David Duchovny Movies
Rocketing from obscure bit player to TV's resident über-sex god thanks to his role as FBI agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files, David Duchovny can claim to have had one of the 1990s' more remarkable career metamorphoses. Although his initial attempts to translate his TV stardom into celluloid success proved less than memorable, the tall, classically handsome actor has continued to enjoy a great deal of popularity, evidenced in particular by the countless estrogen-drenched internet shrines erected in his honor.Born in Manhattan on August 7, 1960, to a Jewish father and a Scottish mother, Duchovny did his undergraduate work at Princeton and then went on to pursue a Master's degree in English Literature at Yale. While working toward his degree, he began commuting to New York to study acting, and he was soon appearing in a few off-Broadway plays. His interest in acting ultimately eclipsed his dedication toward earning his degree, and Duchovny dropped out of Yale to pursue a career as a performer. He got his first break starring in a beer commercial, and in 1988, he made his film debut with a breathtakingly abbreviated appearance as a party guest in Mike Nichols's Working Girl. Work in a number of diverse and usually obscure films, including starring roles in Julia Has Two Lovers (1991), The Rapture (1991), and Kalifornia (1993), followed, but the actor was able to command a more steady paycheck from his TV work. Before The X-Files debuted in 1993, Duchovny was best-known to TV viewers as Dennis/Denise, Twin Peaks' resident transvestite detective.
As The X-Files steadily grew from cult favorite to mainstream success, becoming recognized as one of the most groundbreaking shows of the decade, Duchovny also began to enjoy both industry respect and huge audience popularity. Dubbed as the latest in a long line of thinking women's sex symbols, it was only a matter of time before he returned to the big screen, and with the 1997 thriller Playing God he did just that. Unfortunately, the film, which also starred Timothy Hutton and Angelina Jolie, was a huge flop, and aside from starring in the successful 1998 X-Files movie, Duchovny re-focused his energies on portraying his television alter ego. He returned to the screen in 2000 in the romantic comedy Return to Me, starring as a devastated widower who finds himself falling in love with the woman (Minnie Driver) who received his wife's heart in a transplant. Later that same year, Duchovny announced that he would be greatly diminishing his involvement with The X-Files, dismaying both fans and any number of 20th Century Fox executives; fortunately for all interested parties, he subsequently reached a settlement with Fox and announced he was returning full-time to the show. Lamenting the X-Files departure from storylines based on his popular character and citing respect for his fans, Duchovny vowed never to return to The X-Files in early 2001, though he did not rule out appearing in future features based on the popular series. That same year Duchovny appeared as a humorous varation on his "Spooky" persona in director Ivan Reitman's sci-fi comedy Evolution. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 1996
When Larry (Garry Shandling) catches wind that the network reps may be grooming guest host Jon Stewart to fill a more permanent position on the show, an embittered Larry will stop at nothing to see that Stewart's career on The Larry Sanders Show is put on ice. With sabotage on the brain, Larry schemes to steal Stewart's illustrious guests and replace them with Charles Nelson Reilly. Meanwhile, Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) purchases an unreliable car from Elvis Costello, leaving the sidekick at odds with how to handle the situation. As the battle between the hosts pans out, Larry is somewhat disturbed at the affection showered upon him by David Duchovny, who seems to seek a bit more than Larry's friendship. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Desperate for an A-list guest as his final show draws ever closer, Larry (Garry Shandling) determines that he must overcome his discomfort with affectionate old friend David Duchovny in order to secure an appearance from the X-Files star. Meanwhile, Artie (Rip Torn) struggles to keep the emotional staff afloat in hopes of producing a memorable swan song for The Larry Sanders Show. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Fed up that he has been bumped from the show nine times in a row, comedian Jeff Cesario is somewhat placated by Larry's (Garry Shandling) promise that he will most certainly be on the next show. Complications arise when Artie (Rip Torn) and Larry discover that not only has the next show been booked solid, but Hank's (Jeffrey Tambor) father has died, and the grief-stricken co-host has demanded tribute time on the show. When Artie and Larry decide that a guest must be cut, who will it be? