, she's really good for women. Like, she needs to be out there. There's something about her, I think, that is going to be incredibly empowering for women. And I don't think we've seen someone like her before on the screen.

[Will Arnett]

She had the same sort of impact to me as DCI Tennyson from Prime Suspect. There were a lot of similarities. Very, very strong. I mean, you bring a lot of strength to your character. You played the one. A bunch of very strong characters throughout your career, you know, including Margaret Thatcher. I was going to say, you kind of go from that to not directly. You do stuff in between, but then you do. Then you play Margaret Thatcher, which in the Crown, to great acclaim and really just a wonderful, incredible performance. And I just think, like, that must. Brings with it its own set of risks and challenges and burdens and you invite a tremendous amount of criticism. Right.

[Gillian Anderson]

The thing is, those kind of things come along and you can't not say yes. I mean, you know what I mean? I think I've always. You have to say yes to those things and then deal with your fear afterwards almost. And, you know, it's the same thing with doing theater is saying yes to things that are terrifying. And then at some point when you're halfway through rehearsal, you know, you're feeling like, what the fuck was I thinking? Like, what made me think that I could do this or that I should? And now I'm stuck and I've got to do this in front of a thousand people every single night. Like, what is wrong with me?

[Jason Bateman]

Or then it's over and you've crushed it and now you've got the confidence and now you're ready to take off even something bigger.

[Gillian Anderson]

The next thing that you get to say yes to because. Yeah, that's what it's about. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

I've always thought that the confidence about stuff lives on the backside of actually doing it. You know, it's completely appropriate that you're fearful beforehand and that you shouldn't worry about the fact that you're not confident going into it, because confident lives on the backside of actually, like, once you've.

[Will Arnett]

Done it, you've kind of.

[Gillian Anderson]

And then it gives you courage enough to say yes to the thing next time that is even a bit. Bit scarier.

[Sean Hayes]

Or one of those.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Or you don't worry about the result and you just do the work.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, sure.

[Will Arnett]

Amen, brother.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Gillian Anderson]

I think for Thatcher, it was a bit of that, which is, okay, I'm going to do. I'm going to do everything I can to try and succeed with this. I'm going to start working on it a year in advance. I'm going to study everything, watch everything, read everything. Yeah, you do the work and then you'd show up and you just do your best job and you don't know until afterwards whether people are going to go, oh, my. Oh my God. Did you see that piece of like, what was she thinking?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

We'll be right back.

[Sean Hayes]

While Hilton is always expected to have top notch service, you'd be surprised at the unexpected places they're offering it now. They've partnered with autocamp, which offers insanely cool Airstreams and iconic outdoor destinations. Hilton also has an exclusive partnership with small Luxury Hotels of the world, providing Hilton Honors members access to over 300 luxury boutique hotels across across the globe. And they've added romantic and refined nomad hotels and graduate hotels in your favorite college towns to their portfolio. Explore all the new ways to stay with those Hilton Honors points you've been [e-mail] Hilton for the stay, you deserve to embrace coziness this fall and winter and it's time to head to Macy's to do it in style. Macy's has the best prices and all things cozy and that means from your clothes to your home too. Get great prices on cold weather essentials from head to toe with the cutest sweaters, warmest jackets and the sturdiest yet stylish boots. Refresh your home with plush comforters, crisp white towels and a mountain of cozy pillows. You'll be ready to snuggle up in style this season. You know, growing up in Chicago, I love cold weather. I love this time of year winter and I love getting things cozy and I'll wear a sweater all around the house all day long during the winter months month just because it's super cozy and I love getting it at Macy's. Get your cozy on and shop@macy's.com no matter where you are, you can feel like you're living the coastal California lifestyle with Viori Performance apparel. Everything Viori makes is designed to work out in, but it doesn't look or feel like it. That means their clothes are so comfortable you will want to wear it all the time whether you're in or out of the gym. Viori clothes look great in everyday life life. These are going to be your new go to Staples and you can feel good about it too. Because Viori offsets 100% of their carbon footprint, you don't want to miss out on Viori's signature Dream Knit material that will surround yourself with softness. Dream Knit stretches as you move and seamlessly mixes and matches across styles to make it the easiest and dreamiest thing in your closet. It's wearable year round, easy to style and just makes you feel good. I've been hanging out in New York for a while and I wear them all day every day. I have Viori shorts on right now and I know when I'm going out I put them on because I know the walk is going to be really, really really comfortable. Fiori is an investment in your happiness for Our listeners, they are offering 20 off your first purchase. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothes on the [e-mail] smartless that's V U O R I.com smartless not only will you receive 20 off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any US orders over $75 and free returns. Go to viori.com smartless and discover the versatility of Viori clothing. And now back to the show.

