6 Amazing Bodies From The X-Files

Cue spooky music and embark on an extraterrestrial expedition to uncover the secrets behind the show's most iconic figures. The FBI's finest, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have revealed their off-screen regimens to maintain those investigative physiques that could even make Cigarette Smoking Man quit a bad habit. From Duchovny's passion for juicing to Anderson's dedication to skincare, it's clear these stars are as committed to their health as they are to solving paranormal phenomena. Joining the dossier are Annabeth Gish, who takes family fitness to new heights, and Joel McHale, whose disdain for lunges is matched only by his determination. Read on.

1. David Duchovny

David Duchovny played one of the lead characters, Fox Mulder, on the show. He shared some of his diet and workout secrets in a video interview with Men’s Health. He loves to make juices. “Down here we have juicing stuff like beet, carrot,” he said, showing the viewers his fridge. “I’ve got back into juicing recently. Fruit. I like this coconut stuff.”

2. Gillian Anderson

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Gillian Anderson played Dana Scully on the show. She shared some of her skincare secrets with New Beauty. "Even with all the fancy creams I’ve been gifted over the years, once I started seeing that my skin was suffering, I began to pay more attention to it. There’s a Clinique Moisture Surge Gel, which is kind of extraordinary for application in the afternoon, if you’re starting to feel like you’re drying up and need some hydration.”

3. Annabeth Gish

Annabeth Gish played Monica Reyes on the show. She revealed to Sportify that she and her family do a lot of physical activities together. “My kids know that working out for my mental and physical health is a priority. We all go rock climbing as a family. We ski. We scuba dive. My children are starting to now out-pace me. They want to go deeper, and ski faster, and climb higher. It’s beautiful to see when your children start to actively excel beyond you.”

4. Joel McHale

Joel McHale played Ted O’Malley on the revival series. In an interview with Men’s Journal, he revealed that he does a lot of tough lower body workouts. “I think all leg workouts are harder than upper body workouts just because it’s a much bigger muscle. Even though I don’t like doing lunges and they annoy the hell out of me, I do them, because I know I’ll be happy sometime later. I really don’t have that much trouble with motivation. I’ve never been one of those guys that’s like 'I don’t know if I’m going to work out today.' I’m way too vain to not work out.”

5. Robbie Amell

Robbie Amell played Miller on the revival. He shared some of his at-home workouts in an interview with Men’s Health. "Obviously, times are really weird right now, but I think it's really important to try and stay active, whether it's pushups, situps, burpees, jumping jacks, you know, anything to just get the blood flowing and get the endorphins going.”

6. Robert Patrick

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Robert Patrick played John Doggett on the series. He also appeared in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and talked about the experience with The Chicago Tribune. “If you let your imagination go, you can kind of endure anything. I don’t want that to sound so cavalier, but I think because of the preparation I had done, the training that I had done, I was able to do what was asked of me. And no one got hurt — including myself. I felt like I did a good job. Every effort was made to make me feel comfortable.”

1. Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar played the title character. In an interview with Shape, she talked about how her approach to fitness has changed. "I think it's become more emotional. [Exercise] used to be, sort of, 'I have to do this, this is my job, this is work.' But I think there's an emotional component too, which is, it's what clears my mind. When I work out for an hour, I can sort of let everything else go, and I just focus on whatever the movement is and making sure it's correct.”

2. Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan played one of the main characters, Willow Rosenberg. She recently appeared on Dancing With The Stars, making it to the finale with partner Sasha Farber. Hannigan opened up about her weight loss from the show on Instagram. She captioned the post, “The before and after says it all. I lost 20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage during my time on @dancingwiththestars. I can’t thank @sashafarber1 enough for helping me shed my insecurities and getting me to the confident and strong place I am today!”

3. Charisma Carpenter

Charisma Carpenter played Cordelia Chase on both Buffy and Angel. She shared some of her fitness secrets in an interview with OK! Magazine. “I train with a trainer regularly. I love my trainer Mark Monroe. He mixes it up. We did some boxing the other day. I brought my son to work out because he’s out of school and we had a lapse between summer camp and school. Sometimes we do that together. We’ll do an outdoor workout when he comes along.”

