Gillian Anderson on Straightheads

I've wanted an opportunity to play a tough, ballsy character. I know Scully was a bit like that, but I wanted grittier. There are so many things I did not get to do as Scully - she was tough but controlled. Alice (in Straightheads) was much tougher and took revenge. That aspect of the character appealed to me. I particularly liked the fact that her father was ex army, and serious army - special forces - and taught her how to protect herself from a very early age. I liked the thought of living in a country cottage with your mum and dad, from which your father took you out and taught you how to use a gun and protect yourself against the world. I always have been a bit of a survivor, in a way. I recognise Alice. I have been through a huge amount of changes.

I am working on a thatched cottage in the country and now, we are also working on a place in the city. I am working again on the film How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. There is also a film called The Smell of Apples, which is set in South Africa, based on a book written about ten years ago. I am able to do small budget projects that I really want to do because of the money I made from the TV series. I am sure there are others who would like to do the same, but they have to pay the mortgage. It is a lovely position to be in. I am not sure how much longer I can afford to do that.

Films like Straightheads are the kind of films I have watched through my life and have had an impact on me. It is really nice to be able to be a part of them. There are a lot of great filmmakers out there at the moment, like Dan Reed who wrote and directed this. Some talented people are finding ways to make small films.