Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character on the Fox Broadcasting Co. television series The X-Files (1993-2002) and in two theatrical films based on the series, played by Gillian Anderson. She is a Special Agent of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, partnered most often with fellow Special Agent Fox Mulder
Dana Scully was born on February 23, 1964, to Margaret and William Scully, into a close-knit Catholic family. She has an older brother, William Jr., an older sister, Melissa, and a younger brother, Charles, who is never seen on the show (except in flashbacks). Scully's father was a Captain in the United States Navy, who died of a heart attack in 1994. Dana Scully grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and later in San Diego, California. As a young girl, Scully's favorite book was Moby Dick and she came to nickname her father "Ahab" from the book, and in return, he called her "Starbuck", due to this she named her dog Queequeg.
Dana Scully attended University of Maryland, and earned a B.S. in Physics. Her undergraduate thesis was titled "Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation." It is now also understood that she earned her degree in Medicine from Stanford University, a fact that was previously unknown and came to light in a recent interview with show co-writer, Frank Spotnitz. While lasting medical school, she was recruited by the FBI, which she accepted, mostly because she felt she could distinguish herself there. Upon being partnered with Fox Mulder, she maintained her medical skills by acting as a forensic pathologist, often performing or consulting on autopsies of victims on X-Files cases.
Dana was paired with Mulder to keep his investigation factual base. This role in the beginning was the naysayer and she debunked most if not all of Mulder's findings. As the years (seasons) pass she witnesses her own evidence of an alien presence and their potential danger to humanity. In the first movie she is almost a victim of an alien abduction. From this point on her science is tilted towards Mulder's thinking and is no longer considered objective by the FBI.
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