David Duchovny revealed a trick he used while running lines on the set of “The X-Files,” surprising his costar Gillian Anderson.

David Duchovny stuns Gillian Anderson with reveal of his secret hack on X-Files set

David Duchovny revealed a trick he used while running lines on the set of “The X-Files,” surprising his costar Gillian Anderson.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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August 19, 2026 1:01 p.m. ET

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David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in ‘The X-Files’. Credit:

Chris H.B./Fox/Courtesy Everett

- David Duchovny revealed to his *The X-Files* costar Gillian Anderson that he had a “hack” during phone call scenes.

- Duchovny admitted that the script supervisor would read him his lines over the phone.

- Anderson was stunned to silence learning about her onscreen partner’s trick.

The truth is officially out there.

David Duchovny admitted that he used a secret hack to execute his lines during the third season of *The X-Files*—much to his costar Gillian Anderson’s shock.

“Did I ever tell you my cell phone trick?” Duchovny asked Anderson during their panel at Fan Expo Denver. “It’s what the kids call a hack. Whenever I would have a conversation with you on the cell phone, it was the script supervisor. Instead of her doing your lines, I would say, ‘Just do my lines.’ And then I would just repeat.”

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Stunned, Anderson simply stared at the crowd, mouth agape and silent for a beat. Taking in her reaction, Duchovny praised his own trick as “brilliant.”

“I can’t believe I’ve never thought about that before,” Anderson said. “That’s such a good idea.”

Considering all of the phone calls Mulder and Scully made across the numerous crime scenes and labs they visited, it appears that Duchovny certainly had a lot of help.

Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny in the “Familiar” episode of ‘The X-Files’.

FOX Image Collection via Getty

And it’s a hack that may be useful for the stars of the new *X-Files* show, which was announced earlier this year. In February, *Sinners* director Ryan Coogler’s reboot was ordered to pilot at Hulu, with *The Piano Lesson*’s Danielle Deadwyler attached to star. While Deadwyler’s onscreen partner has yet to be announced, TV writer Jennifer Yale was revealed to be the showrunner.

In Coogler’s version of the show, two very different FBI agents form an unlikely bond after being assigned to a “long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”

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Anderson has previously praised the *Black Panther* director as “the perfect person” for the job. A true believer in the reboot, she asked fans to “have an open mind” about the new show, which she said was “different” and “special.”

“We’ve had a few conversations,” Anderson said of Coogler at Awesome Con earlier this year. “He’s such a cool guy, and so talented. And the pilot script is really good. I would say, have an open mind and give it a chance, because it’s gonna be f---ing cool. It really is.”

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