David Duchovny

David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer, director, and musician. He gained widespread international fame for his breakthrough role as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in the television science-fiction franchise The X-Files. His work on the series earned him a Golden Globe Award alongside nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and five Actor Awards. He later won a second Golden Globe Award for his starring portrayal of novelist Hank Moody on the comedy-drama series Californication.

Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York City. He is the son of Amram Duchovny, a writer and publicist, and Margaret Duchovny, a school administrator and teacher. He grew up in Manhattan and attended The Collegiate School for Boys, graduating as head boy in 1978. He went on to attend Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in English literature in 1982. Duchovny later earned a Master of Arts in English literature from Yale University and began work on an unfinished doctoral thesis.

He began his screen career in the late 1980s, appearing in a commercial and early film roles such as Working Girl, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, Beethoven, and Chaplin. He also secured a recurring role as DEA agent Denise Bryson in Twin Peaks and served as host and narrator for Red Shoe Diaries. In 1993, Duchovny was cast as Fox Mulder in The X-Files, which quickly developed into a major television hit. During his initial run on the show, he co-starred in a 1998 feature film adaptation of the series and appeared alongside Brad Pitt in the thriller Kalifornia.

Following his television breakthrough, Duchovny expanded his feature film work with starring roles in the romantic comedy Return to Me, the science-fiction comedy Evolution, the comedy Connie and Carla, and the comedy-drama The Joneses. From 2007 to 2014, he headlined Californication as Hank Moody. He subsequently executive-produced and starred as a 1960s police sergeant in the drama series Aquarius, and reprised his role as Fox Mulder in a continuation of The X-Files that premiered in 2016.

Beyond acting, Duchovny has established a career as a filmmaker, author, and voice artist. He wrote, directed, and starred in the 2004 coming-of-age film House of D, and later adapted his novel Bucky F*cking Dent into the feature film Reverse the Curse, which he directed and acted in. As a writer, he has published books including Holy Cow: A Modern-Day Dairy Tale, Bucky F*cking Dent, Miss Subways, Truly Like Lightning, and The Reservoir. He has also provided voice acting for video games such as XIII and Area 51.

As a musician, Duchovny launched his recording career with his debut album of original songs, Hell or Highwater, in 2015. He has since released subsequent studio albums including Every Third Thought, Gestureland, and Prince of Pieces, while touring across North America, Europe, and Australia with his band. In 2025, he began hosting the television series Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny on the History Channel.