Playing Fox Mulder in The X Files, he was one of the heroes of one of the biggest TV shows of the 90s. Then as a personally disastrous writer in Californication he won a new legion of, less alien-obsessed fans in the 2000s.
Now Duchovny is turning novelist. His first book, Holy Cow,
is a madcap story of a bovine on a road trip to India. We sat down with
Duchovny to talk animals, S&M and further adventures in
alien-hunting.
Parts of this interview:
What would Hank Moody, your tortured novelist Californication character, make of an actor releasing a book?
You should ask [screenwriter] Tom Kapinos that. I imagine Hank would
want the writing to be kept for the writers – he’s a bit of a snob. He’d
probably hate me.
What’s your writing process like? Can you write anywhere?
No, I like to write early in the morning. I sit down between 5 and 6 if I can, and keep my ass in the chair until lunch. I don’t write late at night, I never have.
No, I like to write early in the morning. I sit down between 5 and 6 if I can, and keep my ass in the chair until lunch. I don’t write late at night, I never have.
Have you read Fifty Shades Of Grey?
I probably wouldn’t admit it if I had. Everyone who reads it tells me it’s a piece of sh*t, and the subject matter isn’t that interesting to me.
I probably wouldn’t admit it if I had. Everyone who reads it tells me it’s a piece of sh*t, and the subject matter isn’t that interesting to me.
Infamously, you were only meant to do The X-Files for a short period of time; did you learn to love it?
Well, I did leave – they did a year without me, but that was eight years into the run. I think we were going a little crazy, Chris [Carter, the show’s creator], Gillian [Anderson, his co-star] and I – it had been so much work, we’d got so famous so fast, and everything just changed. We were probably clinically insane by that point. But I’m proud of that show. I never look back and think, “Oh, that’s an embarrassment”, except for maybe the clothes and the hairstyles. If I had to be associated with any iconic show in the world, The X-Files would be in the top few of those.
Well, I did leave – they did a year without me, but that was eight years into the run. I think we were going a little crazy, Chris [Carter, the show’s creator], Gillian [Anderson, his co-star] and I – it had been so much work, we’d got so famous so fast, and everything just changed. We were probably clinically insane by that point. But I’m proud of that show. I never look back and think, “Oh, that’s an embarrassment”, except for maybe the clothes and the hairstyles. If I had to be associated with any iconic show in the world, The X-Files would be in the top few of those.
You worked with Vince Gilligan on The X-Files. Any chance of a Better Call Saul cameo?
I’m not really a fan of the cameo. If there was a role, a one-episode, where I could do something that I thought added, rather than just drew attention to myself… But I don’t think Vince is going to ask me – I don’t think he should. The show has to find its feet before it starts having, you know, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on it.
I’m not really a fan of the cameo. If there was a role, a one-episode, where I could do something that I thought added, rather than just drew attention to myself… But I don’t think Vince is going to ask me – I don’t think he should. The show has to find its feet before it starts having, you know, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on it.
There are rumours you’ll soon be slipping back into Fox Mulder’s suit. What can you tell us?
It’s like the stock market at this point. Last week I would have said definitely yes, yesterday I would have said no way, today I say maybe. In some ways, it’s harder to make a show come back than to do it for the first time, because you’re stuck for better or for worse – for better, I think – with the people who did it. But one of these days, very soon, I would think, we’re going to have a final answer.
It’s like the stock market at this point. Last week I would have said definitely yes, yesterday I would have said no way, today I say maybe. In some ways, it’s harder to make a show come back than to do it for the first time, because you’re stuck for better or for worse – for better, I think – with the people who did it. But one of these days, very soon, I would think, we’re going to have a final answer.
There’s also the return of Twin Peaks. How keen are you to don the wig and make-up again?
More than I like to say. It’ll be fun. I was sad Twin Peaks kind of flamed out, because I thought I’d probably come back. So to wait 25 years to come back is OK – I’ve been patient.
More than I like to say. It’ll be fun. I was sad Twin Peaks kind of flamed out, because I thought I’d probably come back. So to wait 25 years to come back is OK – I’ve been patient.
Finally, Moody vs Mulder: who would win in a fight?
It’s a tough call. Hank would fight dirty, but Fox has a gun…
It’s a tough call. Hank would fight dirty, but Fox has a gun…
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