X-Files Interview- 8/19/97 Day one: Interview w/ David Duchovny
("Fox Mulder") and Rob Bowman (Director of the film, as well as
over twenty X-Files episodes)
Q: So what's the difference between shooting an
X-files episode and an X-file movie. . attitude, preparation, that type of
thing:
DD: There's not much of a difference for the actor, there's a bigger
difference in production and the technical areas.
Q: Does the movie allow you to open up the
character at all - do anything different that you couldn't do on TV?
DD: No., I don't want to change the character - the character is what I
want it to be at this point - so, there's no opening up that I want to do
with it. I guess in a movie, I can say 'f*** and s**t', (laughter) but
that's about it. - - and most people think of that as opening up the
character
Q: How is your character going to grow in the
film - or has it grown from what you've done so far?
DD: I don't believe in a character's growth - I think your character is
set - I think your character comes up in those different challenges,
different quests and things like that, but unless you have a terrible
circumstance, it's really hard to change someone's character. So, I like to
think that the character, "Mulder" can exist in uh, you can put
him in any medium - you know. . he can do a commercial, he could do a play,
he could do a TV show . . . now he's doing a movie. He's the same guy, and I
think to change or to try and strategize what a movie audience would want as
opposed to a TV audience or what a dramatic audience would want or a comic
audience or a sci-fi audience - I think that's the worst kind of artistic
place you can end up.
Q: So, essentially then this is one giant
X-files episode?
DD: Well, you know I'm sure that Chris or whoever's in charge of
marketing the film would definitely caution me about saying that. But in
essence I think what that is saying is just that the TV show is that good -
not that this movie is not enough, not more but um you know there are things
done - I'm saying there are things done by other people on the production
that aren't done on television - The production is a movie production - it's
that much bigger. So, in terms of that, in terms of character, in terms of
story, it's - you know - it's the same show and I think as that - it's
worthy of being a movie.
Q: Is this going to be tough during the season
to keep all the things that have gone on in the movie in your head - so you
can keep it consistent?
DD: No, consistency is not really a problem. As I said - my answer to the
character question- the character is the consistency of the show, not the
plot. You could separate out five or six different shows over the last four
years and it would seem completely at odds with one another. Sometimes we do
funny shows, sometimes we do soap opera shows, sometimes we do action shows
and the character changes in each of those shows for the demands of the
script. So, there is no consistency within the television show, really.
There's a consistency to the individual show that you're doing. And you
choose to bring up certain aspects of the character to meet that demand, but
consistency is the key.
Q: How is this film stretching your character,
stretching you as an actor?
DD: It isn't really. Um, it's. . uh. . it's the same character, as I was
saying. I mean, it brings certain aspects to the forefront of the same
character that I've been playing. This is a movie with a lot of big action
stuff, so it if action is part of character then . . ..you know. . .
Q: Do you have any fights in it?
DD: No, I don't fight, but, uh, I do a lot of running, a lot of carrying,
a lot of falling, a lot of jumping, you know.
Q: Is the film going to expand the character of
Mulder in some new ways?
DD: Some people think that's expanding the character when I'm saying
"f***" and "s**t" - It's like that story about when they
were shooting, "The Godfather" and they wanted to buy out Pacino,
because they were saying "he doesn't do anything, he doesn't do
anything" so Coppola wrote in this scene. Basically this scene where he
shoots that guy in the restaurant - and they're like " yeah, oh yeah -
he's good - that's good stuff, he's a good actor
Q: Is Mulder nuts?
DD: Um, well, if you didn't have the perspective of the show which always
proves him to be basically right, you'd have to say that he was. But, if you
have the perspective of watching what the audience gets to see, you'd have
to say that he's the only one who's not nuts.
Q: How about from your perspective?
DD: Um, No, no as somebody who tries to make it real, I just. . can't
think that he's nuts. Everybody is entitled to their own reality. I mean,
they each think they're doing the best thing that they can. You know Mulder
is doing the best that he can, with the knowledge that he has.
Q: I have a feeling, that in high school, he was
kind of a nerdy outsider. Is that how you see it?
DD: Um, I'm not that kind of actor, but I'll go along with that.