[Will Arnett]

Do you remember that first day of being there with the hair and all of it and thinking like, here we go. Fuck, this better fucking work because I am out on this motherfucking limb now.

[Sean Hayes]

I passed on it, just so you know. I was first.

[Will Arnett]

You didn't agree with the wardrobe, though. That was why.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, I mean, but the thing is.

[Gillian Anderson]

You see her silhouette. You see. You know, the minute the wig goes on and she's. And you get into costume and you see the silhouette. The silhouette alone. I could have talked like Daffy Duck and you would have believed I was Margaret Thatcher because the silhouette was so spectacular.

[Jason Bateman]

You had already been living in England for a while before you started doing that.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah. So we finished X files in 2002, and I moved back to the UK. We were always going to move back again when I was a kid, and we just never did. And so it was always a dream of mine to at least be, you know, part of my life, to be back there. So I went back and I did a play and then stayed. And so I've been living there since 2002.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

And was there extra pressure playing Margaret Thatcher, being a resident now, Like. Cause, you know, being in America, you could play Margaret Thatcher and maybe if it. If it did go sideways, you'd get a little more space between, you know.

[Gillian Anderson]

Those who might criticize. I think, because most of the theater work that I was offered as a young person were British plays. I did the Philanthropist, I did Absent Friends, Off Broadway. I did all that I kept because of my accent, because that was basically my first way of speaking was with a British accent. So that was easy for me. And so living in the uk, they've kind of adopted me from quite early on of being back there as a professional person, post X Files as being a. You know, they've taken me on as being one of them in a way.

[Jason Bateman]

But playing somebody that has that iconic history there in that particular country, she.

[Gillian Anderson]

Is such a divisive character. I mean, people feel really, really strongly about Margaret Thatcher, and not all of it is positive. So in playing her period there or from over. You know, whether we shot it in the States to be aired there, it would be the same reaction. The people that hate her still hate her and the people that love her still love her.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, it's interesting.

[Will Arnett]

Jillian, just talk to us for a second.

[Gillian Anderson]

It's quite a responsibility being the person who asked the secret person on. You got to keep the show going.

[Jason Bateman]

You got to have some questions.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. You got to kind of keep it moving a little bit. Well, I want to talk to you about your book. Want. And, and I wanted to ask if it came post doing your show Sex Education or prior to. How did that all.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, it came. So in Sex Education I play. It's a Netflix series. We did four seasons. I play a sex therapist. And in the process of or during the period of time of being on that show, my character's house is filled with sex paraphernalia and pictures of vaginas and penises and all kinds of tantric stuff on the walls. And I kept taking pictures and so I kept wanting to post these pictures. And the girl who does my. Because I don't post things myself does my Instagram. She kept saying, you can't, you can't post it. This is like a peanut. They're not going to let. Instagram is not going to let you post a penis.

[Will Arnett]

Sean, is that true?

[Sean Hayes]

That is not true.

[Jason Bateman]

I can tell you that is untrue.

[Gillian Anderson]

Anyway, I started posting them anyway and I would do like a yoni of the day or penis of the day and then people would send me pictures of penises or yonis in nature. Like a poodle with the. Yeah, it was nice. So it started this kind of thing. Penises in nature. Yeah. Anyway, so my, my professional life started to mix. Mingle a little bit with my personal life in that you were getting dramatic. An example of anything to do with my personal life. I don't ever post personal things. But so there was a, you know, a cross pollination that was happening there. And so I. People would talk to me. I mean, not in a therapeutic way, but I. A lot of stuff that came to me was. Since then has been part of that bigger conversation about sexual well being and particularly for women. And so in the 70s, Nancy Friday wrote a book called My Secret Garden and she did the introductions to chapters and she invited women to send in letters to her about their sexual fantasies. And it was a book that so anonymous letters from women, particularly mostly in America, writing about their sexual fantasies. And it was like a number one. But all of a sudden everybody wanted women were carrying it in their purses. But it was a real insight into, you know, what women think about when they think about sex. And we thought we discuss doing a modern day version of it to see whether, you know, in the age of, sorry, Franny. Pornography and, you know, shows like sex education or Euphoria or, you know, where everything is out there all the time and you have access to it. To what degree have fantasies, particularly for women, changed over time? And so I put a call out about a year and a half ago to women around the world to write to me anonymously. Bloomsbury set up a portal so that they could do it anonymously. And we collected about 1800 women, started writing letters and about 800 of them finished them. And then we've put about 174 of them in the book.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow, that's wild.

[Gillian Anderson]

It's wild.

[Will Arnett]

So some of them didn't finish.

[Jason Bateman]

Correct.

[Will Arnett]

I'm just going off what you.

[Gillian Anderson]

Some of them didn't finish once. That is correct.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, now did you notice a big difference between the content of those sexual fantasies now versus years ago in the original book?

