Gillian Anderson thinks the next 'X-Files' series will be her last

When asked if she expected to appear in any more episodes after the 11th series, she replied: "No, no, I think this will be it for me."

The show's forthcoming series, the second season of its comeback after returning to the small screen in January 2016 following a 15-year break, is due to air in 2018, and Gillian signed up for more episodes because she felt as though the story had more to give.

She added: "It felt like it wasn't over. It didn't feel like we necessarily deliver everything the fans were expecting of us last time, and so it was that."

But 'The Fall' actress didn't expect to return to her role opposite David Duchovny, who plays FBI agent Fox Mulder, following last year's comeback series.

She said: "I thought I was done [after season 10]."

This comes after Gillian slammed the show's lack of female directors in June.

In response to a story written by the Washington Post newspaper about an all-male writing team, Gillian wrote on Twitter: "And 2 out of 207 eps directed by women. I too look forward to the day when the numbers are different. #TheFutureIsFemale. (sic)"

Her response was to an article reporting the show's writer's room for the 11th series would be made up entirely of men.

'The X-Files' was among the most popular TV shows of the 1990s and even influenced a number of other TV series, including 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.