(laughter)
Q: I'm thinking of that scene in the Carnival
show, where there's the future and your standing over there with . .
DD: Well, they like to make fun of me - That's really Darrin Morgan who
is trying to make fun of David - not really about Mulder
Q: About the movie making process - -Has there
been anything that has been surprising, or funny to you?
DD: Um, not really funny, uh surprising. . It's by far - well, no, not
the biggest budget, but it's the biggest action-oriented film that I've ever
done. So, the pressure of TV - - of getting that right is very difficult and
you kind of have to pace yourself in a different way . . .
X-Files Interview-Part 2 8/19/97
Q: Do you have some fight scenes in the film?
DD: I wish, I certainly got banged up. Actually I do have fights - Yeah,
I like the fighting - I don't know if you notice in the show, but I drop my
gun a lot - That's because I can't actually kill anything because if I did
than I'd have evidence - I actually have to drop the gun, which is too bad.
Q: Why are you always walking into a dark room,
dropping a flashlight?
DD: That's a Director of Photography question. I mean I've spoken to,
uh…
(At this point, director Rob Bowman joins David
at the roundtable.)
RB: Are you telling the truth?
DD: Yeah, I said a nice thing about you - I said 'let's play'. Why do I
walk into dark rooms?
Q: We were talking about fight scenes...
DD: (to Bowman) I do have a fight in this, right? When I'm climbing up
out of the . . .
RB: (interrupts) Yeah, but it's more evasive than . . .
DD: (returns the interruption) It's one of those scenes where you lie on
your back and kick… I'm of two minds about it. I like the fact that Mulder
is not the superhero. But then, as myself, I love to get in there and do a
scene where I look like I can really kick ass. So, you know sometimes I like
to have a fight where I look like a lot better than I do, and sometimes I'm
really proud of the fact that Mulder loses across the board, you know, and
yet still remains a powerful person. If I'm proud of anything about the
show, it's that - you know if you put down his statistics on paper, his
won-loss record, he's horrible, and yet you don't feel that way about him.
So I think that that's something that I've been able to pull off.
Q: Is the movie going to be left open for a
sequel.
DD: I think this is a question of demand. That's really one for your
grandkids.
Q: I mean, does the movie end in a way that
could have sequels?
RB: Oh yeah.
Q: Or is that giving away too much? (laughter)
Q: We were talking earlier about it seems like
the two of you in particular, seem to work well together and have a good
creative input flow. It seems to be really about the show, it's not a star
driven thing, it's really seems that everybody is really about the show
here.
RB: You know, if I could comment on that. I think its because I started.
. .
DD: He asked ME... (laughter)
RB: I'm going to comment on this… (laughter)
DD: Go ahead . . .
RB: Uh, its because I was there when the show wasn't as big, and we
developed a relationship there and then its just about going back to that
core relationship. There's a lot more distraction now.
DD: Well, we went through our difficulties in the beginning, you know,
testing and stuff like that. Rob had this show called 'Gender Bender'. Do
you remember that one, with the aliens that would change sex. I think we
shot the show for, like, three months. These aliens lived in like a beehive
and it was like Spinal Tap where the Stonehenge comes down, it's like this
big and they had to shoot me in the beehive and it was only like this big
and then we kept on going back and shooting and I had goop all over me . . .
RB: (continuing) …and it got to the point to where I said, "Ok,
now at this point, there's the aliens over there and your looking." He
says" I don't care, just tell me where you want me to go, and I'll do
it. I'm so tired, I can't even think. Just roll the f***ing camera. Go here,
go there, got it, I'll do it"
DD: "Know how to breathe heavily" (breathes heavily) Okay.
"Open my Eyes?" (blinks repeatedly)(laughter)
Q: If the schedule is so overbearing, why
continue?
DD: For the money. (laughter) Um, I, you know, pride, really. You know it
when becomes less like creatively new, which it can be after four years -
Not to say interesting, but less creatively new. It's pride in your doing
your job well, having said that you were going to show up and do the movie,
and do the best that you could, and having said that you'd do your best.
Aside from all this bulls**t about art and stuff. . .really all you have at
the end of the day is, you know, 'Did you keep your promises?' 'Did you keep
your integrity and did you show up on time and do your work?'
