David Duchovny has revealed the secret trick he used to remember his lines during phone scenes on The X-Files – leaving his co-star Gillian Anderson completely stunned.
The actor, who played FBI agent Fox Mulder opposite Anderson's Dana Scully, revealed the unusual method during a reunion panel with Anderson at Fan Expo Denver.
“Did I ever tell you my cell phone trick?” Duchovny asked Anderson. “It’s what the kids call a hack.”
He explained that whenever Mulder and Scully had a conversation over the phone, he would ask the script supervisor to read his own lines to him.
“Instead of her doing your lines, I would say, ‘Just do my lines.’ And then I would just repeat,” he explained.
Anderson was visibly stunned by the revelation, staring ahead with her mouth open for a moment as she took in what her co-star had just admitted.
Duchovny, clearly pleased with himself, described the technique as “brilliant.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never thought about that before,” Anderson replied. “That’s such a good idea.”
The confession is particularly funny given just how many phone conversations Mulder and Scully had throughout The X-Files.
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The series followed the two FBI agents as they investigated unexplained and paranormal cases, with the pair frequently separated while working on cases and communicating by phone.
Phone calls became a useful way for the show to keep Mulder and Scully connected while allowing the actors to film their scenes separately.
The pair could find themselves communicating from autopsy bays, motel rooms and crime scenes, meaning Duchovny's unusual technique may have come in handy quite regularly.
Duchovny said he used the trick during the show's third season, which originally aired from 1995 to 1996.
The revelation came during a major X-Files cast reunion at Fan Expo Denver, where Duchovny and Anderson were joined by several of their former co-stars. The event marked the pair's first major X-Files reunion together in almost a decade.
The confession also comes as interest in The X-Files builds once again, with a new series in development at Hulu.
The reboot is being developed by Sinners director Ryan Coogler, with Danielle Deadwyler attached to star and Jennifer Yale serving as showrunner. The new series will follow two FBI agents who are brought together to investigate unexplained phenomena.
