MOVIE NEWS – David Duchovny has revealed what he considers to be his biggest mistakes he made regarding Gillian Anderson while filming The X-Files…
The tension between X-Files stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on set has been well-documented. It was a far cry from the tension between their FBI agent characters in the sci-fi series. In a new episode of Duchovny’s Fail Better podcast, the actor sat down for a candid chat with his former co-star and now-boyfriend Anderson, and of course, the ups and downs of their relationship were discussed.
Discussing how incredibly different their on-screen and off-screen relationships were, they said:
“David Duchovny: The part of this conversation that is the trickiest part for me is where I guess I would talk about like my failure of friendship or my failure of companionship or just co-starring. There was a long time, working on the show, where we were just not even dealing with one another off camera. There was a lot of tension which didn’t matter, apparently for the work because we’re both f–king crazy, I guess, that we could just go out there and do what we needed to do.
Gillian Anderson: It’s crazy that we were able to present on camera the various feelings and emotions and attraction and all that kind of stuff, but then not speak to each other for weeks at a time. [Laughs]”
Duchovny explained that a large part of the problem was the huge interest shown in the show. They were not prepared at the time for the star status and the incredibly increased interest that this situation brought. He continued:
“I could’ve handled myself better. And, as you know, we went through a crazing making-of process with this thing. I was pretty inexperienced, you were really inexperienced. It’s hard to imagine with the Internet now, but it was a global phenomenon before the internet, and we’re just scurrying, trying to figure out who we are, and you’re a little younger than me, too. You’re very young, at least I’m in my 30s, you’re in your 20s. Just turned your world upside down. I don’t want to speak for you, but for me, I was trying to figure out who I am in all this.
What’s my part in this? I wanted to take advantage of it, like how do I make this into my career? And I quit the show like seven years later. I never apologized to you for that. I don’t know that I even talked to you about it. Then you said you weren’t going to do the show anymore, like the last time we did it, and I know that hurt my feelings… I was like, ‘Oh she’s quitting me, she doesn’t like working with me anymore.'”
Success of The X-Files hinged on both stars
While there have been many shows that have worked without the original cast, for various reasons, The X-Files has never been better than when Duchovny and Anderson were on board. There were times when Anderson’s Dana Scully went missing in action after being “kidnapped,” and then Duchovny’s Fox Mulder left the show for several seasons. Recalling that things fell apart at times, the pair explained that one of the biggest setbacks they endured was not using their shared experience to help each other through times of doubt.
“Duchovny: This is kind of about failure. We missed a chance…because you’re the only person that knows what I was going through and I’m the only person that knows what you’re going through, and we didn’t make use of that…There are things that you do miss, if you don’t try to stand up and be vulnerable and say, “What it’s like for you?” I know that I never asked that.
Anderson: To your point about your ending. We never talked about it. I don’t think I ever blamed you… I don’t think I was upset. I mean, for me, at that time, [I thought], can I [quit] too? I thought, well then we’re both going to because clearly I can’t go on without him, so surely I’ll be able to. Then they started talking about, “Well, if you stay on, you can actually make some good money.”
Source: Fail Better
