David Duchovny jokes he ‘discovered’ Angelina Jolie during his audition for their 1997 movie Playing God: ‘I just knew she was a movie star’
David Duchovny opens up about his “discovery” of Angelina Jolie in a new interview while promoting his new podcast Failing is better.
Jolie starred in a number of low-budget films, shorts and music videos before landing her first leading role in 1995’s Hackers.
After roles in Without Evidence, Love Is All There Is, Foxfire, Mojave Moon and the George Wallace miniseries, she starred with Duchovny in Playing God in 1997.
The actor was asked if he would star alongside the then little-known Jolie in Playing God on Radio Andy from Sirius XMwhere Duchovny opened up about the audition.
Host Andy Cohen started by naming some of Duchovny’s co-stars and asked him what was the first thing that came to mind when he heard their names.
David Duchovny opens up about his “discovery” of Angelina Jolie in a new interview while promoting his new podcast Fail Better
After roles in Without Evidence, Love Is All There Is, Foxfire, Mojave Moon and the George Wallace miniseries, she starred with Duchovny in Playing God in 1997.
The actor was asked about starring alongside the then-little-known Jolie in Playing God on Sirius XM’s Radio Andy, where Duchovny opened up about the audition.
When Cohen mentioned the 49-year-old Jolie, Duchovny said, “I feel like I discovered Angelina Jolie,” which surprised Cohen.
āYeah, I was in the castingā¦ I was part of the castingā¦ I didn’t discover her, but she came in and I just knew she was a movie star,ā Duchovny explained.
“I told everyone, ‘We have to cast her,'” Duchovny added, and they followed his advice and cast Jolie in the role of Claire.
It was Duchovny’s first leading role in a feature film, following his huge success in the Fox TV series The X-Files.
The story followed his character Dr. Eugene Sands, a once-prominent surgeon whose medical license was revoked after it was revealed that he was operating under the influence of illegal drugs.
After saving a man’s life in a bar, a criminal (Timothy Hutton) hires him as his personal doctor to patch up his men when they are injured and can’t get to the hospital.
Jolie plays Claire, the crime lord’s girlfriend, who eventually becomes romantically involved with Dr. Sands.
The film initially grossed only $1.9 million, but grossed only $4.1 million in its short run in theaters.
When Cohen mentioned the 49-year-old Jolie, Duchovny said, “I feel like I discovered Angelina Jolie,” which surprised Cohen
āYes, I was castingā¦ I was part of the castingā¦ I didn’t discover her, but she walked in and I just knew she was a movie star,ā Duchovny explained.
She met her next husband, Brad Pitt, just a few years later when they started filming the 2005 husband and wife killer film, Mr. And Mrs. Smith.
Jolie went on to star in Pushing Tin (where she met her former husband Billy Bob Thornton), Gia, Hell’s Kitchen and The Bone Collector before landing her Oscar-nominated role in Girl, Interrupted opposite Winona Ryder.
She rose to worldwide fame for her role as the title character in the 2001 video game adaptation Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
She met her next husband, Brad Pitt, just a few years later when they began filming the 2005 murder film Mr. And Mrs. Smith, a husband and wife.
Duchovny launched his Fail Better podcast on May 7, with guests including Bette Midler, Sarah Silverman, Sean Penn and Tony Hawk.