From ET Online, May 20, 1999
David's Little Lady
During hiatus from filming "The X-Files," DAVID DUCHOVNY has been
on the set with MINNIE DRIVER shooting the film 'Return To Me.' He
told us behind-the-scenes info on the movie and gave us the scoop on his
new family!
Entertainment Tonight: Do you have any love scenes?
David: They're love scenes, but they're not "love scenes." It's a
very kind of chaste, 1940s style. It's a CARY GRANT and KATHARINE
HEPBURN kind of style of movie where the love is emotional more than
physical. There is some kissing, but not more than that.
ET: Could you describe your character?
David Duchovny: Well, in this movie I'm playing an architect/construction
design worker. It's kind of between a blue-collar and a white-collar worker.
He has suffered a great loss. He's lost his wife and he's pretty much shut
down. He's not enjoying life at all. He's not enjoying anything. He's not
open to anything. Then he meets this woman, played by MINNIE DRIVER,
and opens up again to her for reasons that are plot driven and interesting.
ET: Is there anything in real life that has happened where you have
lost something that precious?
David: Not a wife. I haven't lost a wife and I haven't lost a mother
or father. I've lost grandparents. We all can relate to loss. Some people
are more unfortunate than others in the age that they lose loved ones or
the suddenness that they lose them. I think I've been pretty lucky. But I
think it's a feeling that everyone can relate to.
ET: What do you think of when you work?
David: Whatever you have to do to make yourself into a person that
would shut off that way. But then again, it's an interesting movie because
it's also a comedy. It's not a case study in grief and mourning. It's supposed
to get into these emotions, but also bounce on them lightly.
ET: I wondered about that. I thought that it was a romantic drama.
David: It is. It's a strange beast. It's definitely a melodrama. My
wife's heart goes to this woman. It's an impossible happening. It's a fairy
tale, really. Like any fairy tale, it has elements of horror and grotesque
comedy. I think the tone that we're trying to get is kind of like a realistic
fairy tale. It's hard to get.
ET: Why did you take the role?
David: Well, I love BONNIE [HUNT]. I've known Bonnie since
we've done 'Beethoven.' Bonnie's just one of the smartest, most passionate,
funniest people in the business. I didn't know she wrote. Actually GEORGE
CLOONEY was on a flight with me and he told me about this script that
Bonnie had written. I asked about it and I got it. I thought it was a great
idea and a great script. Pretty much anything that Bonnie was going to do,
if she would have me, I would love to work with her. Especially the chance
to do Bonnie's first film, which is not going to happen again. I really think
she is going to be a major director.
ET: What is it like working with her?
David: She has the whole movie in her head. It's just a matter of
her getting it down on film now. It's nice to work with somebody that can
give you that much direction and support. She's extremely loving and supportive.
Her commitment is sometimes scary and most of the time contagious.
ET: Does she turn off her funniness when she's in this world?
David: Off and on. She definitely doesn't want to distract everybody
when she's directing. She's also acting in the film. Her sense of humor is
not like separate of who she is so it's always going to pop out.
ET: How do you meet Minnie Driver's character?
David: She's a waitress in a restaurant. The first time that I go
out after my wife has died, it's been a year and I've done nothing but eat
Chinese food with my dog. I finally agree to go out on a date. My date is
horrible, but Minnie's a waitress in the restaurant and there's something
between us. It's kind of a metaphor for whatever it is that is between all
people, you know. Whenever you feel a connection, obviously it's not because
they have the heart of someone you used to love. That's kind of the fable
aspect of it.
ET: We're not used to seeing you in a romantic role. What's it like
for you to play it?
David: It's not so much that it's a romantic role, but it's different
than the kind of role that I've grown into unconsciously over the last six
years. It just feels scary. Anything that I'm doing outside of playing Mulder
at this point just feels awkward. I just haven't had time to do anything
else, really. I've done one other role in the last six years. Romance is
not really the challenge. Snapping myself out of the hypnosis of what I've
been doing the last six years is the challenge. When I go home at night...
when I'm working on "The X-Files" at this point, I know how to do Mulder
and I don't lay awake at night thinking what I could've done differently.
But here I do. It's stressful and it's fun. It's fun to care that much again.
I remember when I first started doing "The X-Files" it was like that.
ET: In this film, after you fall in love with Minnie's character,
you have everything. You've got the perfect love and you've got the career.
Do you feel that your own life is a lot like that?
David: I feel like I should be a lot more grateful than I sometimes
feel. I do. I feel very lucky to be living the life that I'm living right
now. Yet, I'm still strangely unfilled at times with work and what I want
to do. There are moments when I can sit back and think that things are okay.
The wolf isn't at the door right now. But I don't want to be complacent.
It's never over. Life is tricky and life is hard. Things are wonderful right
now, but I don't think that has anything to do with me. It's a lot of luck
and timing. I'll do everything I can to keep it that way for my family and
me.
ET: Is this the only thing you're doing on hiatus?
David: Come on, give me a break! This goes until mid-July and then
I'll take a month off and relax with TEA [LEONI] and the baby. Then
I'll go back to doing "X-Files," which will kind of be fun to go back to.
ET: Speaking of the baby, is it a month old yet?
David: Almost.
ET: What is it like? Is it sad to be here?
David: It is when I think about it. It's sometimes sad that I can't
be with them right now. They're here now. They're in Chicago with me, so
I go home and I see them. I tell myself that it's okay. At this point, the
baby doesn't even know I exist, really. It's only about the nipple... and
it's not my nipple, it's her nipple.
ET: That's fabulous that they got to come with you!
David: Oh, yes. I only had to spend six days apart from them. That
was hard, especially at that point. The baby was only five days old and I
had to leave them. That was terrible.
