The “Scully Effect” And Other Things You Never Knew About The X-Files

Jody Foster Inspired Scully’s Character

Photo credit: Moviestillsdb / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Before Hillary Clinton became the queen of the pantsuit, Dana Scully was all over breaking barriers in perfectly-tailored menswear. Scully may have popularized shoulder pads and two-button suits, but her character was said to have been inspired by another FBI power-suit queen, Clarice Starling.

Starling, portrayed by Jodie Foster, was the main character in The Silence of the Lambs. Chris Carter said that a strong, female lead like Foster inspired him to write Scully’s character. Anderson was even approached to play Clarice Starling in the sequel, Hannibal. The two characters even have the same haircut.