X-Files mythology, TenThirteen Interviews Database, and more

Posts Tagged ‘david duchovny’

XF at SDCC 2013, Part 1: XF3, BluRay, Carter projects

More than any other event earlier this year, and I expect more than any even for the remainder of 2013, The X-Files‘ 20th anniversary was celebrated at San Diego Comic Con International 2013. The size of the event and the media coverage it got is the reason why this was a key event. The big panel was hosted by TV Guide, the second panel by Season 10 comics publisher IDW, and then there were of course signings and pricey photo shoots.

X-Files’ 20th anniversary

sdcctvguide

This was the biggest cast & crew reunion since the Paley Festival in 2008. From right to left: host Michael Schneider; Chris Carter; David Duchovny; Gillian Anderson; James Wong; Glen Morgan; John Shiban; Darin Morgan; Howard Gordon; Vince Gilligan; and out of frame, David Amann (photo from syzzlyn). From the writing team, you could say that all the people who shaped the show were there, apart from Frank Spotnitz (in Europe, busy with other projects) and Gordon’s writing partner Alex Gansa. As would be expected in such media-intensive events, the focus was much more on Anderson and Duchovny instead of the rest of the creative team — given how short the panel was, some of them only spoke once!

Video of nearly the full panel

Video of the full panel

Host Michael Schneider posted a kind of “making of” of the whole event, which is a very entertaining read but is also revealing. The panel was organized by TV Guide, and within TV Guide, Schneider played an essential role: in inviting people and handling the organization of the event on the day. The involvement of FOX is nowhere to be seen apart from their mere approval. Still, we guess that they were watching, gauging interest in the X-Files to see if it has a future. The fans were certainly there!

More after the jump.

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Inquirer: David Duchovny talks about ‘Californication’ and Marilyn Manson

Aug-17-2012
David Duchovny talks about ‘Californication’ and Marilyn Manson
Inquirer
Ruben V. Nepales

[Original article]

LOS ANGELES—“He was dressed better than me,” said David Duchovny, wearing a polo shirt and slacks, about Jon Hamm, whom we just interviewed. The “Mad Men” actor wore a suit. “I saw him.” He joked, “I didn’t like that.”

Settling down into a chair, David said he just wrapped shooting Season Six of his TV series, “Californication,” where he plays Hank Moody, a hedonistic novelist. He confirmed that rocker Marilyn Manson will make appearances in the series. “Manson is a big fan of the show,” he disclosed. “Apparently, he signs into hotels as Hank Moody, which I find funny.” He quipped, “Coincidentally, I sign in as Marilyn Manson.”

The star explained how the rocker with the dramatic Goth make-up ended up on “Californication.” “He’s been in touch with Tom Kapinos, our show runner for years,” David explained. “They’ve been trying to work him in.”

The actor also noted for his FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder character on his previous series, “The X-Files,” added, “Hank goes into the rock ‘n’ roll world. The main guest star is this guy named Tim Minchin (he plays Atticus). He’s very talented. This position doesn’t really exist in America, but he’s a political humorist-musician. Tim writes political, philosophical and funny songs, and performs them quite powerfully. He’s the rock ‘n’ roller I’m palling around with, because I’m trying to write a rock opera for him from a book that I’ve written that he loves.”

David said, “Anyway, since Tim plays a rock star in that fictional world, he’s friends with Manson.” He said with a grin, “So, Manson just shows up every now and then.”

The Yale- and Princeton-educated actor said that his recent “biggest thrill” was that he started playing guitar about nine months ago. “Tom Kapinos started writing into the show that I’m playing guitar,” he said.

Fledgling guitarist

The fledgling guitarist sounded excited about shooting the show’s finale at the Greek Theater in LA. “It was a big concert for Tim’s character,” he recounted. “Manson also came and performed.”

Rock also dominated the series’ recent season-wrap party. David disclosed, “I got to play one of the backup guitars for Manson as he sang ‘Hotel California.’ I found it touching that he would do that for us. He appears to be a monster, but he’s actually sweet.”

The actor dished that men who think they are like his sexy, rakish character would try to tell him stories. “People think that they’re Hank Moody, and they want to tell me,” he said. “If they are under 30, I think, OK. If they are over 30, I think, no, that’s a problem. If they are 70 and they think they are Hank Moody, I go, ‘OK, cool—good for you.’ So there’s like a window—between 30 and 70, you’re in trouble if you’re acting that way.”

He talked about how the show’s characters have evolved. “It’s interesting that in the first three years of the show, Hank was the wildcard in his world,” David began. “He was the person who would go into a situation and create havoc. Then, a subtle shift happened in the last couple of years, where everybody around Hank seems crazier than he is. So, all of a sudden, Hank becomes the calmest, the voice of reason on the show.”

