Secondly, the interview was a roundtable format, meaning that there were
five or six other journalists asking questions all at once. (so don't blame
me for the questions that were or weren't asked- I'm only partially to blame!)
And last but not least, a tip of the Bat-brim to HSX Journal Assistant Editor
Stacy Jacobs- whose help in preparing this piece was not only important,
but downright instrumental. Thanks, Stace!
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 Téa 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.