4. David Boreanaz

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David Boreanaz played Angel on the show, and his own spinoff. His most recent role was on the CBS show Seal Team. Boreanaz shared how he got in shape for the show to Men’s Journal. He revealed that the crew has special forces members that help the cast train. “I can’t explain how crucial they have been to the character,” Boreanaz said. “During these operations they can’t go below 100 percent, they are always going and burning. I get so much out of being around those guys, and it pushes me to work harder.”

5. Michelle Trachtenberg

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Michelle Trachtenberg joined the show as Dawn Summers in season five. In an Instagram post, she revealed that she was bullied as a child due to her acting career. Trachtenberg gave her advice to others in similar situations in the post. “I write this to every child, teen, person out there who is bullied. You are something. Do not put your value in someone else. Not letting them win, is your win.”

6. James Marsters

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James Marsters, who played Spike on the show and on Angel, talked about what he wants people to take from the series to The AV Club. “It began just as the story of an adolescent who’s going through a period in her life where she realizes that the world is messed up, her parents don’t always know what they’re talking about, her teachers don’t always know the subject matter they’re teaching, and we’re going to watch to see if she gives up. If she’s going to continue to try to find answers and engage with the world or just going to cocoon and give up. I think it’s well done enough that someone who’s older or younger than that can still identify with that and say, ‘Oh, I know what that feels like.’ It’s hard to wake up every morning and not give up and [instead] say, ‘I’m going to try to help out today.’ I think that’s very important right now.”

7. Seth Green

Seth Green played Oz on the show. He talked about his long career and how grateful he is in an interview with Looper. “I've been really lucky to have consistently gotten to work with people that I'm inspired by and been able to collaborate with friends of mine. And I got to a point where I made enough money where I could be far more specific about the choices I was making and only work on things that I could predict would be a positive experience or would be something I was truly passionate about. To that end, I love it all. Like, I can't even believe looking back that I've gotten to do the work that I have, and I am eternally grateful for that.”

8. Bianca Lawson

Bianca Lawson played the role of Kendra in season two. She shared her secrets for getting good sleep with Glamour. “I’m someone that loves to feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud, so a very soft mattress, very soft pillows, a weighted blanket, has been really helpful to me. Sometimes I play a rain app since there’s something that feels very cozy about listening to rain or the sound of waves. I need to have blackout curtains. I can’t have any lights on.”

9. Emma Caulfield

Emma Caulfield joined the show in season three, playing Anya Jenkins. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she revealed that she has MS, and talked about why she wanted to talk about this. "I’m so tired of not being honest. And beyond that, my daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anybody who is a parent can attest…Truthfully, my attitude is not crumbling under the fear of ‘what if’ or ‘what can,’ or ‘what has’ for other people. I just have to keep going.”

10. Julie Benz

Julie Benz played the recurring character Darla on the show. During the pandemic, she made sure to work out from home. Benz revealed in this Instagram video that she uses workout apps, captioning it, “Working out from home using the @bodybysimone app!! Dogs not included! Stay healthy, stay strong, be kind and WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!” In the video, Benz is seen jumping on a treadmill and doing plank walks.

11. Eliza Dushku

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Eliza Dushku played the fan-favorite character, Faith Lehane, in season three. She notably spoke out about being sexually harassed by a co-star, Michael Weatherly. This led to her testifying in front of the House Judiciary Committee. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she talked about what she took away from the experience. “With mandatory arbitration clauses, there's no accountability, no transparency. And so it continues. And that affects the culture both at specific workplaces and as a whole. If you keep harassment shrouded, that allows harassment to continue. We can heal from this, but the healing will come from action—from, hopefully, Congress choosing to act and protect future victims.”

Dr. Julian Bashir was a star of the Starfleet Medical Academy racquetball team. Engineer Miles O'Brien was forced to take him on, in a tournament arranged by Quark. Major Kira loved Springball, so much so that she had a court built. And, of course, Commander Sisko and his son loved the classic Earth game of baseball. Despite it being considered a sci-fi show for '90s "nerds," the classic series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine featured a fair number of jocks. And in real life, the cast maintains their fitness. Read to see how Terry Farrell and more stay well into the future.

