A Brief Chat with David Duchovny
Current Project: "Californication," Showtime08/31/2007
TV Home / Entertainment Channel
As you may have seen from my Premium Hollywood posting about Mr. Duchovny's appearance at the press tour, he was pretty much swarmed by the media the second his panel ended, and it didn't let up until he was led away. As such, none of the questions were mine. But, by God, I'm still striving for that one-on-one for you, my friends!
Reporter: David, years ago, you did a talk show interview (in
Vancouver) when you just happened to mention that it rained a bit,
and the local media just went insane. Were you expecting that at all?
David Duchovny: No, not all. It was just very unfortunate, because the fact is that I've always loved…I still love that city. It's one of my favorite places to be in the world. And that was kind of a gag that we decided to do when, I think I was on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." And that was really unfortunate, because people's feelings were really hurt, and I was attacked, and my feelings were hurt, and it was just a non-issue that just spiraled out of control for a number of months.
Reporter: But it's not like it's not true. It does rain all the time there!
DD: Yeah, but that was kind of beside the point. I actually kind of liked that weather, personally, and I love that part of the world. But it was just too bad, because they had been host to the show. And I guess that, because it was reported as a literal kind of dismissal of the city by me, then they felt that I was ungracious and kind of painted as an ungracious American, and it was kind of just falling into these clichés. And it was just too bad, because I had a lot of friends there. In the end, it's just the silly thing that it was, but it was kind of hard for those few months, because we were still working there.
Reporter: So it seems to me that this show that you're in now is one of the few male characters I've watched who's…
DD: …a man.
Reporter: Yeah! A man! Do you feel that way at all?
DD: (with mock indignation) Where was that question earlier? You guys are all, like, "You shouldn't smoke!" You were scared out there in public! But, yes, it was one of those...Tom (Kapinos, the show's creator) is much more ballsy than me. Tom is always the one who wants to push it further, and I'm always the one who says, "Well, wait, how are we going to be able to recover this guy?" It's always a question of, "Can he come back next week, and are you still going to like him?"
Reporter: Have you seen a lot of scripts that feature feminized men? Are you seeing a lot of feminized men on TV?
DD: That might be true. I'm not exactly sure what you
mean, but I'm going to agree with you; in some weird way, I like what
you're saying, but I'm not sure if we're both thinking of the same
thing. But, yeah, you know, what I like to think of it, rather than
saying male and female, I just like that there's no bullshit about
the guy, so that makes him manly in a way, I think…although a woman
can certainly be that way, too, and I don't know if that makes her manly,
but…
Reporter: Do you think he's mentally healthy? I think he's quite mentally healthy.
DD: Well, except for the self-loathing. Except when he's not writing. I mean, he'll be healthier if he's actually doing what…he's supposed to be a good writer, and he says that he wants to write, so there's something missing there. But I agree with you.
Reporter: David, have you been going to the gym more, being that you'll be doing more of these revealing scenes now?
DD: Yeah, yeah…
Reporter: No, no, seriously, is it dieting? Is it exercise?
DD: Well, I'd like you to rephrase your question to be, "Obviously, you've been to the gym more."
Reporter: (laughs) But you look good. What are you doing?
DD: You know, for the first time, I've started lifting a little weights. That's it. But I always did something.
Reporter: Did you run?
DD: It was always something. Sports, swimming, yoga, boxing.
Reporter: Never dieting?
DD: No, no, not really dieting. With the kids, it's hard, because they love the macaroni and cheese.
Reporter: So you avoid the craft services table?
DD: Oh, I always did. I learned early on during "The X-Files," don't eat the M&Ms.
Reporter: David, is there a project or role that you passed on that you wish you'd've taken?
DD: Um…this should be, like, an HBO show, shouldn't it? Um…no. There are probably ones that I've almost gotten that I wish I'd gotten, but that I passed on? No. And to be honest with you, I always think it's bad form to say that you were offered something and someone else did it and made a huge hit out of it.