Gillian: There are many layers to Scully we haven't seen, but I like her mildness. And there's been room now and again for humor and sarcasm.
-Us

Gillian: I could be friends[with Scully], but I'm not sure if she would be able to engage in the same kind of conversations.
-Houston Chronicle

Gillian: Scully has pigeonholed herself into her career to such a dramatic degree. It's hard for her to philosophize. It's hard for her to have any in-depth conversations about life, about relationships about anything.
-Houston Chronicle

Gillian: It gets a little frustrating sometimes. There have been times when I felt like, how could [Scully] be in the room without believing what is going on? It's hard to know how to play that sometimes.
-Houston Chronicle

Gillian: There are a lot of young girls who look up to Scully as a role model. I think it's miraculous that these young girls have been attracted to such a strong and independent female character, and one that obviously has a great deal of respect for knowledge and school and learning. So there are a lot of girls who have pushed themselves in school as a result of their admiration for her. -Jane

Question: Why do you think so many men find Scully so sexy?
Gillian: You know, I can't explain it. I really don't understand it at all. I think it has to do with librarians letting their hair down and taking off their glasses. I would like to imagine that it's the balance of her strength and intelligence. I might be an optimist -Chicago Sun Times

Question: Have you ever seen the Scully doll?
Gillian: I had to approve and disapprove her parts. I don't know how to contemplate these things. I don't know how to put it in my frame of reference. The doll is taller than I am, proportionally taller. The other thing that's weird is that probably at some little girl's house I'm dating Ken.
–Chicago Sun Times

Question: How aware were you that some forces at Fox wanted to choose a different type of Dana Scully?
Gillian: At the time I didn't know. I recall that during auditions, the network kept asking me to wear something smaller and more formfitting, and higher heels.
-Rolling Stone

Gillian: Isn't that bizarre? When people first started saying they thought that Scully was hot I just didn't get it. But now I do. What I didn't get was that my concept was that what men found attractive was what they were used to seeing on TV, year in and year out: blond and chesty and leggy and skimpy clothing... that's what men found attractive. And when people saying that Scully was... I just didn't understand it. I didn't get it. And I guess now I'm starting to. It seems to be a sleeper fantasy, the same thing as the schoolgirl thing. I mean, not that Scully's wearing these little skirts, but there's something about the mixture of intelligence and "What does she really look like underneath that suit?" I'm not saying that that's what's going through men's minds and that's all they can be attracted to, is what's underneath, but I was just trying to fathom in some way what it was that men found attractive in Scully.
-TV Guide

Gillian: Sure, there are times when I just hate to think of saying one of Scully's patented comebacks again. It would be a lot harder if I weren't playing such an intelligent and multidimensional character. Also, there are days when we may not crack a smile on camera but we laugh a lot between takes.
-Redbook