INTERVIEW: David Duchovny's Got X-Appeal

In the mid-90’s, you couldn’t turn the TV on without seeing something to do with hit series The X Files. The phenomenal show spanned 9 series, a movie and countless spin-off novelisations. Now, 15 years after the show first aired on U.S. television, a second movie has been made, entitled I Want To Believe.

David Duchovny was one half of the now infamous duo of Mulder & Scully, FBI agents who specialised in paranormal investigations, and whom each week kept millions of people glued to their TV screens. Today though, Duchovny is concentrating on more important matters - namely the substantial beard he wore in the new movie. “It was a fake beard from the effects department” he laughs, “They did a great job with that I think.”

The show and its characters have earned a worldwide following over the years, with websites and conventions teeming with devoted fans. “I’m always very inspired by how people love the show so much” he says, although he has no answer as to what made it this popular. “I don’t know what to say, I guess it’s that kind of a show.”

The New York-born actor is also a keen writer, penning 8 episodes of the series and 2004 movie House of D, which he also directed. “I’m working on a few projects at the moment” he adds, “they’re all in various stages of development, and hopefully a small fraction will, one day, see the light of day.” With all this writing and promotion for the film, does he have a break? “I’m getting some time off soon- tomorrow actually, I’m going back home.”

With the second film now in the can, everyone’s thought are now naturally turning to a third film, and Duchovny is no exception. “Oh yeah, sure. We’ll get another fake beard and we’ll get going!”  he quips, although he’s very clear on what he’d like to see in any future instalments. “I think we’d need to get back to the heart of the show’s mythology, get back to what Mulder was looking for.”

Finally, with the furore surrounding the series revived with this new film, how often is he asked about life on other planets? “Actually, only you sort of people (journalists) ask me about that.”