Actors on the Set of "Evolution" Talk About the Sci-Fi
March 2001

David Duchovny of "X-Files" fame has a new film in the works. It'sabout an alien life force that quickly evolves into a monster-sizeproblem. But this is no sci-fi thriller. It's actually a comedy. OurLaurie Hibberd recently visited the movie set in Los Angeles. 

Good morning, Laurie. 

LAURIE HIBBERD reporting: 

Good morning. Because when I think comedy, I think David Duchovny... 

CHEN: David Duchovny. 

HIBBERD: ...not. Actually, you don't expect stars like David Duchovnyand "Hannibal"'s Julianne Moore to make you laugh. But both of theircareers are evolving, thanks to a new movie called "Evolution." 

(Excerpt from "Evolution" courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures) 

HIBBERD: In "Evolution," an asteroid hits Arizona, unleashing arapidly evolving alien life force that threatens to conquer theplanet. Who better to save the world than David Duchovny and OrlandoJones? 

(Excerpt from "Evolution") 

Mr. DAVID DUCHOVNY ("Evolution"): He's humble. 

Mr. ORLANDO JONES ("Evolution"): I'm very humble. I don't speak tothis sort of thing. Except when people ask me, 'David Duchovny, is hefunny in the movie?' I go, 'He's hilarious and don't you ask meagain. He's absolutely hysterical.' 

Mr. DUCHOVNY: Kiss me. Kiss me now. 

HIBBERD: Duchovny plays a university professor, Jones is his trustedright-hand man. As for the scientist, played by "Hannibal"'s JulianneMoore... 

Ms. JULIANNE MOORE ("Evolution"): She's somebody who's kind of, youknow, together intellectually but physically clumsy. 

(Excerpt from "Evolution") 

Mr. IVAN REITMAN (Director, "Evolution"): Action. 

HIBBERD: Ivan Reitman of "Ghostbusters" fame is the director. Andboth Duchovny and Moore say Mr. Reitman is the right man to findhumor in alien places. 

When I think of comedy, I really don't think of Julianne Moore andDavid Duchovny. I really don't. They're not--that's not the firstthing I think of with them. What were you looking for in yourcasting? 

Mr. REITMAN: Well--but the fact is, David Duchovny is one of thefunniest people you can meet. He's always had this great sense of witand irony. 

(Excerpt from "Evolution") 

HIBBERD: A lot of special effects because it is a sci-fi? 

Mr. DUCHOVNY: Oh, yeah, yeah. Big sci-fi comedy and lots of specialeffects. 

HIBBERD: Does that take you back to like the first days of actingschool because like, 'OK, here's the big scary monster, act scared?' 

Mr. DUCHOVNY: That--that--no, that's not what acting school is like. 

HIBBERD: It's not? 

Mr. DUCHOVNY: No, the big scary monster day? No. It's actually--I--wejoke about it sometimes that they don't prepare you for anything thatyou actually usually have to do as an actor in movies like this. 

Ms. MOORE: What we're dealing with always in acting is that we're--
we're imagining. We're pretending the entire situation, you know. So--
so the fact that there's not a monster in the room isn't really goingto change anything. 

HIBBERD: In fact, you're kind of glad he's not there. 

Ms. MOORE: Yeah, exactly, yeah. 

(Excerpt from "Evolution" courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures) 

HIBBERD: Of course, no one has to give comedy lessons to funny manOrlando Jones, even when he's just reacting to a special effect. 

Mr. JONES: It's just--it's surreal, quite honestly. It's like, 'It'scoming at you, it's coming at you, duck.' That's--that's pretty mucha day. 'OK, look to the left you see it. Wow, is that scary? OK, now,look back. OK, look, it's scary again. It's bigger.' 'Wow, thank you,Ivan.' 

Mr. DUCHOVNY: I'll go back and I'll--I'll call, you know, my wife, myagent and I'll say, 'This is ridiculous. I have made a huge mistake.'But th--you know, at any movie, there's that moment when you do that,you know. Lots of moments when you do that. I mean, your career isfilled with such moments. In fact, that's most of life, is justthinking, 'I just made a huge mistake.' 

HIBBERD: Will it be a big mistake for David? Well, we won't know fora couple of months yet. "Evolution" opens nationwide in June. 

CHEN: And we wish them luck on it. 

HIBBERD: Yeah. 

CHEN: Now this is not first time we're actually seeing David Duchovnyor Julianne Moore in a comedy, though? 

HIBBERD: No, it's just not what you think of first in a name. I mean,Duchovny is so associated with "The X-Files." But he actually--lastyear he did that romantic comedy "Return to Me" with Minnie Driver.And if you go back--way, way back, he was in "Don't Tell Mom the Baby-
Sitter's Dead." And he was also in... 

CHEN: Never heard of it, sorry. 

HIBBERD: Yeah, Christina Applegate was also in that movie. 

CHEN: OK. 

HIBBERD: And he was in "Beethoven," the original "Beethoven," withCharles Grodin, which was directed... 

CHEN: Oh, the one with the St. Bernard? 

HIBBERD: Yeah. Which was directed by Ivan Reitman who picked him forthis movie. 

CHEN: No kidding. 

HIBBERD: Yeah. 

CHEN: And Julianne Moore has done a few comedies. 

HIBBERD: She--she's kind of high-brow comedy. She did "Cookie'sFortune" and "The Big Lebowski." But she was also in "Nine Months"with Tom Arnold and Hugh Grant where she played the--the pregnantwoman and--yeah, yeah. 

CHEN: Right. That right. That was like a romantic comedy. Now didDavid Duchovny say anything about taking lessons from his wife, TeaLeoni, who is a comedic actress? 

HIBBERD: Yes, and--and a very good one. Actually, he didn't mentionanything about that. The only thing he wanted to talk about was thebaby because Tea had given birth a little while ago and, you know, hesaw I was pregnant. So that was the only, you know, thing he reallywanted to discuss about his wife. Tried, though. 

CHEN: I've never been to a movie set. But you have been before. Wasthis... 

HIBBERD: Yeah. No, it's fun. It's fun especially if you get theactors in the right mood and they're all, you know, relaxed andhaving fun, it's--it's terrific. It's a really great experience. 

CHEN: Laurie Hibberd, thank you. 

HIBBERD: You're welcome.

Article courtesy of CBS News.