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An audacious film about faith, The Rapture is a contemporary fantasy that keeps its feet unnervingly planted in reality even as reality starts to collapse. Mimi Rogers, in a strikingly accomplished performance, stars as Sharon, a telephone operator who spends her off-hours engaging in casual group sex to blot out her boredom. By chance, she becomes aware of a small Christian sect whose members believe that they have found a child with the gift of prophecy who has seen the upcoming end times. Slowly but steadily, Sharon finds herself drawn to this group, and one night she abruptly turns a corner, renounces her old life, and embraces fundamentalism with passion. She marries one of her former lovers, Randy (David Duchovny), who takes up Sharon's evangelical fervor to atone for his past as a hired killer, and they have a daughter. All seems peaceful until Randy is unexpectedly murdered, and Sharon takes her child to the desert to await the rapture that will bring the chosen to heaven. The film neither supports nor scoffs at Sharon's views, and the superb performances add immeasurably to a film that presents the unbelievable (and unthinkable) at face value, making it seem oddly plausible in the process. Michael Tolkin has also written and/or directed such films as The Player (1992), directed by Robert Altman, and The New Age (1994), both of which also skewer contemporary American society as shallow, materialistic, and desperate for something authentic to believe in. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny, (more)
Inspired by the Japanese drama Himitsu (which was in turn based on the novel by author Keigo Higashino), director Vincent Perez's supernatural drama tells the tale of a mother who discovers some shocking secrets about her teenage daughter after being killed in a tragic car accident and seeing her soul inexplicably transplanted into the body of the troubled young girl. Benjamin (David Duchovny) and Hannah (Lili Taylor) are happily married soul mates, yet neither parent realizes that their adolescent daughter Sam (Olivia Thirlby) is leading a desperate double life. One day, seemingly out of the blue, Benjamin and Sam find their lives changed forever when Hannah is killed in a violent car accident. But at the moment of death, Hannah's soul is somehow propelled into Sam's body, giving the mother a chance to know her beautiful daughter more intimately than she ever did in life. Unfortunately the things that Hannah discovers about Sam are deeply disturbing; Sam has been leading a secret life - a life that neither Hannah nor Benjamin ever knew anything about. Meanwhile, back at home, Hannah and her grieving husband receive one last chance to rekindle their romance and say their last goodbyes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Lili Taylor, (more)
Writer/director Jake Kasdan's showbiz comedy The TV Set stars David Duchovny as Mike Klein, a television producer who in the beginning of the film successfully sells a network on a story idea. The film follows Klein as he must actually put the show together, navigate the corporate minefield of the network, and figure out what aspects of his show he is willing to compromise. Sigourney Weaver plays the demanding president of the network, Justine Bateman plays Klein's wife, and Judy Greer plays his manager. The TV Set had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
This 60-million-dollar science fiction suspense drama (marketed with an additional 25 million dollars), was adapted from the popular TV series The X-Files -- arriving in theaters while the Emmy-winning series was still being aired, continuing plot threads familiar to many of the series' 25 million viewers, and featuring several familiar recurring characters introduced during the previous five TV seasons. In 15,000 B.C., a strange creature attacks a caveman. Cut to present day, when a boy at the same North Texas spot falls into a pit and is contaminated by a black substance. When a bomb threatens the Dallas Federal Building, special FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) locate the device but are unable to prevent the explosion. The agency blames Mulder and Scully for the disaster, subjecting them to lengthy interrogations while trying to sever their partnership. In a bar, conspiracy theorist Kurtzweil (Martin Landau), a friend of Mulder's father, tells Mulder about the group behind the explosion, the cover-up of the boy's death, the bodies of four infected rescue workers removed from the Federal Building, the secret government, and the forthcoming plague. Mulder and Scully set out to find answers, and their investigation becomes a foray into the fantastic. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
- 1995
Season two of The X-Files came to a pulse-pounding conclusion with the cliffhanger episode "Anasazi." Courtesy of a computer hacker known as The Thinker (Bernie Coulson), Mulder comes into possession of an encrypted diskette which turns out to contain evidence of a wide-ranging official cover-up of UFO landings. On a more personal note, the evidence on the diskette leads to an uncomfortable reunion between Mulder and his father (Peter Donat). Without spoiling the ending, it can be noted that at least one major character vanishes without a trace -- and this coincides with yet another sinister appearance by the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis). Written by X-Files creator Chris Carter and series co-star David Duchovny, "Anasazi" originally aired May 19, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Mulder and Scully attempt to clear their boss, Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), of a murder charge. It seems that