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Thursday, May 16, 2002
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'The X-Files'
It's the sci-fi thrill ride that set off a pop culture phenomenon and ignited the careers of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. But the truth is, “The X-Files" might have gotten lost in a studio file cabinet if not for Chris Carter.
Carter says, “For me one of the sweetest things was doing something I loved to do and other people loved it too.”
Not bad for a blue collar California boy who once built a house from the ground up to pay his college tuition. In 1979, armed with a degree in journalism, Chris landed a job writing for Surfing Magazine. He says, “I can say truthfully that I never wrote anything that wasn't exactly what I wanted to write."
But Hollywood wasn't exactly ready for Carter. He went unnoticed until 1985, when Jeffrey Katzenberg signed him to a deal at Disney. Seven years later, Chris pitched “The X-Files” at Fox, only to get turned down. But his persistence paid off.
Chris reveals that Duchovny was easy to cast, but Anderson didn't have the x-factor the network wanted. Chris says, “No one knew Gillian and they were expecting more of a TV bombshell."
Gillian says, “I think it was Chris who got me the part essentially. I guess what he saw was an element of the character he'd written and he wasn't willing to compromise.”
And while the cast has changed in recent years, the voice of the series hasn't. Robert Patrick says, “It's an amazing thing to think one man could dream this up and have this big an effect on this many people."
Now, after nine seasons, the series wraps forever this weekend. Chris shared some secrets from the finale. He says, “You're going to see some people you haven't seen for a while. You're going to see Mulder and Scully express something to each other they haven't expressed."
But “The X-Files” isn't exactly vanishing into space. Carter reveals there is life out there for the series. He says, “My fantasy is to do a couple of movies. One at a time, of course, but I think the franchise will live on on the big screen."
And millions of fans will be there searching for the truth.
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