Gillian Anderson recalls ‘slightly intimate’ meeting with Bill Clinton: ‘It was that real’

Gillian Anderson dropped by Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Tuesday, to promote her new Showtime series, The First Lady. And while the former X-Files star was there, she also discussed meeting Bill Clinton during his campaign for president in 1992.

“He did the most miraculous thing in the world, he shakes your hand, then he grabs your elbow and at the same time he holds your arm further up,” Anderson recalled. “Slightly intimate little thing. [He] makes eye contact. And he moves on to the next person. Then he looks back at you.”

Anderson, who is familiar with close encounters, thought maybe they shared more than just a handshake.

“I went home, I thought – this was in the days of answering machines – I literally thought that I was going to go home to a message from him,” she said. “I did. It was that real.”

While the two went their separate ways, Anderson admitted she did have a small hand in his success.

“Then did you vote for him after that?” Kimmel asked.

“Yes, I did,” Anderson said, after quite a dramatic pause.

Video Transcript

GILLIAN ANDERSON: The end of his speech or whatever, we created a line for him to walk down the line and shake hands, and we got to meet him.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Mhmm.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: And he did the most miraculous thing in the world.

KYLIE MAR: Gillian Anderson dropped by Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday to promote her new Showtime series, The First Lady, and while the former X-Files star was there, she also discussed meeting Bill Clinton during his campaign for president in 1992.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: He shakes your hand, and then he grabs your elbow at the same time. He, like, holds your arm further up.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Yeah, right.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: A slightly intimate little thing.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Mhmm, yeah.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: He makes eye contact.

JIMMY KIMMEL: He does.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: And he moves on to the next person, and then he looks back at you.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Yeah.

KYLIE MAR: Anderson, who is familiar with close encounters, thought maybe they shared more than just a handshake.

GILLIAN ANDERSON: I went home. I thought-- this was in the days of answering machines. I literally thought that I was going to go home to a message from him. I did. It was that real.

KYLIE MAR: And while the two went their separate ways, Anderson admitted she did have a small hand in his success.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Then did you vote for him after that?

GILLIAN ANDERSON: Um, yes.

JIMMY KIMMEL: Even though he didn't call.