Skinner met a woman (Amanda Tapping) in a singles bar, then woke up beside the woman's dead -- and desecrated -- body. Not surprisingly, Skinner has been set up as a patsy by a group of government conspirators. Even so, the two agents learn more than they want to know about Skinner's private life. Co-written by series star David Duchovny and Howard Gordon, "Avatar" was originally broadcast April 26, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Part one of a two-part X-Files drama, "Colony" originally aired February 10, 1995. Told in flashback, the episode traces the events leading up to Mulder's reunion with his sister, who was abducted by aliens 20 years earlier. At least, the woman (Megan Leitch) claims to be Mulder's sister, but Scully is none too convinced. Meanwhile, the search goes on for a serial killer capable of changing his shape at the slightest provocation (Brian Thompson). Ending with a truly chilling cliffhanger, "Colony" was written by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Having proven that they were not above self-parody with the earlier episode "X-Cops," the folks responsible for The X-Files served up another dose of satire with the April 30, 2000, episode "Hollywood A.D." Agent Mulder is hired as a technical adviser when one of his previous X-Files cases is transformed into a Hollywood movie. Presented in flashback, the actual events of the case are amusingly contrasted with the movie version, in which Garry Shandling plays Mulder and Téa Leoni (real-life wife of series star David Duchovny) portrays Scully. As production of the film continues, the real Mulder and Scully try to solve a few mysteries left dangling during their original investigation of the case. In addition to his usual duties as Mulder, Duchovny also wrote and directed "Hollywood A.D." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2008
- PG13
- Add The X-Files: I Want to Believe to QueueAdd The X-Files: I Want to Believe to top of Queue
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprise their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully with this long-delayed big-screen continuation that revives the series six years after it headed off the air in 2002. Creator Chris Carter returns to direct, co-writing the script with series veteran Frank Spotnitz for 20th Century Fox. Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit co-star in the stand-alone sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
Before the black oil, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and the threat of global alien colonization, there was just Fox "Spooky" Mulder (David Duchovny) researching FBI cases with a paranormal bent in his basement office and Scully (Gillian Anderson), the skeptical agent with a degree in medicine and directions to debunk Mulder's findings. Thus, The X-Files: Season One is relatively devoid of the vast government conspiracy for which the series would become known, and serves mainly as an introduction to the show's two protagonists. Mulder, despite his reputation, is no kook; best in his class and well-known for his criminal profiling abilities, the rogue agent chose his path in hopes of finding his sister, Samantha, whom he witnessed -- or, at least, believes he witnessed -- being abducted by aliens. As eager as Mulder is to find an unearthly solution to his cases, Scully is equally determined to find an answer more consistent with the laws of science. Alone, both agents are somewhat blinded by their respective philosophies, but as partners they are able to complement one another nicely, and Scully's initial task is thrown to the wayside for a deep friendship and mutual respect that would test the boundaries of work, and ultimately the planet itself. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
With Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) firmly established as the believer and the skeptic, respectively, the second season of The X-Files picks up where the first left off -- with the X-Files closed and both agents in FBI-style exile, forced to work on tedious, non-paranormal assignments. Of course, this doesn't last long; some of the series' most pertinent characters are introduced, such as the seemingly omnipresent Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), a shadowy informant known only as X, and the double-timing Agent Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea). The second season also marks the true launch of the complex X-Files mythology, and is home to one of the milestones of the series itself, namely, Agent Scully's own abduction and its far-reaching consequences, including the infamous "Purity Control." Mulder, meanwhile, continues to search for answers regarding his sister's abduction and finds several disturbing clues through visits to his father. Complicating issues further is the existence of a seemingly indestructible -- and quite possibly not of this world -- bounty hunter. Luckily, there are also plenty of monster-of-the-week episodes to turn to when the conspiracy gets too deep. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
