FRIDAY

• Home
• Video
• Podcasts/RSS 
• Archives
• Young Voices
• About the Show
• Tell Tavis
• Features
• Mobile

RELATED LINKS

• Bio on Mr. Duchovny
• House of D

E-mail a friend

Tavis: David Duchovny is a talented actor, writer, and director who of course became a household name during his years on the hit series 'The X-Files.' In May, he makes his feature film writing and directorial debut with the movie 'House of D,' which he stars in along with Robin Williams, Erykah Badu, and his wife, the beautiful Téa Leoni. You can see him now in the new film 'Connie and Carla.' Speaking of which, here's a scene from 'Connie and Carla.'

Jeff: Why are you different when you're away from all the other drag queens?

Connie: What do you mean?

Jeff: I mean it's like there's some kind of drag queen code of behavior or something. You know, it's like--like, "Stripes?! Mary holy Martha Stewart's prison collection! I--I got 3 words for you, Miss Thing--no, no, no. And 4 words--yesterday!" What is that? That's ridiculous! What is that?

Connie: Wh-wh-what was that?

Jeff: Oh, please don't make me do it again. I think I pulled something.

Tavis: David, nice to see you.

David Duchovny: Nice to see you, too.

Tavis: This movie has a funny premise, and I'm never good at trying to explain the premise of a movie without giving away too much information. So why don't I back down? I'll stand down. In the military they say, "stand down." I will stand down and let you explain the premise of 'Connie and Carla.'

David: And I'll make the big mistake by giving away too much.

Tavis: Well, better you than me! I don't want the studio calling me for messing it up.

David: No, I think what's safe to say is basically the premise of the movie is that Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette witness a crime--

Tavis: Nia from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'

David: And Toni Collette, who's like a chameleon actress that you'd know. She's a wonderful actress. And they have to go kind of undercover because they've seen this crime. They've been seen seeing the crime. They end up in L.A., where they kind of fall into a drag revue, so that they go undercover as women playing men playing women. So they are women passing themselves off as drag queens. And then I come into the story as--I have a brother who's a drag queen, who's been many years estranged from the family, and I'm just trying to get back into his life. I'm trying to figure out why he's a drag queen and what, you know, what makes these people tick and why and where. And so, I meet Nia, who I think is a man, and I kind of fall for her in a friendship kind of way, very confusing kind of a way.

Tavis: But you're straight. You're straight, though.

David: I say I'm straight, and I am straight.

Tavis: You are straight. OK!

David: But we have this kind of a thing.

Tavis: Right.

David: And then when it's revealed, you know, at the end that she's a woman, I'm, you know, all bets are off, and here I come.

Tavis: I get a kick out of seeing you play these comedic roles, and you've done this before. I mean, you haven't always and only done just 'The X-Files.' I saw you in an episode--you did 'The Larry Sanders Show.' I've seen you on 'Larry Sanders' and a few other places, obviously 'Connie and Carla,' where you're not playing that serious Mulder character. Um, you like this?

David: Uh, yeah. Well, I mean, it's all a different challenge, you know, to play comedy or to play drama or--

Tavis: What's--you know, you can't say that to a talk show host and not have him follow up. So what's the challenge for you of playing a serious character like Mulder or a more comedic character?

David: Well, you know, all acting is you're trying to portray the truth in some way, and in drama, you know, the truth isn't going to get you any laughs, and even in comedy, you want to play the truth and get laughs. So in a way, comedy's harder because you never want to be caught lying to get the laugh or trying to get the laugh. So you can really be exposed more in comedy. That can be more fun, because there's bigger risks.

Tavis: And you like the risk?

David: Yeah, I like it. I mean, I like the threat of failure and humiliation, you know.

Tavis: Ha ha ha ha!

David: You know.

Tavis: You have issues! Ha ha! This guy likes the threat of being embarrassed.

David: You know, it kind of keeps you alive and going. Rather than jumping out of an airplane, you know, you can do that.

Tavis: What--how do you deal with the fact, if at all--may be something you totally dismiss. If that's the way you feel, I'm happy to hear it. But I think that, for a lot of people, no matter what you do from this point on, you are forever known as Mulder. You're forever known from 'The X-Files.' I have a woman who works on this show, as a matter of fact--Denise--who would never, ever miss an episode of 'The X-Files.' She's seen every episode, and she still watches every episode like she's never seen the episode before. It totally cracks me up.

