The attraction between Mulder and Scully was a huge part of The X-Files.

And David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson proved they still have that chemistry, 20 years after the show first aired, as they cuddled up on the red carpet at the Paley Centre in New York on Saturday.

Duchovny and Anderson presented the special 20th anniversary event, The Truth Is Here: David Duchovny And Gillian Anderson On The X-Files, and it was evident the duo, who earlier confirmed creator Chris Carter is working on a script for a third movie, were thrilled to be back together.

The hunky David portrayed FBI Special Agent Mulder while Gillian played his disbelieving sidekick Special Agent Scully in the TV series and two subsequent movies.

Gillian, 45, chose a black and beige dress for her big night. The blonde actress could have passed for a woman years younger so it’s not surprising David was eager to cosy up to her.

Time has also been kind to David, 53, who looked handsome in jeans, a dark shirt and blazer.

And while they laughed and joked as they got close to each other on the red carpet, the light-hearted flirting continued inside between the two friends.

As they each chose their favourite scenes from the TV series, Gillian revealed one of hers was from the episode The Unnatural which David directed.

When asked, ‘why did you pick that one?’ Gillian said ‘Because I wanted to see it again. And that David directed it,’ while David added: ‘I think you were adorable in [The Unnatural].

He added to the audience, ‘I never told her this, but I know she was really [well prepared] for me.’

He added to the audience, ‘I never told her this, but I know she was really [well prepared] for me.’

When asked if they would work together on TV in a different show, David said, ‘We are caretakers of the Mulder + Scully thing. So it would have to be something really special.’

However, Gillian had a saucy suggestion, saying, ‘But Scully could disguise herself as a stripper and have sex with you,’ in reference to David’s role as a sex addict on Californication.

Earlier, Gillian and David took part in a reddit AMA (ask me anything) where they spoke out about a third movie.

David said: ‘I think Chris [Carter, The X-Files creator] is working on a script. Chris is shooting a pilot right now, so he might not be working on a script, but he claims to be working on a script, and if he does do that and Fox wants to make it … Gillian will do it, I will do it, so start your writing campaign now. Seriously. We'd all love to do it. The ball is in Fox's hands. And not Fox Mulder, Fox the studio.

‘We want to see Obama's picture in the office. We gotta hurry. We don't want to leave it off at the X-Bush. Or we'd love Hillary up there. Hillary and Mitch Pileggi as the attorney general.’

They also revealed their children are curious about the show.

David, who has daughter Madelaine, 14 and son Kyd, 11, with estranged wife Tea Leoni, said: ‘My son has watched a couple a few years ago, and it scared him. They don't generally like to watch, they're not fans – it's weird for them to watch their parents. He does like to play the X-Files pinball machine.’

Gillian, mother to daughter Piper, 19, from her former marriage to art director Clyde Klotz, and sons Oscar, six, and Felix, five, from her previous relationship with Mark Griffiths, added: ‘My daughter asked me if she could borrow some DVDs and I dug them out, and then she asked me which ones she should watch, I think we watched a few of them together a few years ago.

‘It occurred to me that there will be a point when my boys will find out about the show, they are seven and five, and it will be so much fun to share it with them.’