Gillian Anderson with David Letterman on The Late Show February 19, 1996

GA = Gillian Anderson
DL = David Letterman
KG = Kathie Lee Gifford

DL: Wow, the crowd goes crazy. Thank you very much for coming.

GA: Thank you.

DL: You look terrific. I must be doing something right. *Look* at these two lovely women here.

KG: Redheads.

GA: Redheads.

KG: Redheads.

DL: How are you doing? How's President's Day going?

GA: It's going excellent. I got a day off.

DL: Hey, good for you. How did you get here? Now we know, uh, we've talked to your co-star, David, we... Huh?

GA: Three times.

DL: Three times, yeah. We'll have you here 3 times, alright?

GA: Of course.

DL: And we know that you do the show in Vancouver.

GA: That's right.

DL: So now, how do you get there, get here from there?

GA: On an airplane.

DL: There you go. And is that how you got here today?

GA: That's how I got here today.

DL: Wow! Well...

GA: I know. Go figure.

DL: And this is like regular flights every 2 or 3 hours?

GA: There are--from Vancouver, even.

DL: I'll have to look into it.

GA: You should.

DL: How are things in your life?

GA: They're good! They're very good.

DL: Now, whenever you get some time off, they have to write you out of the script, don't they?

GA: Well, kind of. This episode we're being chased by killer pussycats. And I guess I'm hiding under a couch or something because I'm not there right now.

DL: What's the deal on the show? You're stalking aliens? Everybody but you and David are aliens? Or you think everybody's an alien?

GA: That's just about it, yeah.

DL: But they're from outerspace--is that what they are?

GA: No, some of them are human. They just eat people or their livers or they suck fat from people's bodies.

DL: Uh, huh.

KG: Can you get me their number? That'd be great.

GA: [Laughs] That would be good. I've thought about that too.

KG: As long as it was in the right spot.

GA: Exactly. But you die afterwards.

DL: Your own personalized fat sucker....wouldn't that be nice. How do you know if somebody's been attacked by one of these guys?

GA: Cause usually they're dead.

DL: But don't they take over their bodies and they can be walking around and be an alien?

GA: They, uh, yes, they could be. You're probably right. Um, I've never thought about that before. Like, you, for instance.

DL: Am I missing something here? So you don't know who is an alien and who is not an alien. Is that right?

GA: I think you're confusing things here.

DL: Well, it wouldn't be the first night, would it.

GA: No, there are the regular aliens that we see every single episode. They're different than other aliens. Some of them have green hair.

DL: Right.

GA: Or some of them have, you know, they don't usually look...

DL: The ones with the green hair--forgive me, I've been eating makeup all night--

GA: That's alright.

KG [to DL]: Have you seen the show?

GA: No, no he hasn't.

DL: Yes I have. Yes I have.

GA: You have?!

DL: I don't understand it.

GA: Okay.

DL: The ones with the green hair are easy to spot.

GA: Yes, they are. Anybody with green hair is an alien.

DL: Automatically an alien.

GA: Automatically.

DL: Alright, I feel much better now.

GA: And they'll kill you.

DL: They will, they will kill you.

GA: They will kill you.

DL: You grew up in what part of the country?

GA: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

DL: Oh, beautiful there. Lovely.

GA: Yes, you're intimate with Grand Rapids, Michigan I hear.

DL: Yes, that's where our home office is right now.

GA: Yes, that's what I hear.

DL: What was life like for you when you were growing up there?

GA: It was, uh, it was different. It was normal, and it was strange.

DL: You say it was different and normal and strange. How so? How do you reconcile those?

GA: Grand Rapids, I guess, is pretty normal. And I was... strange.

DL: Were you... [interrupted by loud cheers from the crowd]. Yes, sir.

KG: At least you admit it, you know. Good for you.

GA: Exactly.

DL: And was it a good kind of strange or a not-so-good kind of strange?

GA: It was good for me. I mean, I got my kicks. I wasn't very good in school. You know, shaving cream on the lockers...

DL: Uh, huh.

GA: That kind of stuff. I was voted most likely to be arrested on graduation.

DL: Wow! Nice going. So did you ever fulfill that promise?

GA: Yes, I did. Graduation night as a matter-of-fact.

DL: And what were you doing that you got arrested?

GA: I was attempting to break into the school and glue the locks so that, come Monday, nobody would be able to get in.

DL: --nobody could get in. More of a prank than anything else.

GA: Yeah, more of a prank.

DL: And was there alcohol involved?

GA: [pauses and grins] I had been drinking, yes.

DL: How long did you go away?

GA: Um, just a few hours. I got bailed out--my boyfriend bailed me out.

DL: And tell me about your boyfriend--what kind of guy was he?

GA: Aaaahhhhhh... He was, uh... he was, uh... 10 years older than I was.

DL: Ooooohh man.

GA: I was 16 and he was 26.

DL: Sixteen and you got a 26 year old boyfriend? Wow, how do you get a deal like that?

GA: How? Well, I guess you have to be unemployed, in a punk rock band, and--

KG: --and easy.

GA: And easy.

KG: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I like this woman. Didn't you always say you were psychic even from an early age?

DL: Which one of you was easy? Well, I guess--

GA: Which _one_ of us was easy?! [pauses] He was easy.

DL: There ya go. Are your folks proud of you?

GA: [laughs] Um, yes. Yes they are. They're relieved, I should say.

DL: Oh great. So you got to get right back to work now? Still in the middle of filming?

GA: Still in the middle of filming with killer pussycats and back to work tomorrow.

DL: Now those killer pussycats--are those aliens?

GA: We don't know. It's not clear.

DL: And when will you find out?

GA: Um, probably when I read the script [smiles]. I'm joking.

DL: So, you're not chasing aliens at all then.

GA: Well, we are--there's an urn and bones in the urn and cats that chase us and it's unclear as to whether they're alien or not.

DL: Do you remember that show "My Favorite Martian?"

GA: No.

DL: Long time ago. This guy had things come up out of his head. And that's how you could tell that he was, like, an alien.

GA: Like green hair. If you've got green hair, then you have those things.

DL: Yeah, same kinda deal. It's a pleasure to meet you. And we'll have you back. And we'll have you on more than David, don't worry. It'll be just fine, alright?

GA: Okay.

DL: Thank you very much. It was a pleasure meeting you, Gillian.

[Conversation between DL and KG about GA--after she left.]

DL: You've been interviewing top stars of the day for a long, long time--did I piss her off?

KG: No, I thought she was very happy to be here.

DL: Seemed like she was pissed off today. It's interesting because I eat your makeup and you're not mad at me. I get her show confused about the alien pussycats and she's steamed.

KG: Well, she's fine I think.

DL: You sure she's fine?

KG: She's fine.

DL: Oh yeah? Then where is she?!

KG: She's got a little baby. Her little baby's back there. She went to take care of her.

DL: Oh, she brought it. Oh, ok, I feel much better.

KG: I have no place to go, that's why I'm here.

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