David: That's the way I watch it.

Tavis: Well, you and Denise are in good company. Are you prepared to deal with this notion that people have of you as the guy they will always know from 'The X-Files'?

David: Well, I'll have a good cry for a moment, and then I'll get back to you. No, I think--I think at first, after 7 or 8 years of doing the show and getting off the show, at first I really thought, you know, I was gonna struggle against it, and I was gonna fight against it, and I was gonna prove that I could do more and that I was more. But eventually you realize that that's like an indelible image that's on people's minds, and it becomes--It's really flattering that we would have created such a powerful, kind of iconic show. So, you know, whatever happens from here on in, you know, it's just up to me to do my work and to--I can't change how I came into people's consciousness. I can't go back and start over. But, you know, I've got a lot more that I want to do and that I'm interested in, so hopefully people will be into that, too.

Tavis: Let me get a little bit deeper in your brain on this question, 'cause I'm always fascinated by folk who have to make these decisions. I mean, you--Before your stint on 'The X-Files' was up, you were already getting offers to do other things.

David: Right.

Tavis: How does an actor know, and I guess you can't speak for all actors, but how David Duchovny know when you are bumping up against that thing called typecasting--

David: Yeah.

Tavis: Where you're the star of the show, you're making very, very good money, you're getting huge ratings, everybody knows who you are, but you don't want to do this thing so long, even though you're making a ton of money, that it might prohibit you from doing other stuff, because, you know, you don't want to be defined by this one role for the rest of your life. I mean, I'm thinking of Jerry Seinfeld. Fortunately, he played a different kind of a character. I mean, Jerry's got so much money now, it doesn't matter whether he ever works again, but if this guy loves to work, and apparently he does, how do you break out of that? When do you know when it's time to hold 'em and when to fold 'em? Does that make any sense?

David: Yeah, it does. It's hard to know. It's really hard to know, and it's just kind of a feeling that you have, and when it comes time to release yourself from a show like this, or to get off a show like this, there are many factors involved. One of them is thinking, you know, "Am I ever going to be able to do anything but this?" Others are, "Are we still creatively involved in doing the show, or are we just, you know, making the doughnuts?" That's what we used to say. "Time to make the doughnuts," you know. So when you really feel like you're just making the doughnuts, even if the fans may love it and you are kind of making it for the fans, at some point, you have to look yourself in the eye. You gotta go, "Well, you know, let's--We got into this business to be creative, to make money, whatever. But to be creative was an important thing, so let's continue to be creative." And sometimes you have to leave to do that.

Tavis: One last 'X-Files' question, and we'll move past that. Since you've left it behind, I'll leave it behind. What for you makes that series--back to my point about my friend Denise--what makes that point so--that show--

David: You should get Denise on here to tell you.

Tavis: Yeah, yeah. I should ask her. As a matter of fact, she'll probably call in and tell me. What makes the show for you--forget Denise--so enduring and so abiding for the fans that love the show?

David: Um, I think it was a combination of many different factors that came together, you know, just fortuitously at one time. It was just--you know, Gillian and I made a really kind of good and compelling couple, you know, and it was the lack of sex between us that kept our tension going, so there was this kind of platonic, tension-filled relationship. And then there was, you know, cinematic production values. They spent a lot of money on the show. It was before reality TV kind of brought the production standards down, you know, in terms of producing a television show. And it was great writing and really talented directing and production design, so it was like watching a little movie every week, and I think it was a treat for people to sit at home and to watch a story that normally you'd have to go out and pay 9 bucks for.

Tavis: Yeah. You directed some episodes of 'The X-Files' during your stint on that show, but this 'House of D,' that is, this new movie 'House of D,' is your big-screen directorial debut. How do you think you did? I guess we'll figure it out. We'll be the judge of that real soon, yeah. But how does David Duchovny judge his work?

David: You know, I think it's a really wonderful, special film. I mean, when I look at it now, all I see are the mistakes, and I'm sure you're the same way. You know, you sit back--

Tavis: I watch my mistakes every night.

