Summary

• Duchovny's cameo in Zoolander was a highlight of the film, showing his versatility outside of X-Files.
• Stiller gave Duchovny his choice of parts, showcasing the actor's talent and clout in the industry.
• Duchovny's commitment to his Zoolander role impressed co-stars, highlighting his dedication to the character.

David Duchovny's Zoolander scene is a particular highlight of the film, which is saying a lot considering Zoolander is packed with star-studded cameos. Released in 2001, the Ben Stiller-directed comedy film is a zany satire of the fashion industry and stars Stiller as the successful yet vapid male model, Derek Zoolander. Derek finds himself prey to evil fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), who brainwashes him to carry out an assassination. The movie's success saw the 2016 release of Zoolander 2, though the sequel didn't come close to capturing the magic of the first film.

At the time of Zoolander's release, David Duchovny was a household name for playing Fox Mulder, an FBI Special Agent who investigates unsolved paranormal cases with his partner, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), in The X-Files. Duchovny famously left The X-Files after season 7, which aired its finale in 2000, so when he popped up in Zoolander a year later, it was a happy surprise for fans, as the comedy film is so different from the series that made Duchovny a star. But Duchovny knew from the start that Zoolander was comedy gold, and he was determined to take part.

David Duchovny Demanded His Agent Ask Ben Stiller For A Zoolander Cameo

He Was Given A Choice Of Who To Play & Picked J.P. Prewitt

David Duchovny wasn't originally approached to appear in Zoolander, and as the actor recalls, he only found out about the script because it was given to his then-wife, actress Téa Leoni. Though Leoni never appeared in Zoolander, Duchovny was adamant about being cast and immediately got his agent on the phone. The actor told Vanity Fair,

"I think the script came to Téa [Leoni], my wife at the time. I saw it in the house and I was like, “What’s this?” She said it was Ben’s movie. And I’m like, “How come I don’t have a part in it? I should have a part in it.” She said, “Look at it.” And I think I called my agent and said, “Call Ben and say I want to be in this film.” And then Ben got back to my agent and said, “Ask him to choose one of these three parts.” Prewitt, the hand model, was one, and I think his brother was another. And there was another part at some point. I thought the hand model was the most fun for me to try."

Stiller's willingness to not only cast Duchovny in the film but give him his choice of parts speaks to both the actor's talent and clout in the industry. And for his part, Duchovny made the right choice in playing J.P. Prewitt the world's greatest hand model, who alerts Derek and Matilda (Christine Taylor) to the centuries-old conspiracy of fashion designers brainwashing male models into carrying out political assassinations. It was even Duchovny's s choice to give Prewitt his schlubby appearance. Duchovny said:

"I think I said I wanted to be balding or bald. And we had this whole wig setup. I think I was wearing padding too. And I just realized the straighter I could be, the funnier I could be. So I just committed to the reality."

Duchovny is indeed hilarious in his Zoolander cameo, imbuing the scene with the intensity of a 1970s political thriller film, and he proved a versatility to fans who had only known him as Mulder.

Duchovny Was So Committed To His Zoolander Character His Co-Stars Were Relieved When He Messed Up

Ben Stiller And Christine Taylor Actually Yelled "Finally!"

While David Duchovny's Zoolander role wasn't big, he was still fully committed to it. Coming off playing the lead in a long-running primetime television show, Duchovny knows how important it is for actors to nail their lines in as few takes as possible. But he wasn't prepared for how intimidating his dedication was to his Zoolander co-stars. Duchovny said,

I remember we ran the scene a lot. It was a real long walk-and-talk, and I had the bulk of the dialogue. It was very exposition-heavy. And I remember after a number of takes, I f**ed it up. And both Ben [Stiller] and Christine [Taylor] go, 'Finally!' I was coming from X-Files world, where you gotta know that s**t backwards and forwards. I was like, 'I’m not gonna make a mistake!' They were happy when I finally did.

From how Duchovny describes Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor's reactions, it sounds like the vibe and experience on the Zoolander set was overall very positive, which is yet another incentive for being cast in the great film. And with his J.P. Prewitt cameo, Duchovny proved that fierce commitment to a role only makes it better.

Sources: Vanity Fair