Buzz
Debuting three decades ago, the original run of The X-Files spanned from 1993 to 2002. The series chronicled the paranormal investigations of FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), a firm believer in the supernatural, and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a scientifically-minded skeptic. The show spawned two feature films in 1998 and 2008, as well as two revival seasons in 2016 and 2018. Recently, plans for a reboot—excluding Mulder and Scully—were unveiled.
From its haunting opening theme to the iconic slogan “The Truth Is Out There” and Mulder’s famous “I Want to Believe” UFO poster, the series has left an indelible mark on pop culture. Here are 10 intriguing facts about The X-Files that might surprise you.
10. The X-Files Boasts an Array of Star-Studded Cameos
With Mulder and Scully facing new supernatural mysteries every week, the show required a steady stream of fresh talent. It attracted several well-known actors, including Bruce Campbell from Evil Dead, who portrayed a demon aspiring to fatherhood, and Jodie Foster, who lent her voice to a homicidal tattoo in “Never Again.” Additionally, Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds took on the role of God in the episode “Improbable.”
The X-Files also showcased numerous actors who were relatively unknown at the time but later rose to fame. For instance, Ryan Reynolds appears briefly in “Syzygy,” a young Shia LaBeouf features in “The Goldberg Variation,” and Luke Wilson portrays dual versions of the same character (seen through Mulder’s and Scully’s perspectives) in “Bad Blood.”
9. The Iconic Theme Song Was Partly a Happy Accident
For the theme song, The X-Files creator Chris Carter tasked composer Mark Snow with creating “a tune that Boy Scouts could hum around a campfire, something eerie like The Twilight Zone.” Carter shared The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?” as inspiration, praising its guitar sound. Interestingly, Love Spit Love’s cover of the same song later became the theme for Charmed.
Snow initially struggled to compose the theme until one day, by chance, he rested his elbow on his keyboard while the echo effect was active. This accidental sound sparked his creativity, and he began experimenting with melodies using instruments like the flute, piano, and violin. None felt right until he discovered a sample titled “Whistling Joe” on his Proteus 2 synthesizer. His wife Glynn suggested enhancing it, leading to the theme’s signature whistle—a blend of human and machine.
The track, occasionally referred to as “Materia Primoris,” achieved chart success in multiple countries, as did remixes by DJ Dado and Triple X. Additionally, The X-Files has been referenced in songs like Catatonia’s “Mulder and Scully,” Bloodhound Gang’s “The Bad Touch,” and Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week.”
8. Duchovny and Anderson Had a Rocky Relationship
In reality, Anderson leans toward belief in the supernatural, while Duchovny remains skeptical. “I’m fascinated by psychokinesis,” Anderson admits. “ESP, predicting the future—I’m all about that.” Despite Mulder and Scully’s on-screen romantic tension, Duchovny and Anderson struggled to get along off-screen. In a 2016 Variety interview, Duchovny revealed, “The intense pressure of the show turned us into monsters.”
Their dynamic improved during the filming of The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008). “Over the years, we’ve developed a genuine friendship,” Anderson shared in the same interview. “We’ve grown more supportive of each other, understanding and respecting each other’s needs and concerns.”
A fun fact about the two leads is that both contributed behind the scenes. Anderson was involved in various aspects of production, while Duchovny wrote and directed several episodes.
7. One Episode Was So Intense That Fox Pulled It from Airwaves
The X-Files was known for its fearlessness in delivering scares, epitomized by the terrifying Flukeman monster (portrayed by Darin Morgan, who later became a writer for the show). However, the season four episode “Home” pushed boundaries even further. Spoiler alert: the episode opens with infanticide, features intense violence, and revolves around a disturbing inbred family. Writer James Wong remembers receiving a call from a producer who exclaimed, “You guys are sick!”
Originally aired in October 1996 without any content warnings—since TV Parental Guidelines weren’t introduced until January 1997—“Home” was pulled from reruns for three years. When it finally returned in October 1999, it carried the show’s only TV-MA rating due to its graphic nature. Fox even highlighted the episode’s unsettling content in its marketing, with a TV Guide ad stating, “Only on Halloween… would we dare air an episode so controversial.”
6. The Origins of Final Destination Trace Back to The X-Files
Jeffrey Reddick, a devoted X-Files fan, penned a spec script titled “Flight 180” after learning about a woman who avoided a plane crash by switching flights based on her daughter’s premonition. Reddick’s script featured Scully’s brother foreseeing a plane crash and narrowly escaping death. Though he never submitted it to The X-Files, the concept evolved into the 2000 film Final Destination.
