Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully and David Duchovny as Fox Mulder in The X-Files.
Horror Shows After 218 episodes I thought I was done with The X-Files – but Ryan Coogler's revival has dragged me back in
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler's X-Files reboot finds its star and showrunner as the pilot gets the greenlight at Hulu
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
Sci-Fi Movies Stranger Things nearly saw Vecna switch sides until the Duffer Brothers changed their minds
Stardew Valley character known as Elliott, a man with long auburn hair and a red coat
Simulation Games Stardew Valley had "many" chances to become TV, but creator ConcernedApe only had eyes for the director of Twin Peaks
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Fantasy Shows Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar blames a Hulu exec who is "not a fan of the original" for the spin-off being axed
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the It: Welcome to Derry finale
Horror Shows Bill Skarsgård explains why he was "hesitant" about reprising the role of Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry
Fallout season 2
Fallout Bethesda refused to make a Fallout TV show for years because Hollywood insisted on "the guy who makes video game movies"
Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka in Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Vince Gilligan initially planned for the Pluribus cast to be naked, but "we're not working for HBO"
John Lithgow
Fantasy Shows New Dumbledore actor says he almost quit HBO's Harry Potter show over JK Rowling's controversial opinions
David Lynch as Gordon Cole and Laura Dern as Diane in Twin Peaks: The Return.
Streaming Services The 25 best shows on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Harrison Ford as Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking
Comedy Shows After 60 years in the industry, Harrison Ford says Shrinking would be a "sufficient" way to end his storied career
Scooby-Doo the series/Scooby-Doo: The Movie
Netflix Scooby-Doo star Matthew Lillard chimes in with thoughts on Netflix’s live-action show
Josh Holloway as Sawyer in Lost
Marvel Movies Lost star says he was once offered the part of Gambit in X-Men: Origins but was later let go because of his age
Dead by Daylight Demogorgon
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things' final battle was going to feature Demos, but Ross Duffer was worried fans were "fatigued" by them
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Sci-Fi Shows

David Duchovny shares how he almost passed on X-Files pilot

News
By Stephanie Williams published 2 April 2021

We almost had a world without David Duchovny's Mulder

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Mulder in X-Files.
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

The X-Files and David Duchnovy fan base are still going strong some three decades after the series debuted. In a recent podcast episode, Duchovny shared how he wasn’t sold on the X-Files becoming the huge success we know it as today. 

Earlier this week on an episode of Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast, the guy who made Mulder a household name admitted that he almost turned down the sci-fi drama’s pilot. "I had gotten… a couple of scenes in this movie of the week, and it was a director who I was friendly with, and I was going to have to…pull out of that part to do The X-Files pilot,” Duchnovy shared with Lowe. 

He went on to explain his conversations with his agent, “I said to my agents, ‘I don’t want to do that. You know, she’s a friend, and I don’t want to pull out.’”

You may like
  • Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully and David Duchovny as Fox Mulder in The X-Files. After 218 episodes I thought I was done with The X-Files – but Ryan Coogler's revival has dragged me back in
  • David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files Ryan Coogler's X-Files reboot finds its star and showrunner as the pilot gets the greenlight at Hulu
  • David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan

"I wasn’t interested in conspiracy theories," he added, "and I was perfectly willing to just say, ‘I’m going to have to pass on that pilot, because I said I’d do this other project.'"

Thankfully for the entire X-Files and Mulder fanbase, Duchovny’s agents managed to convince him that turning down the pilot may not be a wise move. "It’s scary to think back on, if you didn’t open this door, or you took that left instead of that right. It’s like, none of it had to happen," he said of his career.

It sounds like Duchovny’s agent deserves a gift basket. It’s hard to imagine a world without Duchovny giving us the Mulder performances many still talk about today. Plus, the chemistry between him and co-star Gillian Anderson was a huge part of the X-Files – the mere thought that it almost didn’t exist is horrifying. 

X-Files is currently available to stream along with some of our picks for the best shows on Hulu. 

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Hulu
CATEGORIES
HULU Streaming Services
Stephanie Williams

Stephanie is a comic book historian and pop culture critic for publications including SYFYFANGRRLS, Marvel, The A.V. Club, Nerdist, Den of Geek, and Rotten Tomatoes. Stephanie is also a comic creator with three ongoing webcomics, Parenthood Activate!, But What If Though?, and Living Heroes. She made her Marvel debut with a short story featuring Monica Rambeau in Marvel’s Voices: Legacy. She recently made her DC Comics debut in Wonder Woman Black and Gold #2 and is co-writing the Nubia and the Amazons miniseries.

Read more
Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully and David Duchovny as Fox Mulder in The X-Files.
Horror Shows After 218 episodes I thought I was done with The X-Files – but Ryan Coogler's revival has dragged me back in
 
 
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler's X-Files reboot finds its star and showrunner as the pilot gets the greenlight at Hulu
 
 
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan
 
 
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
Sci-Fi Movies Stranger Things nearly saw Vecna switch sides until the Duffer Brothers changed their minds
 
 
Stardew Valley character known as Elliott, a man with long auburn hair and a red coat
Simulation Games Stardew Valley had "many" chances to become TV, but creator ConcernedApe only had eyes for the director of Twin Peaks
 
 
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Fantasy Shows Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar blames a Hulu exec who is "not a fan of the original" for the spin-off being axed
 
 
Latest in Sci Fi Shows
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things season 4
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things is getting a 25-disc physical media release, as a "way to preserve the show for decades to come"
 
 
Eleven drawn in bright neon colors
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is following the mothership series and heading to theaters
 
 
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Sci-Fi Shows One of the Maul – Shadow Lord episode titles is an amazing, deep-cut Revenge of the Sith Easter egg
 
 
Maul in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Star Wars TV Shows New Maul – Shadow Lord trailer teases more duels and a detective hot on the former Sith's heels
 
 
Ed Warren banishing a demon in The Conjuring: Last Rites
Sci-Fi Shows The Last of Us season 3 adds Lanterns and The Conjuring stars to cast
 
 
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
Star Wars TV Shows Animated spin-off Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is the franchise's first "cops and robbers" story
 
 
Latest in News
Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Resident Evil Requiem Leon actor reacts to fans thirst-posting on main: "I bet you got a body pillow"
 
 
Donkey Kong punching through rocks in Donkey Kong Bananza with Pauline on his shoulder
Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Bananza programmer suggests using the Switch 2 platformer as destructive meditation
 
 
White text on a black background says the title "Hadar"
Games Mysterious "new IP" from CD Projekt Red is now in early pre-development stages
 
 
Invincible and Atom Eve sitting in the ruins of Burger Mart
Streaming Services Invincible season 4 and Wicked: For Good lead our list of the 6 best new shows and movies to watch this weekend
 
 
A robot missing its lower body stares forward with a glowing red light while hanging from a suspended cable in Marathon's Cryo Archive
FPS Games Marathon's Cryo Archive is a weekends-only "raid-style" PvPvE map: "So please, do scream"
 
 
Stitch in Lilo and Stitch.
Live Action Movies New Disney CEO hits the ground running with Lilo and Stitch 2 and The Incredibles 3 release dates
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. How to farm money in Crimson Desert
    1
    How to farm money in Crimson Desert
  2. 2
    Crimson Desert Secret of the Ancient Ruins puzzle solution
  3. 3
    How to unlock all Characters in Crimson Desert
  4. 4
    How to fast travel in Crimson Desert
  5. 5
    How to teleport back to the Howling Hill camp in Crimson Desert and fix the Abyss Nexus

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...