Relationship

“For me, the show is always about going back to the family and the relationship between my character and those of Natascha McElhone (Karen) and Maddy Martin (Becca). We can spin off into absurd scenarios and the craziness that we do, but what has made the show last is that it has heart at its center—this family, love story or father-daughter relationship.”

The New York native laughed off talk that he and his “The X-Files” co-star, Gillian Anderson are living together. “Gillian and I have been trading e-mails,” he volunteered. “Very funny. I wish I could show the thread where I wrote, ‘I’m very sorry for leaving the toilet seat up. I didn’t know you were living with me. Where are you exactly in the house?’ I just haven’t found her yet. So, it’s not true.”

David confirmed that he’s still married to actress Tea Leoni, but they are separated. Asked about the tattoo on his ring finger, he explained that it was a substitute for an actual wedding ring. “Because I would always take a ring off at work,” he said. “I don’t like wearing jewelry. So, I got this (tattoo) instead of a wedding ring.”

The 52-year-old actor sounded optimistic about another “The X-Files” movie. “I hope so (it happens),” he said. “I rent one of (creator) Chris Carter’s many homes when I’m shooting in LA.  He says he’s going to have a script. We’re all eagerly awaiting what he’s got up his sleeve.”

On his former students at Yale, where he taught English, David said, “They get in touch with me sometimes. Because of the social media, nobody can hide. One of them has become a pretty well-known writer. I taught him expositional writing. He’s a respected novelist. I had nothing to do with that.”

Collider.com: David Duchovny Talks About a Possible Third THE X-FILES Movie and What Went Wrong with THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE

Aug-09-2012
David Duchovny Talks About a Possible Third THE X-FILES Movie and What Went Wrong with THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
Collider.com
Christina Radish

[Original article]

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to sit down with David Duchovny at the members-only Soho House in West Hollywood to chat about his indie feature Goats.  In the comedy, he plays Goat Man, a goat-herding sage who has lived with Ellis (Graham Phillips) and his New Age hippie mother (Vera Farmiga) since Ellis was a child, teaching him the meaning of expanding one’s mind.

While we will run the full interview tomorrow, we did want to share what Duchovny had to say about the possibility of a third The X-Files movie, especially after what writer/producer Frank Spotnitz told me about it a week ago.  Clearly up for it, he said that he doesn’t understand why Fox isn’t more enthusiastic to get it going, when it’s a homegrown action franchise that they own, and he talked about where he thinks the second film went wrong.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Collider: When I spoke to Frank Spotnitz about a week ago, he said that he feels it’s a cultural crime that you guys haven’t gotten to finish The X-Files story, and that he doesn’t think it’s too late to do, but that it will be, if it’s not done soon.  How do you feel about it, at this point?  Have you closed the book on The X-Files, or would you like to continue it with a third film?

DAVID DUCHOVNY:  Do you know something I don’t know?  Am I dying?  No.  That book doesn’t close until somebody dies, really.  One of the greatnesses of the show was its open-endedness.  It was about possibility.  It wasn’t about closure.  It just couldn’t be.  There is no such thing as that story ever ending.  Those characters are forever searching.  That’s what they do.  Even if we’re not watching them, they’re out there, in some dimension.  Mulder and Scully are still doing their thing ‘cause that’s their nature.

I would love to do another film, or more.  I think we’re all game for it.  I know I’m kind of perplexed that Fox isn’t more [enthusiastic].  Here’s a homegrown property that you don’t have to go buy, like fuckin’ Green Lantern or something, to make it.  Here you’ve got an actual action franchise that’s your own.  It’s weird to me, but I’m not an executive.  I don’t know if they made the Green Lantern either, but I’m just using that as an example of, “Why make that film?  Why not make a homegrown franchise that is excellent, and that has proven to be excellent and interesting?”  I don’t get it, but that’s not my business.

I think Chris [Carter] is probably working on an idea, so we’ll see.  Unfortunately, with the last one, they didn’t spend the money to compete in a summer fashion, and they brought it out in the summer.  It should be a summer film.  It should be an action film.  But, the last one we made was not.  The last one we made was a dark, contemplative, small $25 million film.  It was basically an independent film.  When you come out against Batman, it’s not going to happen.  You’re not going to be sold as an independent film, and you’re not going to compete against Batman with $25 million. 

Associated Press: David Duchovny's roundabout way into showbiz

Jan-18-2012
Associated Press
David Duchovny: ‘The X-Files made me a better actor’
Alicia Rancilio

[Original article here]

NEW YORK (AP) — David Duchovny has starred in two hit TV shows, “The X-Files” and “Californication,” and yet the thought of going into showbiz never occurred to him when he was growing up.

“I never even had the wayward thought. It never even entered even the furthest reaches of my imagination. … I never thought about the actors on television or film like what kind of life they had,” he said in a recent interview.

