David William Duchovny (/dʊˈkʌvni/ duu-KUV-nee; born August 7, 1960) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, and singer-songwriter. He is known for portraying FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series The X-Files (1993–2002, 2016-2018) and as writer Hank Moody on the television series Californication (2007–2014), both of which have earned him Golden Globe awards. Duchovny appeared in both X-Files films, the 1998 science fiction-thriller of the same name and the supernatural-thriller The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008). He executive-produced and starred in the historically based cop drama Aquarius (2015–2016).
His film work includes minor roles in the coming-of-age black comedy Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991), and the family comedy Beethoven (1992). Also in 1992, he played Roland Totheroh in the biographical comedy-drama Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr. In the 2000's, he starred in Return to Me with Minnie Driver (2000), Evolution with Seann William Scott (2001), Connie and Carla with Nia Vardalos (2004), House of D with Robin Williams (2004), and The Joneses with Demi Moore (2009).
Duchovny holds a B.A. in English literature from Princeton University, and a M.A. in English literature from Yale University, and has since published five books: Holy Cow: A Modern-Day Dairy Tale (2015), Bucky F*cking Dent (2016), Miss Subways (2018), Truly Like Lightning (2021), and The Reservoir (2022).
He made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on May 13, 1995, which is the Season 20 finale, with musical guest Rod Stewart.
He returned to Saturday Night Live to make his 2nd hosting stint on May 9, 1998, which is the Season 23 finale, with musical guests Puff Daddy & Jimmy Page.