David Duchovny Shot Down Gillian Anderson's Californication Cameo For an Unexpected But Wholesome Reason

Summary:

• The X-Files left an immeasurable impact on television and popular culture in general
• Gillian Anderson's Californication appearance came so close, but Duchovny foresaw the possible negative effects of it

Although David Duchovny has had many roles throughout his long career and continues to appear on the big screen and television today, his portrayal of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in the TV series The X-Files will forever remain his greatest achievement.

Virtually everyone who grew up in the 90's and even the early 2000's has seen or at least knows of this truly iconic TV series that has had an enormous impact on popular culture, with nods and references to it appearing in various other projects even now, albeit to a lesser extent than before.

What Made The X-Files So Special

When it debuted in 1993, the show reinvented the TV procedural formula, spicing up what was by then a rather tired concept with references to popular conspiracy theories, supernatural elements, and more than once dipping into full-blown horror territory.

Some of the show's best episodes are also its scariest, as our protagonists deal with all manner of creepy and disturbing things, from aliens and mutants to human, but equally terrifying, murderers and psychopaths.

The secret to such thematic variety is The X-Files' clever use of "monsters of the week," with some episodes of the show taking a break from the overarching main storyline to introduce an entirely new villain, some of whom would even return later in the series.

The Legendary Duet

But one of the most important keys to the show's success was the duo of FBI agents at its center, as Fox Mulder was almost always accompanied by Dana Scully, equally brilliantly portrayed by Gillian Anderson.

Years before the concept of a strong female character became popular in movies and TV shows, Scully was already a great example of it, with her intelligence coming in handy in solving various mysteries.

Although she was a typical "damsel in distress" in some episodes, the show's creators wisely refrained from using this trope too often, as Dana was quite capable of defending herself without her male counterpart around.

She was also not a conventional sex symbol, but that did not stop countless fans from falling in love with her.

Duchovny and Anderson's on-screen chemistry made Mulder and Scully one of the most iconic TV duos in history, and although the actors had their share of conflicts during the show's long run, they became great friends in real life.

Preserving The Legacy

So when David went on to star in another successful project, the TV series Californication, many fans naturally wondered if there would be at least a cameo from his The X-Files co-star, but throughout the show's seven seasons, which ran from 2007 to 2014, it ultimately never happened.

Surprisingly, even the actress herself was open to the idea of playing one of the many sexual interests of Hank Moody, Duchovny's character, which could have made for a great cameo.

But he completely rejected the idea for an unexpected and rather wholesome reason, as given the drastic differences between the shows and his characters in them, it could have forever changed how fans viewed the relationship between Mulder and Scully.

Now it seems that Duchovny's decision has paid off, because, as mentioned above, his on-screen duo with Gillian Anderson on The X-Files still retains its legendary status.

And who knows how such a cameo would have affected it, even if Anderson's appearance in Californication would have been fun, so it was a great decision to preserve the fans' memories of one of the greatest duos in television history.

Source: Screen Rant