Gillian Anderson is elated that she’s been immortalized in minifigure form for the new LEGO X-Files set. Among the more unusual honors of her career, she puts it alongside her cameo in another of the world’s most celebrated TV shows.

Speaking exclusively ahead of the launch of LEGO Ideas The X-Files (21369) , which was unveiled today, she says: “It’s way at the top, I’d have to say. Definitely. It was pretty cool when we ended up on a Mad Magazine cover. It was pretty cool when we ended up in a Simpsons episode — one of my favorites of all time. But I have to say that this is right up there with The Simpsons .”

Anderson waited a long time to see LEGO make the dream a reality. The build was originally conceived by the ever-reliable Australian fan designer Brent “WetWired” Waller , who first pitched the concept over ten years ago — and even sent Anderson and David Duchovny minifigure mock-ups, which Anderson proudly shared on social media.

The LEGO X-Files was finally greenlit after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback after being submitted as part of the LEGO Ideas ’90s Nostalgia Challenge ; now, Waller adds another successful pop-culture creation to his extensive list, which also includes Seinfeld (21328) and Ghostbusters Ecto-1 (21108) .

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LEGO Ideas The X-Files (21369) key specifications

Pieces: 1,478 RRP: $199.99 (£179.99; €199.99) Minifigures: Eight (Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, Mr X, Alex Krycek, Carl Busch, The Flukeman, and a grey alien) Availability: LEGO Insiders Early Access from August 1; general sale from August 4 Gift with purchase: LEGO Ideas The X-Files: Scully’s Lab (40896), available August 1-10

When Anderson learned that the LEGO Group had commissioned The X-Files in brick form, she still couldn’t quite believe it.

“It took this long to become reality,” she says. “I mean, I literally thought that the idea had gone away. And you know, it’s such a leap! It was more likely to me that it would just kind of disappear, but for them to suddenly call up and say, by the way, this is actually coming to fruition… I mean, I understand, based on the detail of the set, why it has taken so long.

“It’s amazing that the LEGO brand allows fans to weigh in on what products they might create in the future. I mean, that’s such a nod to the aspect of play that is obviously the essence of the LEGO brand, but also, of course, the fans are going to be ever more excited and involved if they feel like it’s been, you know, a set that has been led by the fans themselves. It’s such a fantastic idea.”

When Anderson saw the final creation in person, she said she reacted “like a little kid,” getting distracted by all the details.

“People were talking to me and asking questions, and my reaction was, like, ‘my goodness! Oh, and there’s this! And there are pencils in the ceiling!’ And the “I want to believe” poster… There are sunflower seeds! And there’s the Flukeman, you know!

“I think the fans are just going to lose their minds when they get to see it, because it’s got so many bits to it that you would wish for — for anybody who’s a die-hard fan, who would come up with what they would want to be included — I’m pretty certain that all of those elements are actually included in this set.

“It’s just delicious, really. It’s really very, very special. I just cannot wait for people to get their hands on it.”

The truth lives on forever

Anderson is still amazed at how The X-Files continues to find new ways into culture so long after it first aired, but she understands the show’s appeal as horror-themed “event television”, back when it was one episode a week, and people would gather at a specific time to watch it.

“It was scary; it was on a little bit later, so it was something that was generally quite unique,” she says. “I’ve encountered many people who were introduced when they were kids, who are now adults, and introducing it to their kids, so I’ve seen many multi-generational families who are still so attached to it in a way, as a nostalgic piece of their youth, and almost hand it down as a rite of passage to their kids.”

Still, back when she was filming The X-Files , Anderson didn’t realize how much of an impact her own character would have on the world, and women in particular. She would never have thought she’d become a LEGO minifigure.

“In 1993, I didn’t even know whether we’d be picked up for 13 episodes, never mind 211, or whatever it is!” she says.

“I was so immersed in it for so long, and the show itself was so connected to her; it wasn’t, I think, until a while after we had stopped shooting the main series, when I also started hearing more and more about ‘the Scully effect,’ and the fact that, you know, during that period of time, there was a higher percentage of women applying for STEM — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“That was a real uptick, and they, you know, would say that it was because of the influence of Scully. When you refer to Scully, [it] makes you think of particular characteristics of a strong, intelligent, right-minded woman in the pursuit of justice.”

Anderson is as busy as she’s ever been. She most recently filmed the 2026 queer psychosexual slasher movie Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma , as well as The Boys from Brazil , which is directed by her partner, Peter Morgan, with whom she also collaborated for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Crown .

She continues to advocate for more than just LEGO sets. She specifically highlights the work of SAYes , a charity she started with friend Michelle Potter nearly 20 years ago as a mentor-mentee program that originally began in South Africa.

Anderson says: “It helps underserved youth connect with mentors who become a constant in their life for a period of time; someone to call, somebody to talk to on a regular basis who consistently shows up, and might even encourage them towards going after their dreams or teach them how to fill out a job application or, you know, school, signing up for uni, or open a bank account.

“There’s a lot of research that’s gone into the program. We’ve had a huge amount of success with the youth who have gone through it. Anyone can be a mentor. You can sign up to be a mentor, even if you live in another country.”

When she’s taking time for herself, though, you can guarantee she and her family will build the LEGO X-Files set. “The LEGO brand has been such a huge part of my life,” she says. “We just built another shelf for another set.” It sounds like they’ll need at least one more on August 1.