[Gillian Anderson]

Well, the most interesting thing to me is the degree to which there are so many rules today about what is appropriate and what is not. Whereas back then, animals show up and wow.

[Jason Bateman]

I think it would be the opposite. Like, it would be one.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, you'd think. Yeah, you think it would be the opposite. But you know, we've got the most extraordinary letters from, you know, young teens who have yet to have sex, you know, talking about their fantasies to mothers of many children, single parents, and what it's like trying to do the same old same old with your partner to, you know, 20 somethings in the dating world and how what exists in their head is different from what they experience out in the real world to, you know, it's a real. It's really interesting. And we've got letters from literally all over the world. So there's. We also ask the women, you know, we also invited the trans community and, you know, gender queer people and yeah, it feels quite egalitarian. It feels. It's.

[Sean Hayes]

The hell's that word mean? Equalitarian. Oh, okay.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, it feels like it's an equal opportunity for anybody to pitch in and to talk about their experience. And it does, it feels.

[Will Arnett]

I heard you got like thousands of letters from an Amanda A. From Los Angeles. This is unconfirmed, very unsatisfied.

[Jason Bateman]

There was a run on stamps in our local post office.

[Sean Hayes]

Amanda, where are you going? I'm running to the post office. I'll be right back.

[Will Arnett]

She's just got a stack of letters.

[Sean Hayes]

Huh?

[Will Arnett]

She's really.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow.

[Will Arnett]

Well, that's. Wow. What an awesome.

[Sean Hayes]

That's really cool.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, it is a cool thing.

[Gillian Anderson]

Yeah, it's a really interesting insight. I would have thought that porn would have showed up a lot more in the fantasies. There's a lot of women, no matter how intense, hence the fantasy gets at the end of the day, just wanting to be seen for who they are. Just wanting to be held, wanting care, wanting somebody to look in their eyes. Wanting, you know, or, you know, the opposite. Women who by day are in charge of 500 employees and the CEO of this, that, and the other, and they just want somebody else to be in control. So they, you know, and so it's just. It's fascinating.

[Jason Bateman]

Will, why are you crying?

[Will Arnett]

I'm not crying. I'm saying it doesn't.

[Jason Bateman]

What is going on?

[Will Arnett]

I'm just saying. Hold me. Gillian Anderson, you have been more than generous with your time on what I imagine is your day off. And so thank you so much. Thanks for everything. Been such a fan of yours for the longest time.

[Gillian Anderson]

Very sweet.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And your new book, want is out now.

[Jason Bateman]

Did you do an audio version of that book?

[Gillian Anderson]

Yes, but it's not me, so stay.

[Will Arnett]

Cool it, baby.

[Jason Bateman]

Do you read the.

[Will Arnett]

Understood you.

[Gillian Anderson]

So I wrote the introductions to each chapter and I read the introductions, but then there are women, other women who read the fantasies.

[Jason Bateman]

Got it.

[Sean Hayes]

All right, Copy. We'll send Jason the audio.

[Jason Bateman]

I can't get the hang of the reading. It's top to bottom, left to right.

[Will Arnett]

Sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Sure.

[Sean Hayes]

Jillian. Thank you, honey.

[Gillian Anderson]

Thank you. It was so nice to meet you guys.

[Will Arnett]

Great to meet you.

[Gillian Anderson]

I'm a fan of your show. And. Yeah, thanks for your time. I appreciate it.

[Jason Bateman]

All right. Enjoy the rest of your time in California.

[Will Arnett]

Nice to meet you.

[Gillian Anderson]

Thank you.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye, Jillian.

[Will Arnett]

Bye. Thank you.

[Sean Hayes]

Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

The great Jillian Anderson.

[Gillian Anderson]

Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye, Will. Nice guest.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, Good guest, right?

[Jason Bateman]

Hey. Huh?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Will Arnett]

She is a talent. She's a talent of. She's a. I mean, but it's interesting because she did Dana Scully, as we pointed out, her name, character that everybody knows, massive hit, global. Not just one of those shows that was huge. Really big here.

[Sean Hayes]

And then it came back huge, globally.

[Will Arnett]

Came back. They made a couple movies in the interim, but to be able to kind of step out of that and then step into a. And not just step into one more iconic role, but step into like three or four other or eight or ten great roles continuously and recreate, reinvent herself. Super super tough to do and super admirable. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Super talented. And by the way, it's always wild. We talked a little bit about it. When you associate somebody so much with the character that made them famous and then you see them in interviews that were outside of that world. Just her having that T shirt on, the Wu Tang Clan shirt. And we're talking about her kit. You just see her as. And then Margaret Thatcher, of course, and all the other stuff. You see her as a completely different human being.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And then she's like this totally chill, cool, really smart, interesting person. Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Very different. Can we revisit Sean's theory on evolution?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, I love evolution.

