David Duchovny believed that he was taking part in a first when he filmed the "X-Files" movie last summer: starring in a big-budget Hollywood film, playing the same character he plays in a continuing television series.

"But then somebody told me there had been a 'Beverly Hillbillies' movie one year while that show was on, and then there was a 'Munsters' movie while it was on the air," Duchovny said. "So maybe we're just the first drama that's made a movie while on the air."

At the least, "The X-Files" movie, which opens Friday, is the first film to be dropped into the middle of a television series with a continuing story line. Duchovny, who is in New York this week to promote the movie, admitted that recreating his Fox Mulder character -- the FBI agent exposed to alien invaders, monsters of all descriptions and government conspirators on every side -- posed a few challenges.

"The movie is all about storytelling," Duchovny said, "which leads to slight differences in how you play the character. On TV, it's been five years. People know Mulder. In the movie, you have to play him for people who are seeing him for the first time."

What this means in the movie is a subtle shift in Mulder's sense of the events surrounding him. "In the TV show, we have so many different types of episodes: monster shows, the mythology shows, satiric-type shows," Duchovny said. "We couldn't be all of that in the movie. So there are some aspects of Mulder from the show that you don't see in the movie. What happens is you see some things that Mulder doesn't."

"The X-Files" has a steady audience of 20 million every week on the Fox network. But Chris Carter, the creator of the series and the film, said he had to open the movie up to nonfans.

But this year's episodes of the series were being shot after the movie's filming was completed. All Duchovny knew going into the film, he said, was that the X-Files division of the FBI was going to "be closed down in the final episode of the season, when my office burns down."

That was the starting point for the film. "But I didn't want Mulder to be moping around depressed when the movie started," he said. "That's no way to introduce a character to people. So I talked it over with Chris."

They came up with an approach that included a touch of humor in the early scenes of the film.

"I don't think that was really a risk," Duchovny said. "We're taking plenty of other risks with this movie, but I don't think my characterization is a big one. The biggest gamble we're taking is doing the movie at all. If the movie were not to work, it might tarnish the series."

Duchovny said that he was very happy with how the film turned out and that he expected to make another film if this one is a success. Whatever happens, he said, "I'm on board for this coming year in the series." -- By BILL CARTER

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