Interestingly, X-Files writers James Wong and Glen Morgan (brother of Darin Morgan, who played Flukeman) contributed to the screenplay. Wong also directed the film, ensuring Final Destination bore the unmistakable influence of The X-Files. Reddick’s original script can still be found online via Bloody Disgusting.
5. Spin-Offs and Crossovers Galore
The immense popularity of The X-Files spawned several spin-offs and crossovers, with varying degrees of success. The Lone Gunmen, a spin-off focusing on the quirky trio who often aided Mulder and Scully, was short-lived, lasting only one season. Another planned animated spin-off, The X-Files: Albuquerque, which aimed to explore cases deemed too absurd by Mulder and Scully, was ultimately scrapped during development.
Among the most famous crossovers is The Simpsons episode “The Springfield Files,” featuring animated versions of Mulder and Scully investigating an alien sighting. Other notable crossovers include “X-Cops,” which merges the show with the reality series Cops, and “Unusual Suspects,” which introduces Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) from Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Additionally, “Millennium” ties up loose ends from Carter’s canceled series Millennium, with Mulder and Scully teaming up with Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) to tackle a case involving the Millennium group.
The X-Files universe also expanded into comic books, featuring crossovers with 30 Days of Night, where Mulder and Scully face vampire chaos in Alaska, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the Lone Gunmen investigating the iconic heroes in a half-shell.
4. The X-Files Paved the Way for Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan, a writer for The X-Files, drew inspiration from a specific episode that influenced his creation of Breaking Bad. The season six episode “Drive” features Patrick Crump, a despicable character who forces Mulder to drive him west to avoid his head exploding. Gilligan aimed to make the audience empathize with Crump by the episode’s end, crediting Bryan Cranston as the only actor capable of achieving this. “Bryan alone could pull off that trick,” Gilligan remarked. “It’s a mystery how he does it.”
Walter White required a similar ability to evoke sympathy, and Gilligan was determined to cast Cranston after his standout performance in The X-Files. However, AMC executives were hesitant, associating Cranston solely with his comedic role in Malcolm in the Middle. Gilligan persuaded them by showing “Drive,” which ultimately convinced them of Cranston’s dramatic talent.
Several other Breaking Bad actors also appeared in The X-Files, including Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) in season nine’s “Lord of the Flies” and Dean Norris (Hank Schrader) in season two’s “F. Emasculata.”
3. The Scully Effect
Anderson’s portrayal of Dana Scully, a brilliant female scientist and FBI agent, inspired countless women to enter STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). This cultural impact is now referred to as the Scully Effect. In 2013, Anderson reflected on the character’s influence, stating, “We received numerous letters, and I was often told by women pursuing careers in medicine, science, the FBI, or other fields that they were inspired by Scully.”
The Scully Effect is more than just anecdotal. In 2018, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media published a report confirming the phenomenon, revealing that “50% of women familiar with Scully’s character credit her with increasing their interest in STEM.” Additionally, “63% of women working in STEM fields consider Dana Scully a role model.”
2. Star Trek Paid Homage to The X-Files
The 1996 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribble-ations” includes characters Dulmur and Lucsly, playful nods to Mulder and Scully. These agents from the Department of Temporal Investigations (DTI—a clear reference to the FBI) reappear in Christopher L. Bennett’s 2011 book Watching the Clock.
James W. Jansen, who portrays Lucsly, also played Dr. Heitz Werber in The X-Files, a character who hypnotizes Mulder to help him recall his sister’s alien abduction. Werber assists Mulder in several episodes, using hypnotic regression therapy on other abductees, including Scully.
While not a parody, Californication, starring Duchovny as novelist Hank Moody, includes a subtle reference to The X-Files. In “The Trial,” Hank quips that wearing a suit makes him “look like a f**king FBI agent.”
1. Episodes That Never Saw the Light of Day
Several X-Files storylines were never produced, including a planned remake of George A. Romero’s classic zombie film Night of the Living Dead (1968) for season seven. Romero was slated to direct, and Stephen King, who wrote the season five episode “Chinga,” was set to pen the script. However, the project was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear.
Another unmade episode involved the ghost of Abraham Lincoln haunting the White House, intended for season four. After extensive rewrites on “Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man,” Glen Morgan and James Wong chose to scrap the idea. Morgan shared with Cinefantastique, “I had researched extensively and always wanted to write about Lincoln’s ghost, but I felt they no longer valued my passion, so I decided not to proceed.”
