David Duchovny Reveals the Pain of Playing a Drag Queen

David Duchovny may not have to don high heels, plaster on the makeup, and dress to the nines for "Connie and Carla," but he has had experience playing a transvestite on TV. So when it came time for everyone else to get in drag for "Connie and Carla," did he feel bad about being left out? Duchovny answered that question and others while at the World Premiere of "Connie and Carla," held April 13, 2004 at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID DUCHOVNY:

You must have had great sympathy for everyone who had to sit through hours of makeup to become drag queens. What’s the toughest thing about playing a drag queen?
Well, I didn’t get to dress up as a woman in this film so I’m a little bitter about that. But the hardest thing is, from what I remember about “Twin Peaks,” is that no matter what shape you are in, your hose make you feel fat. Even if you’re in really good shape, and I was in really good shape then, and I’d put on those panty hose and I didn’t like what I saw. Then when I took them off, there were lines all over the place.

Were you at all jealous you didn't get to dress in drag and sing in "Connie and Carla?" Did you want to jump in?
With those guys? Yeah, I did. If I could sing, I would have pushed harder. But I can only dance.

How do you think Toni Collette and Nia Vardalos shape up as men?
As men? I think well. It’s hard for me, from my perspective of knowing them, it’s hard for me to get the right perspective and just see the film and think, “Oh, are they passing as men?” But I think they did a good job. I think it’s right on the right line.

It’s different seeing you in a broad comedy.
I like scripts. Whatever scripts that are good, I like to try to do. I like Nia’s writing a lot. I think it’s got a real strong point of view and it’s funny in a really kind of genuine and kind way, and that’s what I wanted to do.

Will we see you in more comedies in the future?
Yeah, I would hope so. It’s a script-by-script thing. I would love to. I enjoyed it.

What’s happening with “The X-Files” movie?
We’re trying to get everybody together and find out a date when we can do it.

Does it surprise you that people still care so much about “The X-Files?”
No. No, because everything – or most of the stuff that I see on television – all that reality stuff doesn’t really go deep.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interviews from the Premiere: Nia Vardalos / Michael Lembeck / Dash Mihok / Alec Mapa and Robert Kaiser
”Connie and Carla” Premiere Photos
”Connie and Carla” Press Junket Interviews, Production Photos, and Trailer