X-Files Interview- 8/19/97 Day one: Interview w/ David
Duchovny ("Fox Mulder") and Rob Bowman (Director
of the film, as well as over twenty X-Files episodes)
Q: So what's the difference
between shooting an X-files episode and an X-file movie. .
attitude, preparation, that type of thing:
DD: There's not much of a difference for the actor,
there's a bigger difference in production and the technical
areas.
Q: Does the movie allow you to
open up the character at all - do anything different that
you couldn't do on TV?
DD: No., I don't want to change the character - the
character is what I want it to be at this point - so,
there's no opening up that I want to do with it. I guess in
a movie, I can say 'f*** and s**t', (laughter) but that's
about it. - - and most people think of that as opening up
the character
Q: How is your character going
to grow in the film - or has it grown from what you've done
so far?
DD: I don't believe in a character's growth - I think
your character is set - I think your character comes up in
those different challenges, different quests and things like
that, but unless you have a terrible circumstance, it's
really hard to change someone's character. So, I like to
think that the character, "Mulder" can exist in
uh, you can put him in any medium - you know. . he can do a
commercial, he could do a play, he could do a TV show . . .
now he's doing a movie. He's the same guy, and I think to
change or to try and strategize what a movie audience would
want as opposed to a TV audience or what a dramatic audience
would want or a comic audience or a sci-fi audience - I
think that's the worst kind of artistic place you can end
up.
Q: So, essentially then this is
one giant X-files episode?
DD: Well, you know I'm sure that Chris or whoever's in
charge of marketing the film would definitely caution me
about saying that. But in essence I think what that is
saying is just that the TV show is that good - not that this
movie is not enough, not more but um you know there are
things done - I'm saying there are things done by other
people on the production that aren't done on television -
The production is a movie production - it's that much
bigger. So, in terms of that, in terms of character, in
terms of story, it's - you know - it's the same show and I
think as that - it's worthy of being a movie.
Q: Is this going to be tough
during the season to keep all the things that have gone on
in the movie in your head - so you can keep it consistent?
DD: No, consistency is not really a problem. As I said -
my answer to the character question- the character is the
consistency of the show, not the plot. You could separate
out five or six different shows over the last four years and
it would seem completely at odds with one another. Sometimes
we do funny shows, sometimes we do soap opera shows,
sometimes we do action shows and the character changes in
each of those shows for the demands of the script. So, there
is no consistency within the television show, really.
There's a consistency to the individual show that you're
doing. And you choose to bring up certain aspects of the
character to meet that demand, but consistency is the key.
Q: How is this film stretching
your character, stretching you as an actor?
DD: It isn't really. Um, it's. . uh. . it's the same
character, as I was saying. I mean, it brings certain
aspects to the forefront of the same character that I've
been playing. This is a movie with a lot of big action
stuff, so it if action is part of character then . . ..you
know. . .
Q: Do you have any fights in it?
DD: No, I don't fight, but, uh, I do a lot of running, a
lot of carrying, a lot of falling, a lot of jumping, you
know.
Q: Is the film going to expand
the character of Mulder in some new ways?
DD: Some people think that's expanding the character when
I'm saying "f***" and "s**t" - It's like
that story about when they were shooting, "The
Godfather" and they wanted to buy out Pacino, because
they were saying "he doesn't do anything, he doesn't do
anything" so Coppola wrote in this scene. Basically
this scene where he shoots that guy in the restaurant - and
they're like " yeah, oh yeah - he's good - that's good
stuff, he's a good actor
Q: Is Mulder nuts?
DD: Um, well, if you didn't have the perspective of the
show which always proves him to be basically right, you'd
have to say that he was. But, if you have the perspective of
watching what the audience gets to see, you'd have to say
that he's the only one who's not nuts.
Q: How about from your
perspective?
DD: Um, No, no as somebody who tries to make it real, I
just. . can't think that he's nuts. Everybody is entitled to
their own reality. I mean, they each think they're doing the
best thing that they can. You know Mulder is doing the best
that he can, with the knowledge that he has.
Q: I have a feeling, that in
high school, he was kind of a nerdy outsider. Is that how
you see it?