The conspiracy spiraled even further in the third season of The X-Files, which picks up with FBI Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) on a desperate search for her missing partner, Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Though Mulder was left for dead after having suffered serious bodily harm in a train explosion, a group of Navajo Indians nursed him back to health and offered what help they could to the agents' quest to find the ever-elusive truth. Considered one of the strongest seasons of The X-Files, the 24 episodes in the third season contain some of the most complex and integral aspects of the series' far-reaching mythology, including a heavily encrypted digital tape which may hold the key to government knowledge of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and perhaps even insight into Scully's own abduction. Alien life does, indeed, make an appearance on this season, though not in the form of a little green man. Rather, an insidious, ancient, and alien black oil is unearthed, leaving Mulder and Scully to question its potential impact on humankind, and what the government may already know. Of course, The X-Files wouldn't be complete without its stand-alone, or "monster-of-the-week," episodes, and this season is no exception -- from evil spirits to astral murder and killer cockroaches, The X-Files: Season Three has more than its fair share of earthly, if bizarre, occurrences to its name. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
Just when it seemed as though the conspiracy couldn't get any weirder, The X-Files: Season Four brought FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) even more nefarious government escapades with which to contend. In addition to the discovery of the Consortium, an elite international shadow government that includes the mysterious Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) among its membership, the bureau investigators are now privy to highly dangerous Alien Bounty Hunters, virus-carrying bees, and a cruel Russian experiment involving the extraterrestrial black oil. While Mulder is infected with the oil, Scully finds herself with her own potentially fatal affliction when the neck implant she had removed after her abduction appears to have caused the onset a rare form of cancer; several other alleged abductees, all female, are in the same deadly predicament. Meanwhile, the already small group of people Mulder and Scully trust outside one another continues to dwindle in size -- even the motives of steadfast Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and Mulder's own mother are in question. In the midst of the cover-up, Mulder and Scully are still faced with their other assignments, which include a strange case of human inbreeding, past lives, shape shifting, and the ability to make oneself invisible. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
Now five years into their partnership, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have developed a bond deep enough to contend with the conspiracy they're faced with both inside and outside their professional lives. Unfortunately, between Scully's cancer and Mulder's guilt regarding his role in her condition, any potential romance is shelved while Mulder searches to find a cure, and Scully, while unsuccessful, comes closer than anyone to proving the government's role in hiding their knowledge of extraterrestrial involvement on Earth from the people of the world. In addition to addressing some of the series' very early mythology, the vast alien cover-up continues to build; ultra-clairvoyant Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) is introduced, as well as Cassandra Spender (Veronica Cartwright), Agent Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens), and Mulder's former flame, Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers). Despite all the doom and gloom, The X-Files: Season Five nonetheless included some lighter fare, including a much-needed retrospective on Mulder's relationship with The Lone Gunmen, a town obsessed with talk-show host Jerry Springer, and a tale of vampirism as told from Mulder and Scully's wildly differing perspectives. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
The X-Files: Season Six marked an important moment in the evolution of the series in several ways -- for one, the show's production was moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles, but more importantly, the sixth season followed The X-Files: Fight the Future (i.e. the X-Files feature film). Armed with firsthand experience of the bee-carried alien virus and knowledge of the existence of the most classified government research facility yet, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are closer to the heart of the conspiracy than they have ever been. After some of the series' signature lighter fare -- in this case, a body-swapping scenario between Mulder and bored Agent Morris Fletcher (Michael McKean) in "Dreamland" and a tale of a baseball player who may have left his home planet due to love of the game ("The Unnatural") -- the season comes to a head when Scully travels to Africa to find the cause and cure for Mulder's neurological deterioration and finds the long-buried remains of an alien spacecraft. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
