Despite having a great bond while co-starring on “The X-Files” years ago, netizens felt Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny’s on-stage presence was off when they reunited at the SAGs.

For 2025’s 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, two iconic former co-stars reunited on stage. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are well known for their collaboration in the fan-favorite ’90s science fiction drama, “The X-Files.”

Duchovny played Fox Mulder, while Anderson portrayed Dana Scully. They were two special Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who investigated strange, unexplained, and unresolved cases while hidden forces worked to impede their efforts.

The pair’s characters often clashed because Duchovny’s character believed in the paranormal, while Scully, the skeptic, preferred a more scientific approach. The show aired from 1993 until 2018, winning 16 Primetime Emmy Awards along with numerous other accolades.

Ahead of the event, the SAG Awards announced Anderson and Duchovny as some of its additional presenters for the occasion on its website. Longtime SAG Awards Talent Producers Maggie Barrett Caulfield, Sarah Cowperthwaite, and Joey Petrovich booked the pair, along with other stars like Ariana Grande, Ayo Edebiri, Bowen Yang, and Colin Farrell.

Also Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Drew Starkey, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Fran Drescher, and more.

Taking to the stage on February 23 to present the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, the pair shared a conversation as part of their skit. After receiving rousing applause, Duchovny turned to Anderson and said, “It’s great to see you, Gillian, you look, uh…”

Completing his sentence, the actress hilariously remarked, “…Younger than you last saw me when we shot 218 episodes?” Her former co-star enthusiastically replied, “Yes, that’s exactly right, yes.” Duchovny then asked her what she thought made a good drama.

To this, she responded, “Oh, there’s really only one thing. It’s a special thing.” Dragging it out, she explained that it wasn’t something that could be bought or faked, and her former co-star agreed. Duchovny guessed that it was “timing,” while Anderson questioned if it was maybe “chemistry.”

The actress retorted that “chemistry” was something her former co-star still had, to which he thoughtfully rubbed his chin and replied, “Yeah,” before she called him “hilarious.” Anderson jokingly concluded their skit by saying, “We did that so well.”

Duchovny then humorously suggested they announce the winner of the category quickly so they could “get out of here as soon as we can.” However, they first revealed the nominees.

Taking to Instagram, Anderson shared an image and a video of her gorgeous strapless black-and-white Carolina Herrera gown, captioning the post, “we [sic] still got it! 🤪 @davidduchovny.” She also included a video of them backstage discussing their script for their skit with the teleprompters.

The actress also revealed that her jewelry was by Martin Katz Jewels, while Martha Ward styled her, Ian James did her hair, and Kate Lee did her makeup. The post also included pictures of her posing with other guests.

Duchovny also posted images from the event alone, with Anderson, and other stars. He captioned his post, saying, “[I] had a great time at the @sagawards with @gilliana and friends.”

While the pair’s reunion should have brought nostalgia for fans, some were more critical of their interaction. Replying to one TikTok user who said Duchovny and Anderson had the best chemistry on “The X-Files,” another commented, “i [sic] don’t see chemistry now.” A different netizen questioned, “this was awkward no? Lol. [sic]”

An Instagram user who was displeased with their interaction stated, “Their bit was so weird. She was clearly not havin’ it.” Another critic remarked, “That was painful to watch. Why do they look like they are there for a root canal? Cheer up a bit, eh?” while another added, “It felt awkward.”

Someone else focused on Duchovny, saying, “He seems lost.” Mentioning both actors, another commented, “They’re always such a disaster,” while one person noted, “This looked.. Painful..”

Seeing a picture of the two stars posing together at the event, one person laughed while noting, “Wow. Neither of them look[s] happy. At all.” Another disapproving Instagram user deemed the interaction as “Horrible, just read the prompter.”

In November 2024, Duchovny invited Anderson to catch up on his “Fail Better with David Duchovny” Spotify podcast. The show host noted how they had a period where they worked together on “The X-Files” without dealing with each other off-camera because there was a lot of tension.

Anderson agreed and found it crazy that they could still present accordingly on camera but then go for weeks without talking. Her former co-star noted how odd it was but speculated that it maybe helped them because they got to save their interactions for the camera.

However, he admitted, “I could’ve handled myself better.” He attributed their distance to their inexperience when they started working on the show, navigating fame while working on a world-renowned show.

At the time, he was in his 30s and she was in her 20s, and the show turned their world upside down. Years before their podcast reunion, Anderson opened up about their relationship in a 2014 interview.

The year before marked the 20th anniversary of “The X-Files,” during which she and Duchovny reunited at the San Diego and New York Comic-Con events, and they also participated in a Reddit panel. During that time, rumors circulated that the duo were romantically linked.

The actress shut down the rumors, revealing that they were never in a relationship, calling it a “nice idea,” but insisting, “It’s not gonna happen.” She explained that they wouldn’t date because they knew each other too well, adding, “I think we probably know each other better than we know our spouses at any time that we might have had spouses.”

Anderson confessed that there might have been an attraction but that it wouldn’t go anywhere. Two years later, she appeared on “Larry King Now,” where she revealed that her relationship with Duchovny was “complicated” because they spent every waking hour together for nine months a year over seven years.

She admitted that, at times, they both felt the pressure of having such a close working relationship and experienced ups and downs on set. However, she reiterated that they never spent time together outside of work or went out for meals.

Questions about their bond have persisted over the years, and in 2024, the actress made a video after discovering that people wanted to know why she kissed Duchovny first and not her then-boyfriend, actor Rodney Rowland when she won a Golden Globe in 1997.

The star jokingly explained that, at the time, she and Duchovny were living together and said Rowland “was my beard.” Gillian Anderson then seriously revealed that she didn’t know why she kissed him first, suggesting that maybe it was because they were on the show together and practically married.

She also noted that she and her former co-star spent more time together than they did with their loved ones. The actress shared that Rowland was a great guy and she didn’t think it bothered him. She concluded by reasoning that her then-boyfriend understood before adding, “It was complex.”

Their reunion at the SAG Awards might’ve sparked mixed reactions, highlighting the strong nostalgia attached to their iconic roles. Whether awkward or humorous, their dynamic continues to captivate audiences decades after their “X-Files” days.