1. Terry Farrell

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Terry Farrell played science officer Jadzia Dax on the first six seasons. She opened up about negotiating contracts in Hollywood to WomenAtWarp.com. “When it first happens and you’re speaking up for yourself, I think a lot of the drive comes from how you’re afraid to speak out. So you can sound passive-aggressive, you build up anger, and you’re afraid to say how you’re feeling because you’re afraid how someone will react to you. At least for me, I would be afraid of how someone would react to me. And then, when you find your voice, and you trust that its going to be heard, then you can find a safe place, you can start that dialogue of sticking up for yourself before you get to the angry. It can feel really scary, and you can feel yourself being brave, but the more you do that, the more you practice that, the more your voice can come out and be heard. The more you feel your own strength, the more you find your own voice. You do have to learn it if you haven’t had it to begin with.”

2. Rosalind Chao

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Rosalind Chao reprised her The Next Generation role of Keiko O’Brien on the show. Chao shared some advice for actors with Backstage.com. “If I had one piece of advice for young actors now, it’s train train train, and then train some more. [And] don’t sweat the small stuff. Debra Zane, who cast ‘Mulan,’ brought me in to read. I was about to leave for London. I wasn’t actually going to go in because I was about to leave to be on stage. I thought, you know what, I haven’t met Debra Zane so I’m just going to go in anyway. When I went in, I explained to her, ‘I don’t think I can do this because I’m going to be in London for six months and it doesn’t work with the ‘Mulan’ schedule.’ She said, ‘This schedule is in constant transition. I really want to put you down for us, just in case.’ I really didn’t think I had the audition prepared as if I was going to be able to do the role. She really encouraged me to read for her anyway.”

3. Alexander Siddig

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Alexander Siddig played medical officer, Julian Bashir, for all seven seasons. In an interview with Bidoun.com, he talked about the roles he wants to play. “I am looking for solid characters, more in the old-fashioned way that books and films are very similar, rather than segmented films with uneven time. The great narratives, the great stories, have been appealing to all cultures, whether they are written by Tolstoy, or Garcia Marquez, or Mahfouz, and they are usually very simple stories.”

4. Cirroc Lofton

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Cirroc Lofton played Jake Sisko on the show. He talked about feeling supported by the show’s fans to TrekMovie.com. “The expansion of the fans has also been a wonderful thing. To meet all these new people that are getting brought back into the fold, to meet fans of my show that weren’t even born when the show went off the air… doing this podcast has been also an exceptional gift that keeps on giving. Thanks to the late great Aron Eisenberg, thanks to my partner Ryan T. Husk. This has been the thing that has kept me attached to Star Trek and helped me nurture and grow relationships that I’ve already had. Those are the wonderful things, the opportunity that this podcast has been for me.”

5. Nicole De Boer

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Nicole De Boer played Ezri Dax on season seven of the show. She talked about going to conventions with Heavy.com. “It is an absolute gift… there’s so much love there from the fans. You get to be with your other actor friends as well, you get to really engage with your fans and meet them. And meet families who brought ‘Star Trek’ to their kids and then watched it with their kids. Then their kids grew up and then they had kids and they introduced them to ‘Star Trek.’ And I get to meet these people at conventions. And it’s just so incredibly heartwarming. And so fun! It’s a huge part of my life.”

6. Andrea Martin

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Andrea Martin played the recurring role of Ishka on the show. She previously struggled with bulimia. She opened up about how she handles these feelings with CBC.ca. “Not feeling was the only purpose food ever held for me. If I have any feelings, happy or sad, my intention is to stuff them down. But instead, I sit with them. I feel what I’m feeling until it passes.”

1. Tim Russ

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Tim Russ played Tuvok on the show. He shared his advice for other actors with DeathWishCoffee.com. “I tell them the first thing you got to do is look at the environment you got to work in and what's going on and what it's going to be like to try to make a living out of doing this as opposed to, like I said, doing it as a hobby. If you want to do it as a hobby, fantastic, but if you want to try to make a living at it, you are going to have a hell of a tough time just based on the fact that the production, the way the production is, where it goes on, most of it is run away and not here. The opportunities are fewer and their competition is just as fierce if not more than it was before. So it's that much tougher to book these things and get stuff.”

