Where are the cast of The X Files...the truth is out there.

What do you get when you have sexual tension between colleagues, a huge government cover up and a liver-eating extra-terrestrial freak?

“Agent Mulder believes we are not alone.”

And with these words, we were introduced to one of the most compelling TV series of the nineties, not to mention one of the most intense cases of on-screen chemistry ever between Fox Mulder and Dana Scully of The X Files.

The X Files entered our lives on 10 September, 1993 and continued until May 2002 and quickly became one of the most compelling, most-watched TV shows of the nineties.

The show also became the longest running science fiction series in US history.

For nine seasons and 202 episodes, the show explored every possibility of alien life, figured out new and interesting ways to express flirtation between a TV duo (leaning closely together to share a microscope, a bit of hand touching and fierce loyalty) and also introduced us to a range of evil characters, some of whom weren't even from this earth.

And the extra-terrestrials Mulder and Scully were dealing with were much worse than little green men.

Case-in-point...the man who channels lightening strikes...

The man who seemingly glows in the dark, and we mean glows...

And this rather deranged-looking character we can only hope was an alien.

Series creator Chris Carter says the show always told two stories - the cases that were concluded in one episode and the wider story of alien existence, a huge conspiracy and a government cover up.

Go get em Mulder and Scully!

Agent Fox Mulder is a bit of an embarrassment to the FBI, hidden away in a inconspicuous office where he hunts down alien life and deals with any case the FBI-proper deems a little strange. They secretly call him "Spooky Mulder", although he is well aware of this label.

Agent Dana Scully is sent in to work with him and keep an eye on him. She has a medical background and is a natural skeptic. She never stops looking for the logical explanation, even when she sees things that seemingly can't be explained.

She lets him know immediately that she isn't a believer in alien life, and he doesn't hide the fact that he knows it to be real.

You're wrong Scully! So wrong.

You see, Mulder KNOWS aliens are real because he saw one abduct his sister when he was a child.

That's young Samantha Mulder floating out of her bedroom window courtesy of evil aliens, with whom her father is cooperating to some degree, gifting them a child of his for the purposes of experimentation.

Look, it's complicated.

She reappears later with quite a story to tell. But can we trust her?!? We never find out if she is the real Samantha or as her brother suspects, a clone.

She reveals that she was raised by Mulder's nemesis, The Cigarette Smoking Man, or CSM for short. Who, turns out to be....MULDER'S DAD! Apparently he and Mulder's mother had an affair.

At first CSM seems like your typical bad guy, doing all he can to sabotage Mulder and Scully and their investigations into the paranormal. Then it turns out he is part of a more profound conspiracy and even recruited the man Mulder thought was his dad to cooperate with the experimentation of humans with alien DNA.

And Scully isn't spared complication. She is abducted (Anderson fell pregnant and went on leave from the show) and had a chip implanted into her neck which causes cancer.

Oh, and while she was abducted, reproductive materials were STOLEN from her and used to create a child.

Mulder and Scully start off as reluctant work colleagues, then they become comrades. Soon, they are friends.

Then, they love each other.

We desperately watch year after year, praying that they get together.

They almost do, so many times.

Then....it happens.

Mulder is then abducted, and Scully gets a new partner, John Doggert, and some help from another agent Monica Reyes.

The series ends when Mulder returns and is secretly subjected to a military tribunal for breaking into a top-secret military facility and seeing alien colonisation plans for Earth. He is found guilty but escapes with Scully. The two go on the run.

See? They DO love each other.

During it's time on air, The X Files was one of the most-watched shows in the world and David Duchovny, who played Fox Mulder, and Gillian Anderson, who played Dana Scully, were two of the biggest stars.

The show was so huge they scored their own appearance on The Simpsons.

Nice FBI photo Mulder.

Two X Files movies were released. The first was called The X Files: Fight The Future.

This movie was released while the TV series was still on air. It came out in 1998, four years before the series finished.

In it, Scully is abducted and Mulder rescues her.

Scully is bitten by a bee infected with an alien virus and Mulder steals the only cure and rescues her.

Frustratingly in the movie, Mulder sees an alien spacecraft but the recently rescued Scully isn't fully awake and misses it. But the experience of being abducted in the movie reconfirms her commitment to Mulder and their work.

The second movie was called The X Files: I Want To Believe.

This movie wasn't released until six years after the series finished and took the Mulder and Scully story much further, as well as the investigation into the alien conspiracy. In this movie, Mulder and Scully are together and its release was a tip-of-the-hat to The X Files fans around the world.

The chemistry between David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson was so believable that rumours swirled for years that they were an item. There were even claims that following Anderson's divorce, the two were secretly living together.

They never confirmed or denied the rumours and instead, fanned the flames with this Rolling Stones cover.

These days the two are firm friends. Here they are at the world-famous Comic Con sci fi convention, celebrating the 20th anniversary of The X Files.

There is talk of a possible third The X Files movie, following the success of the first two. When asked about a possible third film, Gillian Anderson told E News, "Uh....uh... uh... Sorta kinda. Keep your ears to the ground."

We've tracked down the cast of The X Files for you and you won't believe where some of them are now. The truth is out there...

Want more? Try:

The colourful cast of E Street. Where are they now?

The hilariously crazy cast of Roseanne. Where are they now?

Our favourite members of Young Talent Time. Where are they now?

We adored the cast of A Country Practice. Where are they now?

Gilmore Girls, it’s been too long. Where are they now?

Aussie cop drama Blue Heelers. Where are they now?

Aussie cop drama Blue Heelers. Where are they now?

The cast of ‘Who’s The Boss?’ Where are they now?

The cast of Full House. Where are they now?

The original cast of Melrose Place. Where are they now?

The troubled cast of Growing Pains…where are they now?

The original cast of 90210. Where are they now?

Follow iVillage on Facebook

When you become a parent, you don't leave your brain in the delivery suite. That's why mothers with kids of all ages come to themotherish.com; because they're still interested in news about entertainment, health, current affairs and food along with an inspiring and useful stream of parenting advice and support.

Most importantly, they come because they want to hear personal stories of parenting directly from other mothers, without fear of judgement.

[iv-signup-form]