Gillian Anderson is best known for her role as Agent Scully in the series “The X-Files,” where she applied science to her investigations alongside her partner Mulder. Scully has inspired generations of women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Many female scientists have even chosen this career because of her character’s influence.
More than 30 years after "The X-Files" aired, American actress Gillian Anderson, now 56, still gets emotional when meeting fans who were inspired by her character Agent Scully to pursue a career in science.
“I met real women scientists and they said, ‘I work in the lab and pursue a career in science because of Scully.’ That really touched me,” Anderson said.
In a conversation with The Daily Telegraph, the actress shared: "When I played Scully, there was a 'Scully effect' where many young girls were passionate about science because of my character. Every time I met a young girl pursuing STEM because of the character Scully, it was always great. Sometimes, I still meet fans who tell me that."
A 2018 Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media survey found that 63% of women surveyed said watching Scully reinforced their belief in the importance of STEM.
Specifically, 43% considered a career in STEM, 27% began their studies in these fields, and 24% continued to work in STEM. The series' impact was so strong that the increase in women in science is often referred to as the "Scully effect."
Movies have the power to inspire more than any other genre. While women in science were only occasionally featured in the news or in newspapers, "The X-Files" gave audiences the opportunity to see a female scientist on television every week for 45 minutes.
Scully conducted research and worked in labs and morgues before other popular series like "Crime Scene Investigation" aired.
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Throughout the film, Scully is constantly faced with dangerous situations but always remains professional and fearless, and has complete faith in what science can prove.
When I was a 12-year-old girl in a small town in Northern Mexico, I used to watch “The X-Files”. I was inspired to go into science by the character Scully, because she was a medical doctor and a strong, intelligent, fearless woman.”
Alicia Lopez, infectious disease specialist
She is an FBI agent and an intellectual equal to her teammates, confidently facing danger as well as conducting scientific experiments in the lab.
By bringing a talented and respected female scientist to the screen, "The X-Files" played a significant role in normalizing the presence of women in science.
Not only does this help increase the acceptance of women in STEM, it also encourages girls to see these professions as viable and rewarding career options.
Following Scully, other iconic characters such as Samantha Carter on "Stargate SG1", Kaylee Frye on "Firefly" and Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory" continued to open up space on the small screen for female scientists.
The more such characters appear, the more it contributes to normalizing their presence not only on the small screen.
Women have made great strides in STEM education over the past decades. In the United States, the proportion of women choosing STEM majors has increased since 2010, with 45% of STEM students now being female.
Significant progress has also been made globally, with more women entering STEM careers. However, women currently make up only 26% of STEM professionals in the United States.
What's more worrying is that 40%-50% of women in engineering leave the workforce after just 5-7 years on the job.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/hieu-ung-scully-truyen-cam-hung-cho-tre-em-gai-theo-duoi-stem-20250221162818826.htm
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