2. Jeri Ryan

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Jeri Ryan played the role of Seven of Nine, also known as Annika Hansen. She talked about her thoughts on how the character was perceived to The Huffington Post. “I say the same thing now as I said then: I don't have a problem with Seven's overtly sexual physical appearance, if only because of the way she was written and developed. If it was a crappy character, then OK. But she was so nuanced and beautifully written.”

3. Garrett Wang

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Garrett Wang played Harry Kim on all seven seasons. In an interview with Gay Calgary, he spoke out in support of equality for the LGBT community.“We still have issues with people not allowing themselves to be empathetic with gender and sexual orientation issues,” he said. “You know what I’m saying? We still have issues where people can’t see the other side or another’s perspective. When Voyager came out in 1995 we had bomb threats. People could not stand that we had a woman in command. And that’s 1995! And when it comes to issues of sexual orientation, there are still people getting beaten and killed because of their sexuality! Gay bashings are something that is still happening in 2014. It’s ludicrous! It’s like God dang it, everyone needs a dosage of perspective. I would love to take every single bigoted person that is racist and make them live with a black family or an Asian family or in another culture for a few months. Take every person who is anti-gay and make them live with a gay couple for a few months. Then you understand what these people are like. That they are like you. Perspective is the key to everything – whether it’s world peace, or understanding between people of different genders or sexual orientations. It’s all about perspective and understanding how the other half lives. That is the answer.”

4. Roxann Dawson

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Roxann Dawson played B’Elanna Torres on the show. However, she revealed to Film.com that she doesn’t see herself reprising her role, and wants to move forward. “I think there's such wonderful and modern work being done there right now that we really can't categorize it in the way that we might have in the '90s. But no, I haven't really wanted to go back. I feel like I've been there and I've done that, and I love moving on to other things. So that's where I am at with it."

5. Robert Duncan MacNeill

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Robert Duncan MacNeill played Tom Paris on the show. He also got the chance to direct, and shared how he convinced the director to let him have the opportunity with StarTrek.com. “I think that first day he thought it was just a lot of talk. But I kept speaking to him. I talked to Frakes and other people who’d done it. I started spending time in editing and screenings, particularly screenings when Rick was in the room. I wanted to hear what he liked, what he didn't, how he thought, how things could’ve been directed better... All of that.”

6. Ethan Phillips

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Ethan Phillips played the role of Neelix on the show. He shared what he thought of the character’s arc to StarTrek.com. “To tell you the honest-to-god truth, the first few seasons, I made some suggestions and gave some ideas, but they knew what they wanted to do and they had their agenda, and that was fine with me. My job was to show up and to bring to life the words they wrote, and that's what I did. But I was very pleased, though, with where Neelix ended up.”

7. Kate Mulgrew

Kate Mulgrew played Katherine Janaway in the franchise. She’s returned to the role, but is mostly doing voice work. Mulgrew talked about this with The Cosmic Circus. “Oh, it’s much, much easier. And it’s very freeing, very liberating. And I’m collaborating with Kevin and Dan Hageman. Not only genius-level creators or writers, but they’re so good, decent men, that when I’m working with them, I just feel that I could do anything. And that we’re in it together. And I’ve seldom felt this level of collaboration. Because in live-action, it’s very intense.”

Sink your teeth into the fitness secrets and healthy habits of the supernatural stars of "True Blood." From Sookie Stackhouse's enchanting workouts to Jason Stackhouse's resilient spirit, this article reveals how the cast of this vampiric saga maintained their amazing bodies. Anna Paquin's on-the-road workouts, Anna Camp's snack-hoarding strategies, and Joe Manganiello's 80/20 diet plan will leave you thirsting for more. Rutina Wesley's agile dance-based regimen and Jurnee Smollett's jump rope prowess prove that vampires aren't the only ones with killer moves. Whether they're riding horses in the wild west like Luke Grimes or juggling auditions like Denis O'Hare, these actors have secrets to staying in shape.

1. Anna Paquin

Anna Paquin played lead character Sookie Stackhouse on the show. She shared some of her fitness secrets in a 2010 interview with SELF. "I had this really amazing trainer in New York, who I worked out with for years," she said. "He got me in amazing shape and taught me how to work out by myself and on the road. Half the time, I'd be in a hotel room somewhere and there would be a gym - if you could call it that - with not much more than a treadmill and some weights. He would write out workouts for me that I could do anywhere."