[Will Arnett]

I'd love to hear it too.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Okay.

[Will Arnett]

Are the spaceships planted?

[Jason Bateman]

So the spaceship. So do all the humans come out of the space spaceship or just two of them and then like sort of like an Adam and Eve, they come down. They're sort of egg shaped.

[Sean Hayes]

No, no, we have to.

[Will Arnett]

We've had to.

[Sean Hayes]

We have to have. We have to have had. Come from somewhere.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Sean Hayes]

Somebody or something made us. Right. So it's evolution.

[Will Arnett]

All right, doc, I'm with you so far.

[Sean Hayes]

But we're not the only planet in the entire universe.

[Jason Bateman]

So you're not having this nonsense about the Big Bang. Right. All the science stuff is going for you for sure.

[Sean Hayes]

I am, yeah. No, all that work. But I'm just saying we can't be the only species, so. Because we're not the only species and there is intelligent life. Like if you don't think there's more intelligent life than us, we all agree.

[Jason Bateman]

That'S not in dispute. But I think people are saying that perhaps these other alien. The alien life form also came from what was originally sort of created with sort of this big bang. And who is responsible for the bang?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, but I don't think you were.

[Jason Bateman]

Suggesting that maybe the aliens lit that fuse.

[Sean Hayes]

Correct. I don't know if it's a who as much as it could be a what it could, but I'm open to anything.

[Jason Bateman]

Real big exhaust system, right? Yes. Just like ba boom. It was some sort of a backfire.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, something like that.

[Will Arnett]

So, but you're saying. You're saying at some point somebody from Tatooine came here.

[Sean Hayes]

That's right.

[Will Arnett]

That's right. Not from Naboo, because. Give me a break.

[Sean Hayes]

No. Right.

[Will Arnett]

But definitely somebody from Camino and Tatooine. They came in, they're like, hey, Jakku.

[Sean Hayes]

You're talking about Jakku, not Nobu.

[Will Arnett]

That's a sushi restaurant. Jakku. No, Jakku. Yeah, I'm not talking about Nobu. Malibu, Right? You know, it's funny. My cousin, he's from. My cousin, he's from Alderaan and he.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm sorry about his passing. They blew up the whole planet. They blew up that whole planet.

[Will Arnett]

Don't know stuff about it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, all the wrong.

[Will Arnett]

Stop knowing shit. None of it's real.

[Sean Hayes]

You may find when ready, remember?

[Jason Bateman]

So if you know everything, Sean, then what would you call someone who's got dual citizenship like she does? You know, she's from. She's got England, she's got America.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, you might call her.

[Jason Bateman]

What would you call her?

[Sean Hayes]

You might call her Bicoastal.

[Jason Bateman]

No, it's not Coastal. It's not Coastal.

[Will Arnett]

No, not. What is it by coastal?

[Jason Bateman]

Get back to the microphone. She would be. By what?

[Sean Hayes]

By what do you mean?

[Jason Bateman]

Anything but coastal, motherfucker. It's two countries, bro.

[Sean Hayes]

It's bilingual. No, no. By what?

[Jason Bateman]

No, they both speak English. I don't know. Listen, I don't know the answer, but I want something better than bi. Coastal.

[Sean Hayes]

All I know is.

[Will Arnett]

Guys, hang on is Sean, Will's got it.

[Jason Bateman]

Hang on, Sean, Will's got it.

[Will Arnett]

Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

Here we go.

[Will Arnett]

Jason, you guys are at odds right now. And I want you to be in the work. I want you to be more in sync and I want you to be. Bye Bye. Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Don't move the microphone away like. That's got it. Podcast version of a mic drop off of NSync. We're going to appreciate the effort on that and judges will allow.

[Sean Hayes]

Bye Bye.

[Will Arnett]

Smart Less. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Rob Armjar, Bennett Barbico and Michael Grantieri. Smart Less.

[Gillian Anderson]

What's your boldest, truly ambitious life goal? Everyone has one and everyone deserves a way to get there.

[Sean Hayes]

That's why Estate street offers a wide.

[Gillian Anderson]

Variety of ETFs to give all investors access to the market and the chance.

[Sean Hayes]

To reach their goals. Like with DIA, where you get 30.

[Gillian Anderson]

US blue chip stocks in a single trade.

[Sean Hayes]

Wherever you're heading, getting there starts here with State Street.

[Will Arnett]

Before investing, consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Visit ssga.com for perspectives containing this and other information. Read it carefully.

[Jason Bateman]

DIA is subject to risk.

[Will Arnett]

Similar to those of stocks.

[Jason Bateman]

All ats are subject to risk, including possible loss of principle.

[Will Arnett]

ALPS Distributors, Inc. Distributor.