Q: Do you have any real strong commitments to
your fans? Do you keep up with the Internet sites dedicated to the series?
DD: (laughter) No, honestly, I don't. Not to the fans and and the Net
baloney. No, it's like a personal commitment and in that I think that they
they are the recipients of that. You know, but I don't do it for the fat
lady, or whatever it is, what you want to call it. Um, I can't
conceptualize, I can't, you know, if I'm going to work and I'm tired, I
can't go "the kids, the kids need him, the kids need him." It's
not like that, it's basically like, you know, people, all of this is in
motion, and I said I was going to be here, and I will keep my commitment and
I will try and have fun, and do the best that I can do. And, you know, that,
to me, is a commitment to the fans, indirectly. But I don't, I don't see the
faces.
Q: How much longer do you think you're going to
keep doing it?
DD: Well, I don't know.
Q: Is this your last season?
DD: Um, I would prefer it if it was, but, you know, there are other
forces in motion.
Q: The story is that you're signed for at least
another three seasons. Is that true?
DD: Not as far as I know.
Q: Is there a cause that you feel strongly
about?
DD: Cause. You mean, like, a political cause?
Q: A political cause, or just a belief
DD: Now I feel like it's a quiz. I didn't prepare. I champion the Rob
Bowman charity.
Q: I was reading some newspaper, or saw some
television show earlier, With you reportedly having some fight with Gillian
over salaries and other crazy s**t.
DD: Yeah, I saw that one.
Q: Do you want to give me an opportunity to go
on national television (The Gossip Show) and quash all of that s**t?
DD: What national television are you on?
Q: E!
DD: Ok, yeah. I got talked about (regarding) the challenge you go through
every year. The press is also challenged every year, and now its the fourth
year, so they have nothing else to write, so they have to make something up.
So, that's what happens. I'm surprised it hasn't happened before this, it's
pretty late to come up with this kind of bulls**t. To be honest, it's hard
to work with the same people every day - you know you have your normal ups
and downs. So, I'm not denying that there's never tension. There's tension
between Rob and I sometimes so, you know, s**t happens. I really think that
its. .you know, I don't know what's next. I mean, I remember reading stuff
where I wanted to steal (Gillian) away from her husband and I've read stuff
where she kicked my wife (actress Tea Leoni) off the set. Now, that's utter
bulls**t, you know, nobody can dare kick my wife off the set. . .I can't get
her ON the set.
Q: So, the rumors of hair-pulling were greatly
exaggerated?
DD: Hair-pulling? (laughs) I think Gillian pulled the hair on my arm
once. (laughs again)
Q: Any favorite scenes (in the film) at this
point? Anything that's going to stand out?
DD: Rob, as a director has a lot, a lot of interesting stuff to do. Um,
for me, I think I see him in the hallways at night. We shut the other door.
Working with Martin Landau was a high point That was great. Now, there's a
guy, I mean, just a hard working actor. I don't know how old he is, but he's
been around a while and we were working (pauses) it's been a really hard
schedule, cause we're working six day weeks, and at that point, we were
working nights. So, we were working six night weeks, and that was just
horrendous. And um, he uh we got to his coverage- which day I don't
remember, at like 5. . 6 in the morning and then we have to tent the
alleyway…
RB: …On the sixth day.
DD: …On the sixth day. We have to tent the alleyway. You know, to keep
the daylight out, and I'm so tired that I can't even think and Rob's tired
too and Martin Landau just, uh, had a hard time with the scene because it
was so difficult and had so many words. But, he has so much pride, you know,
he wasn't thinking of the fans or whatever. It was just sheer will that got
him through that scene and to see somebody who has an Academy Award,
somebody who has nothing left to prove, just you know, keep working at it,
until it was somewhere, that was the most inspirational.
Rob: It was, because I would say, "I'm fine, I got the scene,"
and he says "No, I can do it better." And he demanded to keep
doing more takes, so that he felt that he had done the job that he was hired
to do.
At this point, the Powers That Be swooped down
and spirited Rob and David away from the group.
© Rod Dovlin/HSX Holdings Inc.