Duchovny, 51, said he didn’t begin acting until his late twenties

“I wanted to write plays. I was at Yale graduate school at the time for English literature not for acting. … I liked the idea of collaboration and I thought if I’m gonna write plays I should learn something about speaking the lines that I might try to write. It might help me as a writer to actually know it from that side,” he said. “So that’s pretty much how it started.”

His career took off with roles on “Twin Peaks,” ”Red Shoe Diaries” and, of course, “The X-Files,” which made him a star and a sex symbol.

“I was kind of blissfully overconfident at first and I don’t say that as a joke,” he said. “I knew I thought I was good. Not great. Not in a conceited or cocky way, but in a way like, ‘Yes, I can do this.’ You need in a way to believe sometimes.”

Duchovny credits “The X-Files” with helping him with acting.

“Every day I had to go to work and every day for 14 hours year after year after year I don’t know if I would’ve made it to this point if I would’ve just gone from movie to movie to movie like a three-month stint here and a three-month stint there. It was very good for me and my particular sense of myself or my craft to have to go in every day and do it.”

Now when he looks back at old “X-Files” episodes, they remind him of home movies.

“I’ll remember the day, you know I’ll remember the lunch, I’ll remember the weather … and, as I said, I will laugh at how bad I am or stuff like that. It used to come on and I’d say to (wife) Tea (Leoni), ‘Can you just see how bad I am?’ and she’d never agree but it’s kind of funny embarrassing. Like home movies.”

“Californication” is now in its fifth season on Showtime.

Duchovny plays Hank Moody, a sharp-tongued writer who consistently finds himself embroiled in outrageous and often sexual situations.

He says it’s not easy to pull off the show’s quick-witted dialogue.

“Sometimes the better the writing, the harder it is to play because you really want to service it,” he said. “It’s hard to be that quick and articulate in life. You’ve got to try to make it seem discovered, you know, not rehearsed.”

Much of the series is devoted to the push and pull of Hank’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend Karen (Natascha McElhone) and whether they will ever get back together permanently.

“Both Hank and Karen are changing in their own ways over the years and I just think they have to believe that they got it right the first time,” said Duchovny. “They have to get back there, get back to the beginning.”

Fox All Access: DAVID DUCHOVNY & GILLIAN ANDERSON ARE ON BOARD FOR X-FILES 3 BUT WILL IT HAPPEN?

Jan-14-2011
DAVID DUCHOVNY & GILLIAN ANDERSON ARE ON BOARD FOR X-FILES 3 BUT WILL IT HAPPEN?
Fox All Access

[Audio clip only available at the original source]

A few months back FOX All Access ran a story where David Duchovny spoke about the possibility of a third X-Files movie. In fact, reports suggested it was already in the works. Since then those rumors have been shot down by the actor.

Well, fast forward to today at the Television Critics Association in Pasadena, CA. While promoting his hit Showtime series Californication, which airs Sunday Nights on Showtime, FOX All Access caught with Duchovny and asked what the status is on a third X-Files movie. To hear Duchovny tell it, both Gillian Anderson and he are more than willing to jump on board for another installment of the fan favorite sci-fi adventure pic, however that decision is firmly in the hands of 20th Century FOX – (Not FOX All Access because we’d have said yes ages ago).  (Click on the audio player to hear David Duchovny)

ShowbizSpy: Actor David Duchovny is Desperate to Make a Third X-Files Movie!

Jan-09-2011
Actor David Duchovny is Desperate to Make a Third X-Files Movie!
ShowbizSpy

[Original article here]

David Duchovny

DAVID Duchovny wants to make another X-Files movie.

The Hollywood actor says he’s keen to reprise his role as Agent Fox Mulder for a third flick in the franchise.

“I’m always game. It always rides on Fox. [Chris Carter] is game. I know [Gillian Anderson] is game. We all, at this point, love the show. We all, at this point, would love to work with one another again. We’re all good friends and miss one another, and miss working together.

“We worked together so hard for so long, so closely. We had some ups and downs personally, sure. But in the end, they are really like family to me. We’re all like this little X-Files family and I, for one, would love to continue. And I think there’s a lot left in the show. You know? And I think we can continue to make good movies.

“It’s just a matter of spending enough on a movie that can compete in the summertime. We made a movie and released it in the summer, but it wasn’t really a blockbuster movie. And it got kind of overshadowed by the bigger ones. So, we’re saying, make us big. We’ll fight with the big boys.”

David, 50, recently admitted he would “go gay” for the stars of Twilight.

“If I were gay, you know. I think Woody Allen is one of a long list of men I might go gay for,” said the star, who has two children with wife Tea Leoni.

Garry Shandling is someone I’ve publicly gone gay for, for jokes. Oh and anyone in the Twilight movies. I don’t know any of their names, but all of them. The wolves, the vampires? They’re all fantastic.”