DD: Um, I'm not that kind of actor, but I'll go along
with that. (laughter)
Q: I'm thinking of that scene in
the Carnival show, where there's the future and your
standing over there with . .
DD: Well, they like to make fun of me - That's really
Darrin Morgan who is trying to make fun of David - not
really about Mulder
Q: About the movie making
process - -Has there been anything that has been surprising,
or funny to you?
DD: Um, not really funny, uh surprising. . It's by far -
well, no, not the biggest budget, but it's the biggest
action-oriented film that I've ever done. So, the pressure
of TV - - of getting that right is very difficult and you
kind of have to pace yourself in a different way . . .
X-Files Interview-Part 2 8/19/97
Q: Do you have some fight scenes
in the film?
DD: I wish, I certainly got banged up. Actually I do have
fights - Yeah, I like the fighting - I don't know if you
notice in the show, but I drop my gun a lot - That's because
I can't actually kill anything because if I did than I'd
have evidence - I actually have to drop the gun, which is
too bad.
Q: Why are you always walking
into a dark room, dropping a flashlight?
DD: That's a Director of Photography question. I mean
I've spoken to, uh…
(At this point, director Rob
Bowman joins David at the roundtable.)
RB: Are you telling the truth?
DD: Yeah, I said a nice thing about you - I said 'let's
play'. Why do I walk into dark rooms?
Q: We were talking about fight
scenes...
DD: (to Bowman) I do have a fight in this, right? When
I'm climbing up out of the . . .
RB: (interrupts) Yeah, but it's more evasive than . . .
DD: (returns the interruption) It's one of those scenes
where you lie on your back and kick… I'm of two minds
about it. I like the fact that Mulder is not the superhero.
But then, as myself, I love to get in there and do a scene
where I look like I can really kick ass. So, you know
sometimes I like to have a fight where I look like a lot
better than I do, and sometimes I'm really proud of the fact
that Mulder loses across the board, you know, and yet still
remains a powerful person. If I'm proud of anything about
the show, it's that - you know if you put down his
statistics on paper, his won-loss record, he's horrible, and
yet you don't feel that way about him. So I think that
that's something that I've been able to pull off.
Q: Is the movie going to be left
open for a sequel.
DD: I think this is a question of demand. That's really
one for your grandkids.
Q: I mean, does the movie end in
a way that could have sequels?
RB: Oh yeah.
Q: Or is that giving away too
much? (laughter)
Q: We were talking earlier about
it seems like the two of you in particular, seem to work
well together and have a good creative input flow. It seems
to be really about the show, it's not a star driven thing,
it's really seems that everybody is really about the show
here.
RB: You know, if I could comment on that. I think its
because I started. . .
DD: He asked ME... (laughter)
RB: I'm going to comment on this… (laughter)
DD: Go ahead . . .
RB: Uh, its because I was there when the show wasn't as
big, and we developed a relationship there and then its just
about going back to that core relationship. There's a lot
more distraction now.
DD: Well, we went through our difficulties in the
beginning, you know, testing and stuff like that. Rob had
this show called 'Gender Bender'. Do you remember that one,
with the aliens that would change sex. I think we shot the
show for, like, three months. These aliens lived in like a
beehive and it was like Spinal Tap where the Stonehenge
comes down, it's like this big and they had to shoot me in
the beehive and it was only like this big and then we kept
on going back and shooting and I had goop all over me . . .
RB: (continuing) …and it got to the point to where I
said, "Ok, now at this point, there's the aliens over
there and your looking." He says" I don't care,
just tell me where you want me to go, and I'll do it. I'm so
tired, I can't even think. Just roll the f***ing camera. Go
here, go there, got it, I'll do it"
DD: "Know how to breathe heavily" (breathes
heavily) Okay. "Open my Eyes?" (blinks
repeatedly)(laughter)
Q: If the schedule is so
overbearing, why continue?
DD: For the money. (laughter) Um, I, you know, pride,
really. You know it when becomes less like creatively new,
which it can be after four years - Not to say interesting,
but less creatively new. It's pride in your doing your job
well, having said that you were going to show up and do the
movie, and do the best that you could, and having said that
you'd do your best. Aside from all this bulls**t about art
and stuff. . .really all you have at the end of the day is,
you know, 'Did you keep your promises?' 'Did you keep your
integrity and did you show up on time and do your work?'