The seventh season of The X-Files offered more input from its lead characters than any of its predecessors; Gillian Anderson penned and directed the spiritual "All Things," while David Duchovny did the same for "Hollywood A.D." Aside from the actors' directorial jaunts, however, the series became even further immersed in an already-impossible amount of conspiracy theories, government cover-ups, and alien-born afflictions. The season picks up with Scully rushing to find a cure for Mulder's rapid neurological decline, and later offers viewers a resolution to a mystery seven years in the making -- the fate of Mulder's sister, Samantha. There is also no lack of classic X-Files fare; Scully and Mulder are caught on a Cops-style television show as they hunt for what appears to be an escaped werewolf in "X-Cops," and they go on to unearth a complicated heist arranged by rival magicians in "The Amazing Maleeni." To the delight of fans, Mulder and Scully finally consummate their romantic feelings for one another. The X-Files: Season Seven is also notable for being the last season of the series to feature David Duchovny as a lead actor. Though he continued to make appearances in the show's final seasons, the role of Scully's partner would ultimately be filled by Robert Patrick as Special Agent John Doggett. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, (more)
- 1996
The third season of X-Files came to its traditional cliffhanger conclusion with "Talitha Cumi." Written by Chris Carter, the episode begins with Mulder and Scully investigating still another case of paranormal activity. This time, it's personal: Mulder hopes that by locating Jeremiah Smith (Roy Thinnes), an alien with miraculously curative powers, he will be able to help his mother, who has been felled by a stroke. Along the way, Mulder makes the startling discovery that his mother is intimately acquainted with the agents' old nemesis, the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis). Originally telecast May 17, 1996, "Talitha Cumi" would not be resolved until the inaugural fourth-season episode, "Herrenvolk," in October of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Originally broadcast November 14, 1999, The X-Files episode "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" concluded a three-part story that had begun with the sixth-season cliffhanging finale "Biogenesis." Still in a drug-induced coma, Mulder is placed in a "kind of witness-protection program" because he apparently knows too much about an ancient UFO unearthed in Africa. As Mulder experiences a series of bizarre and possibly symbolic dreams, Scully picks up the UFO investigation where her partner left off. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that the fate of the world may well rest in her hands. Meanwhile, such recurring characters as Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), rogue agent Krycek (Nicholas Lea), and the possibly duplicitous Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers) converge upon the storyline, bringing things to a shattering climax. "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati" was co-written by X-Files star David Duchovny and series creator Chris Carter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
While checking out old New Mexico newspaper obituaries, Mulder and Scully come across a 1947 death notice for Josh Exley (Jesse L. Martin), a Negro Baseball League player who boasted a truly incredible batting average. The two agents want to know why the picture accompanying the obit showed Exley standing side by side with X-Files founder Arthur Dales (M. Emmet Walsh) and the ineluctable alien bounty hunter (Brian Thompson). Written and directed by series star David Duchovny, the flashback-laden "The Unnatural" first aired April 25, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
William, the infant son of Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson), is attacked by a strange man who injects the baby with a syringe. Rushing William to the hospital, Scully is assured that the child is unharmed -- and yet, there is considerably more iron in William's system than usual. Could all this have something to do with alien super soldiers who have driven Scully's former partner Mulder into hiding? Among the many pleasures of this X-Files episode is an oblique but pointed reference to the possibly long-dead Cigarette Smoking Man. Written and directed by former series regular David Duchovny -- who, of course, played Mulder -- "William" debuted on April 28, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A woman who lost her husband in a random act of violence and a heroin addict who was a lifelong friend of the dearly departed discover that the beloved husband and friend's unfortunate passing is actually a blessing in disguise in Open Hearts director Susanne Bier's Dogme-style drama. When her husband (David Duchovny) was killed, Audrey Burke (Halle Berry) didn't think she would be able to summon the strength to carry on. Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro) is a heroin addict who was one of the recently deceased's oldest friends in life, but as a result of his addiction Jerry has lost everything that ever mattered to him. When Audrey discovers that Jerry is the one man who could help her move beyond the dire cycle of grieving that she has fallen into, her offer for him to move in with the family provides the addict with just the incentive he needed to finally get his life back in order. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benicio Del Toro, David Duchovny, (more)