2. Anna Camp

Anna Camp played Sarah Newlin on seasons two, six, and seven. She tells People that she takes healthy snack options with her when she’s working. “I’m on the run a lot in L.A. Whether I’m hiking with my dog Rocky or driving from meetings to sets, having good snacks on hand is a top priority. I always carry almonds, fruit and water with me to fight the afternoon crash.”

3. Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello played Alcide Hervaux from season three on. His trainer, Ron Matthews, told Men’s Health that he has the actor on an 80/20 plan. “We never do less than 80 percent of full capacity with the diet and the workouts. But that means he can still have a cheat meal and enjoy life the other 20 percent.”

4. Rutina Wesley

Rutina Wesley played Tara Thornton on all seven seasons of the show. She shared some of her favorite workouts with Fitness Magazine. “I do a mix of cardio and strength — the elliptical machine and weight lifting — three times weekly. But a lot of my agility comes from being a dancer; I trained at Juilliard. I also do yoga. It helps me relax and let go of the crazy character I play.”

5. Ryan Kwanten

Ryan Kwanten played Jason Stackhouse on all seven seasons. He revealed in an interview with FOX News that he’s developed a lot of resilience, which has helped with his career. "I have that sporting background where I want to be the best, I want to be the champion. If I'm knocked down, you're damn sure I'm getting back up again. A lot of actors who may very well be more talented than me don't have that kind of tenacity in the face of rejection. That resilience gives me a distinct advantage."

6. Christopher Meloni

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Christopher Meloni played Roman Zimojic in season five. He shared his approach to eating with Men’s Health. “I have to juggle the correct kinds of foods, but I have to ingest enough calories to push the weight that I need to push in order to kind of maintain…whatever this thing is. I really eat everything. My philosophy—well, my diet—is I’m basically horse-trading all day. I like to pick and choose where I’m going to ingest my cholesterol or my heavy fats or starches.”

7. Denis O’Hare

Denis O’Hare played Russell Edgington on seasons three and five. He shared how he approaches an audition with Backstage.com. “I try, when I go in, to not let the director talk to me. I don’t want them putting any ideas in my head before I’ve done what I’m doing. Afterward, it’s fine. And I don’t tend to banter—I don’t tend to chat. I don’t try to make friends. I just come in, do my job, and leave. And I also don’t hang around. Once I’m done, I get out of there so fast. I don’t want anybody to see me. I don’t want to have another conversation. I don’t want to have a second audition. I just leave.”

8. Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett played Nicole Wright on the final two seasons. She shared some of her favorite exercises with SELF. Smollett says that she makes sure to workout when traveling. “If I have a jump rope and a resistance band, I can work out anywhere. Even without a jump rope. If you do 200 jumping jacks, then drop and do some crunches, and then do some squats, you’re good.”

9. Luke Grimes

Luke Grimes played James Kent in season six. He also appears on the hit series, Yellowstone, and revealed to Monsters & Critics that he did a lot of riding to prepare for the role. “When we got to Utah, where we filmed the first season, a lot of us went on a cowboy camp where we went on a pack trip that went out for three nights. Taking these horses up mountains, jumping creeks, and doing a lot of stuff that a lot of us had never done before just to try to get us into the feel of the place and of the world.”

10. Lizzy Caplan

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Lizzy Caplan played Amy Burley on season one of the series. She opened up about finding fulfillment in her career to Variety. “It seems rare to know, for me, what a whole year is going to look like,” she says. “I keep it moving, jumping from lily pad to lily pad. I feel extremely lucky that I get to bounce around so much and do the things that I personally find meaningful or scary or a challenge.”

11. Carrie Preston

Carrie Preston played Arlene Fowler Bellefleur on the entire series. She shared some of her wellness secrets in an “A Day In My Life” interview with Us Weekly. Preston revealed that she makes smoothies for breakfast. “My smoothies are legendary. I start with pea milk, avocado and kale, and then I throw in every kind of berry, flaxseed, cacao nibs powder and nut combo it can handle.”