From TV and Satellite Week, UK, July 1999

Crazy like a Fox

While the men in white coats prepare to cart off Mulder, David Duchovny proves that he, at least, is definitely not one planet short of a solar system....

For years incredulous FBI agents have questioned the sanity of their alien-hunting colleague Fox Mulder(David Duchovny) as he spout far-fetched theories about UFOs and government conspiracies. But despite the fact that he's usually right in his bizarre assumptions, the man they call "Spooky" finally looks destined for a padded cell in this week's cliff-hanger ending to the sixth series of The X Files.

While investigating the murder of an African scholar who was visiting America to authenticate an ancient (and possibly Martian) artefact, the agent begins to hear voices in his head and act irrationally. And as usual, it's left to Scully (Gillian Anderson) to get to the root of his strange behaviour.

Whether Duchovny's character is mad or not - and the actor has always maintained that "Mulder's the only one who isn't nuts" - won't be revealed until next season. But what is clear is that the world has gone crazy both for the G-man and the actor who plays him.

Many internet sites, like the David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade, sing the praises of the former Yale student who jettisoned his PhD and a promising academic career to enter the acting profession, starting with a 1987 Lowenbrau ad.

Since then, Duchovny has won an armful of awards, including a Golden Globe and an American Comedy Award. He's even had a song written about him by American folk-rock singer, Bree Sharp, a tribute which he loved and called "funny and sweet".

But now, after six years of working 14 hour days at least 10 months of the year on The X Files, Duchovny want to leave Mulder behind for a while and branch out.

The 38-year-old star, who's already contributed story ideas to the hit show and enjoys penning poetry, recently wrote and directed an episode about a baseball-loving alien called The Unnatural.

He admits the change of job was "pretty nerve-wracking" but is looking forward to doing more.

"If I had another idea, I'd write it," Duchovny reveals. "And it's not something I want to do only for this show."

At present though, he's busy settling into the role of father and relishing every moment, after his wife of two years - Téa Leoni, star of the sci-fi movie, Deep Impact, - gave birth to their daughter Madelaine West three months ago.

"Tea and I are ecstatic," he enthuses. "But relaxing into parenthood is the toughest thing. You have to overcome fear about keeping her safe and live with constant anxiety".

The actor, who previously appeared in the films Beethoven, Chaplin and Kalifornia, is juggling his new responsibility with the movie career he had put on hold to play Mulder. He's currently filming the romantic comedy return to Me in which he stars as a widower who falls in love with the recipient (Minnie Driver) of his dead wife's transplanted heart.

Although he's looking forward to a break from his most famous screen persona, Duchovny admits he'd like to make a series of X Files films after the show ends next year.

"I'd get to do other work and try other things. But it would be something I could come back to and have fun with," he says. "I'm proud of The X Files and, when all is said and done, I'll be proud to have created 150 hours or so of really good entertainment."

"Not that I want to play Mulder for the rest of my life," Duchovny adds. "But my fantasy is to take him to different eras of his life. Let's see how funny it gets when a guy like that is behaving the same way at the age of 53."

July 1999. "Crazy like a Fox." TV and Satellite Week, UK.