David: Yeah, you just watch--all you're attuned to are the mistakes, you know? And you need other people to kind of help you and go, "Well, this is beautiful, and that's great, and this works, and that doesn't." So, I mean, as a first time out, I think I learned a lot every day, and I continue to learn as I watch it, but I had a wonderful time. And, to me, the most important thing is that people, you know, when we were making the movie, people would constantly come up to me and say, "This is a great experience." So, that's what I can judge by, is that I ran a nice set and I had an atmosphere that was creative and I, you know, treated people well.

Tavis: I'm my own worst enemy. You mentioned critiquing your mistakes. I will watch this show 3 or 4 times after it airs--

David: Not this one, not this particular one.

Tavis: Well, not because of you, but I'll watch my own self, and I'll watch myself and things I wish I'd said differently, questions I wish I'd asked, segues I think I missed. I critique the heck out of myself. I am my own worst critic, and all my friends tell me that. Uh, to your directing this movie and all the other directing you intend to do, how are you about critiquing your own work? Are you as tough on yourself as...

David: You know, it's weird. I mean, there's the technical aspect, which I think I probably have the most to learn, you know, since I'm a novice technical director. But, for me, the most important thing about any work that I direct or write is the heart of the matter that I wanted to do there. You know, it was the heart of the story and the heart in the characters. And is the heart in the right place, and is that getting across? After that, I can forgive a lot of mistakes that I make, a lot of the technical mistakes, and I just look at it and go, you know, is that the feeling that I wanted to get? And if it is, then I kind of forgive myself the other things.

Tavis: Because you write a piece, you don't have to direct it, you choose to direct it. What do you think you bring to the table as a director that somebody else couldn't bring?

David: I know the writer really well.

Tavis: Ha ha ha ha!

David: I think, in terms of having written it, I know--I have a real shorthand. You know, I know the scenes inside and out. There's a lot of--there's less homework that I have to do, you know, as a director. So I think, as a director, that's exactly what I bring. I bring, like, a good interpreter of my writing.

Tavis: 'X-files.' How about a movie?

David: Yeah, we're gonna do another one. Uh...I'd say within the year. You know, they're just negotiating deals and writing scripts, so we're gonna get on that, so Denise should be happy.

Tavis: Yeah. Where do you want to take this thing long-term? And I ask that question of you specifically, because there are so many areas now, um, that I see your expertise in.

David: Where do I take 'X-Files'?

Tavis: No, your career.

David: 'Cause I was gonna take 'X-Files' to a girdle and a toupee. We were gonna--

Tavis: Ha ha ha! We'll leave 'X-Files' alone. Please don't take it there. I don't want you to mess this good thing up. No, what I meant--See, there's one of those mistakes I'm gonna look at later and say, "See, Tavis? You weren't clear about the question."

David: I just thought it'd be funny. It wasn't your mistake.

Tavis: Where do you want to take this career of yours that seems to have the opportunity to go in a number of different directions?

David: Yeah, I want to continue to just write, direct, and act. And I want to be able to focus on, you know, the outlets that I think I can do well or that I want to express, whether it's through writing, directing, or acting. And I just don't want to be, like, a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. I want to be careful of that. And I just want to do work that matters, that affects people, and that makes a difference, and that means something.

Tavis: On this project, you actually directed your wife.

David: I did.

Tavis: How was that?

David: Uh, it's--it's--it's...

Tavis: Reverse of the usual, right?

Both: Ha ha ha!

David: You know, it was very easy for me, mostly because I think she's just a wonderful actress and performer. So I wasn't worried at all, 'cause I think she's amazing. She was very nervous about coming up short for me, which I never had that thought. The thought never entered my mind. The weird thing is that she plays my--the character that grows up to be me in the film--she plays his mother. So we had some Freudian interesting things.

Tavis: Can't wait to see that. Nice to see you.

David: Nice to see you.

Tavis: Pleasure to meet you. Thank you, David.

Tavis: David Duchovny. That's our show for tonight, and as always, you can catch me on the radio on NPR. And I'll see you back here next time on PBS. Until then, good night from Los Angeles. Thanks for watching and keep the faith.