David Duchovny on New X-FILES Series and Fox Mulder Being a Terrible Agent

While I was on vacation, the exciting news broke that The X-Files was coming back for a limited six episode run! I’ve been wanting something like this to happen for years, and the fact that it’s actually being done is incredible! The X-Files is one of the greatest shows ever made, and I can’t wait to see the story of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully continue.

David Duchovny is set to reprise his role as Mulder, and in a recent interview with The New York Times, he talked about the show and explained that Mulder makes a terrible FBI agent. Here’s what he said about the show coming back:

“All the good things are good. The good things are working with Chris and Gillian again, and getting to do this show again and see what we’ve got. I’m as curious as anybody else. I’m amazed that there’s still an appetite for it and I’m touched. I think the frame of the show is so expansive and so unique and so influential, that it should feel present.”

As you know, there has been talk of another X-Files movie for years. It’s something they have all said they would love to do. Little did we know that all that talk would turn into a new series. 

“The time is right because we got our [act] together to do it. In terms of culturally or what people want to see, I don’t know. I imagine if we waited too much longer people would eventually lose interest. It’s different from something like Star Trek, which started out campy and then, especially with the J.J. Abrams stuff, became legit somehow. You might argue with me, but I always felt like we were legit. We’re still trying to do the same show. It’s not like were trying to make it 2.0, or whatever the .0 is now. 3.0. We’re gonna make the same show. But it’ll be interesting because Gillian and I are older. I don’t want to act like it’s 20 years ago.

He was asked about what the six episodes will be like, and if they are going to be serialized, or just be like a “collection of movies of the week.”

“We’re gonna do both. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna begin and end with the mythology. But I really don’t know.”

I just assumed that it would be a serialized show, especially with only six episodes, but I also like that there might be a couple standalone episodes in there as well. He also discussed how he didn’t realize that what he was doing was groundbreaking when he first started X-Files.

“I was just trying to pay the rent. I’m really bad with that stuff – I’ve never been interested in paranormal stuff. I liked horror movies when I was a kid, but only when I was a kid. When “The X-Files” came around, it was a well-written pilot and kind of a cool character, this irreverent F.B.I. agent. But who’s gonna wanna watch a show about aliens? Honestly, I was the wrong guy to ask that question. I had no idea.”

There has never been another series quite like The X-Files, and I don’t think there ever will be. Hopefully when the series comes back so will that wonderful magic and chemistry between these two fantastic characters. When talking about his character, he explained how he was the worst FBI agent in the field:

“The interesting thing about Mulder is nominally he is law enforcement but he never solved one case in nine years. So he’s the worst F.B.I. agent of all time. As F.B.I. agents, I would say we were not by the book. Especially Mulder.”

That’s just another one of those things that makes Fox such a awesome and interesting character! The new series is expected to debut sometime in 2016.