Q: Do you have any real strong
commitments to your fans? Do you keep up with the Internet
sites dedicated to the series?
DD: (laughter) No, honestly, I don't. Not to the fans and
and the Net baloney. No, it's like a personal commitment and
in that I think that they they are the recipients of that.
You know, but I don't do it for the fat lady, or whatever it
is, what you want to call it. Um, I can't conceptualize, I
can't, you know, if I'm going to work and I'm tired, I can't
go "the kids, the kids need him, the kids need
him." It's not like that, it's basically like, you
know, people, all of this is in motion, and I said I was
going to be here, and I will keep my commitment and I will
try and have fun, and do the best that I can do. And, you
know, that, to me, is a commitment to the fans, indirectly.
But I don't, I don't see the faces.
Q: How much longer do you think
you're going to keep doing it?
DD: Well, I don't know.
Q: Is this your last season?
DD: Um, I would prefer it if it was, but, you know, there
are other forces in motion.
Q: The story is that you're
signed for at least another three seasons. Is that true?
DD: Not as far as I know.
Q: Is there a cause that you
feel strongly about?
DD: Cause. You mean, like, a political cause?
Q: A political cause, or just a
belief
DD: Now I feel like it's a quiz. I didn't prepare. I
champion the Rob Bowman charity.
Q: I was reading some newspaper,
or saw some television show earlier, With you reportedly
having some fight with Gillian over salaries and other crazy
s**t.
DD: Yeah, I saw that one.
Q: Do you want to give me an
opportunity to go on national television (The Gossip Show)
and quash all of that s**t?
DD: What national television are you on?
Q: E!
DD: Ok, yeah. I got talked about (regarding) the
challenge you go through every year. The press is also
challenged every year, and now its the fourth year, so they
have nothing else to write, so they have to make something
up. So, that's what happens. I'm surprised it hasn't
happened before this, it's pretty late to come up with this
kind of bulls**t. To be honest, it's hard to work with the
same people every day - you know you have your normal ups
and downs. So, I'm not denying that there's never tension.
There's tension between Rob and I sometimes so, you know,
s**t happens. I really think that its. .you know, I don't
know what's next. I mean, I remember reading stuff where I
wanted to steal (Gillian) away from her husband and I've
read stuff where she kicked my wife (actress Tea Leoni) off
the set. Now, that's utter bulls**t, you know, nobody can
dare kick my wife off the set. . .I can't get her ON the
set.
Q: So, the rumors of
hair-pulling were greatly exaggerated?
DD: Hair-pulling? (laughs) I think Gillian pulled the
hair on my arm once. (laughs again)
Q: Any favorite scenes (in the
film) at this point? Anything that's going to stand out?
DD: Rob, as a director has a lot, a lot of interesting
stuff to do. Um, for me, I think I see him in the hallways
at night. We shut the other door. Working with Martin Landau
was a high point That was great. Now, there's a guy, I mean,
just a hard working actor. I don't know how old he is, but
he's been around a while and we were working (pauses) it's
been a really hard schedule, cause we're working six day
weeks, and at that point, we were working nights. So, we
were working six night weeks, and that was just horrendous.
And um, he uh we got to his coverage- which day I don't
remember, at like 5. . 6 in the morning and then we have to
tent the alleyway…
RB: …On the sixth day.
DD: …On the sixth day. We have to tent the alleyway.
You know, to keep the daylight out, and I'm so tired that I
can't even think and Rob's tired too and Martin Landau just,
uh, had a hard time with the scene because it was so
difficult and had so many words. But, he has so much pride,
you know, he wasn't thinking of the fans or whatever. It was
just sheer will that got him through that scene and to see
somebody who has an Academy Award, somebody who has nothing
left to prove, just you know, keep working at it, until it
was somewhere, that was the most inspirational.
Rob: It was, because I would say, "I'm fine, I got
the scene," and he says "No, I can do it
better." And he demanded to keep doing more takes, so
that he felt that he had done the job that he was hired to
do.
At this point, the Powers That
Be swooped down and spirited Rob and David away from the
group.
© Rod Dovlin/HSX Holdings Inc.
