By the time "The X-Files" effortlessly swept three major categories at the Golden Globes last month, the paranormal drama has officially transcended its dubious tag of "TV's hottest show" for a status of, quite simply, the best.
Over the course of its 3 1/2 years, the series has pulled off a rare stunt - having risen from a bottom-dwelling Nielsen oddity to a frequent Top 20 visitor without spilling a drop of artistic credibility. TV critics will perhaps spend more time than that trying to pinpoint the magic formula concocted by former surf-mag writer Chris Carter.
Cookie-cutter "X-Files" clones are already descending on prime time like the parachuting Elvises of "Honeymoon In Vegas." The only real purpose they serve, however, is to magnify the strengths of the original - the sharp writing, the cinematography that's moodier and more stylish than a weekly show is permitted to be, and the unique intellectual chemistry within the cast.
Not the least of all, the series owes its success to a bevy of first-rate supporting actors. There are discoveries like Zeljko Ivanek and effective cameos from talented, if purposely oddly cast, guests: Peter Boyle as a doomed clairvoyant and Jodie Foster as a disembodied killer voice, for instance. And then, there are the recurring actors.
As an old Hollywood maxim goes, a good sidekick and villain equal a good hero. "The X-Files" gives us the tortured A.D. Skinner (Mitch Pilleggi), an FBI functionary torn between duty and discipline; a slew of well-written bad guys occasionally entering the tragic-antihero realm; and the Lone Gunmen, a trio of professional paranoiacs assisting the protagonists (and bungling every other attempt).
Complying with the above maxim, The Michigan Daily interviewed two actors whose characters - Cancer Man and Langly the computer hacker - provide the show with a crucial combination: an intriguing villain and good comic relief.
The Sidekick
The first conversation with Dean Haglund lasted about 15 seconds, but provided an interesting visual. "Sorry," explained the actor playing the part of Langly, the flipped-out computer hacker. "They're calling from the set. Gotta go sit in the sewer with a lap-top for another five hours."
Sixteen hours later, Haglund sounded vaguely apologetic but happy. A working stand-up comedian and improv virtuoso, he had just managed to squeeze in an evening performance between two back-to-back shoots on the series' Vancouver set.
Haglund never knows when his frazzled alter ego will appear in an episode. So far, Langly was featured in more than 20, sometimes written in at the last minute and forced to react on fairly short notice. Haglund's contract with the show has a clause that probably makes him a booking nightmare for comedy clubs across the continent - he has a right to pull out of any theatrical commitment if it conflicts with the shoot.
No matter how tight and controlled the show's schedule, the producers still encourage actors to create their own twists on individual lines and situations. Some of Langly's features are pure Haglund: "The Ramones T-shirt is mine," said the actor. "I just wore it the first day, and now they keep bringing it back. The costume designer now probably has a closet full of identical Ramones T-shirts."
The shooting of all the scenes involving the Lone Gunmen is a convoluted process, as one of the trio, Frohike (Tom Braidwood), also happens to be the show's assistant director. "It's funny," Haglund commented, "he will be acting in a scene one moment, running around with his cellular phone shouting 'We need more lights!' or something like that a moment later, then immediately return to character and do another take."
The "X-Files" insiders are understandably prohibited from divulging the information on the show's not-yet-broadcast episodes, as Haglund proudly pointed out. Several minutes later, however, he got a little carried away. "The Gunmen are helping Mulder in the field. He has to break into this top-secret medical facility, and we hack its security system." Medical facility? Could it have something to do with the much-discussed new plot development, Scully getting cancer? Haglund immediately clammed up, which was taken as a "yes."
The toll the Lone Gunmen mentality is taking on the popular consciousness can be seen in the eponymous conspiracy-obsessed magazine available on the Internet. "Yeah, I've heard about 'The Lone Gunmen' on the Web," said Haglund. "I think it's great. I myself maintain a homepage with some show-related stuff. It's at http://ww.deanx.com. I also answer all my e-mail."
Haglund's live performances boast an "X-Files"-themed improvisation involving members of the audience. "The people shout out plotlines, and I play most of the characters," explained the actor. "You know how in the first minute of every episode, some shmoe dies and then they roll the title sequence? I play that guy, then Mulder, Skinner, whoever."
Could anything taken from the improv end up in an episode? "Doubtful. The ideas people are throwing at me are pretty far-fetched. Last night, for example, it was a raccoon that had mutated into, um, a water buffalo, and I had to exterminate it with a pair of pliers." Oh. "Then again, stranger things happened on the actual show."
The Villain
In the beginning, William B. Davis didn't even have to speak. He would squint, scowl and vanish into thin air, leaving in his wake a Morley cigarette twisted into an ashtray.
The Cancer Man's progress will remain one of the most fascinating cases of gradual character development. A figure once identified primarily by a whiff of smoke (ironically, Davis quit smoking years ago), who uttered his first line on the fifth or sixth appearance, has grown into the show's most enigmatic and intriguing character - with an extensive back story and a variety of unique traits.
In a telephone interview with The Michigan Daily, Davis said the role of Cancer Man presented him with an unprecedented mix of pure evil and human tragedy, enviable artistic showcases both. "I act villainous toward people I feel villainous against, for instance, A.D. Skinner. My relationship with Mulder is much more complicated. First of all, there was definitely a thing with Mrs. Mulder that may affect how I feel toward Fox."
Does this mean a "Luke-I'm-your-father"-type revelation could be looming on the horizon? "I really can't say. I just don't know, it hasn't been written yet. But if you think about it, the timing (of the supposed affair) is right."
Even the principal actors of "The X-Files" have little or no idea of storylines forming in Carter's head until it's time to shoot - which is literally days before the episode is broadcast on FOX. "The show is famous for running very close to the airing date," Davis said. "It creates additional stimulation, though. At one point, we were joking about just doing a live feed on Friday nights."
Among the surprises Davis had recently encountered was an episode devoted entirely to his character. A brilliantly oddball script imagined Cancer Man coming of age, getting recruited by a sinister unnamed agency and, in a twisted "Forrest Gump" homage, consequently taking part in every major conspiracy from the '60s to the present day.
Asked if he was amused to find out that he now had to play the man who shot both Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., Davis replied, "There are purposeful inconsistencies in that episode. It's really a Lone Gunmen version of Cancer Man's life, told through a very subjective narration. But yes, it was fun."
What is in the character's immediate future, then? "There will definitely be more of my back story with Mulder's mother. And right now it looks like I've gotten quite a hook into Skinner." In other words, human drama might propel the show from now on, but there's still room for some high-quality villainy.
It's Sunday, and "The X-Files" is on. Langly is in a sewer with his laptop, helping Special Agent Mulder break into a top-secret medical facility in search of a cure for Scully. Cancer Man chain-smokes and makes his first bid for Assistant Director Skinner's immortal soul.
Twenty-two million people are watching.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson pay a visit to Dean Haglund on "The X-Files."
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny star in "The X-Files."