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SmartLess

"David Duchovny"

03 Nov 2025

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is David Duchovny's background and career journey?

5.667 - 17.342 Sean Hayes

Hey, guys. Welcome back. This is the first time I've done this, that we're doing the show since we... Did it last? Well, no. Didn't we make a blood pact?

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17.362 - 21.348 Unknown

I mean, not that I know of.

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21.628 - 58.679 Sean Hayes

Did we not make a blood pact? Who did I make a blood pact with? Oh, no. I'll figure it out later. All right. In the meantime, let's go to All News Farmless. Hey, you know, JB, somebody said to me the other day, you've become like the Jack Nicholson of the Dodgers. Oh, yeah. You're at the Dodgers. You're on the broadcast a lot.

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58.699 - 59.842 Unknown

What a high compliment.

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59.902 - 69.923 Sean Hayes

I know, I know. And, Shawnee, you were there with them, and the guys were like, somebody said that the guys were like, hey, there's two-thirds of the smart list crew, and... Where's our money?

71.645 - 75.691 Unknown

We had such a joy. I mean, Willie, if I had three tickets. I know.

75.971 - 82.78 Sean Hayes

Sure, sure. This was last week it was dinner. This week it's the game. I mean, most people would be like, hey.

82.8 - 87.667 Unknown

And Sean, we're still good for Rome, right, Sean?

87.687 - 92.073 Sean Hayes

Oh, this is what it is. You're getting me back for all the holidays that Sean and I went on.

Chapter 2: How did David Duchovny transition from academia to acting?

154.852 - 173.872 Unknown

I also... Look at what I just fucking did like five minutes before we came on. We're playing with the dog outside, and I ran inside, and I fucking... tripped over him, and to break my fall, I grabbed the door, and my fist finger went all the way back here. Oh, God. Really? Yeah, just like five minutes ago. I was like, oh. Wait, so you're on ice right now?

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174.313 - 181.68 Sean Hayes

Well, just in case, yeah. Well, luckily, no joke, luckily you're done with the play. I know. Could you imagine?

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181.9 - 182.481 Unknown

Could you imagine?

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182.781 - 182.961 Sean Hayes

No.

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183.482 - 184.143 Unknown

No, couldn't play.

184.283 - 191.19 Sean Hayes

Wouldn't be able to play. I know. Oh, that Ricky. It would be good night Oscar if that were the case.

191.21 - 191.43

Incredible.

193.25 - 217.929 Unknown

Wait, Sean, why have you asked me and then my wife separately if my dogs are good with other dogs? Because I want to bring Ricky over, but I don't want to bring him if your dogs are... Why would you be bringing Ricky over? Because I might come see a movie this weekend. Okay. But you spend three hours plus over at Jen's every week you don't bring Ricky. Look at the judging face.

218.13 - 238.243 Unknown

I just don't understand. Is Ricky having separation anxieties lately? No, no. It's just a thing as a dog owner. I just don't like to leave him alone for like three, four hours. Jamie, I would describe your face as a scowl right now. It's a scowl. No, but I would like to bring him over to Jen's, but they don't get along. Well, yeah, but... So I was like, oh, if your dogs get along, it'll be great.

Chapter 3: What unique experiences did David have during his early acting career?

274.686 - 278.93 Sean Hayes

I have a dog. But you don't need to bring your dog with you when you go to somebody else's house.

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279.09 - 280.311 Unknown

I like the dog.

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280.291 - 282.554 Sean Hayes

I'm not saying that you don't.

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283.656 - 287.842 Unknown

Then continue having morning playtime with them then.

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288.022 - 298.296 Sean Hayes

People show up, I got my dog with me. Oh, you've got your dog with you? What if everybody brought their dog everywhere? It would be mayhem. This is what I love. You're like, well, I'm a dog person. You're a monster.

298.316 - 320.115 Unknown

Oh, sorry, he peed. Where are your paper towels? No, this is what I love. I love the conversation that I know happened this morning and Jason's face as he was having it with Amanda. It was a couple of days ago and I've been really stewing on it. Shawn, Amanda's like, Shawn just texted me if our dogs are okay with other dogs.

320.636 - 327.642 Unknown

And you turn with your cup of coffee or just sludge, your cup of sludge. And I said, fucking what? What?

327.662 - 340.855 Sean Hayes

By the way, you know where he is? That guy did the same thing to me. He's in his chair in his little study with the fire going and he's watching MSNBC. Yeah, what the fuck did he say? And then he barely moves and he looks at her and she's at the door because she's too scared to come in because she sees the pre-scale.

341.215 - 341.616 David Duchovny

She knows better.

Chapter 4: What insights does David share about his time on the X-Files?

371.9 - 383.656 Sean Hayes

Oh, by the way... Yeah, sorry. Before we go, before we get into our guest who we want to talk to immediately. Tickets to the Hollywood Bowl November 15th for Smart List Live.

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383.796 - 385.518 Unknown

Wait, do I need to buy tickets for that?

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386.159 - 387.341 Sean Hayes

I'd really like to go to that.

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387.361 - 390.646 Unknown

Do I need to buy tickets? No, we're giving you two comps. We're going to give you two comps.

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390.666 - 391.888 Sean Hayes

One for you and then plus one.

392.428 - 409.986 Unknown

I'd love a stage seat if you have a stage seat. Stage. You go to smartlist.com slash live. You go to smartlist.com slash live for the Hollywood Bowl show on the 15th of November. Guys, this is going to be very nerve-wracking for us.

410.006 - 412.091 Sean Hayes

It is. Because what are we doing up there at the Hollywood Bowl?

412.151 - 424.048 Unknown

We can barely do this. Exactly. We're barely doing this this morning. I will tell you that my guest is one of our biggest stars in the movie industry. So is my guest.

424.408 - 428.053 Sean Hayes

Really? Yes, my guest also is one of the biggest stars out there.

Chapter 5: How does David balance his multiple creative pursuits?

498.669 - 509.645 Sean Hayes

He's got a degree from Princeton. He's got a master's from Yale in literature. He still has an unfinished PhD that I want to ask him about. He's one of the all-time greats. You guys, it's David Duchovny.

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509.885 - 523.625 Unknown

Oh, David Duchovny. Hey, David. Was that not who you were going to guess, Shawnee? No, I thought it was David Duchovny or Louis C.K. Oh. Wow. Often, often, often mistaken for one another. I don't think Louis has a degree from Yale.

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523.685 - 527.27 Sean Hayes

I don't think Louis has a master's in literature, all due respect, from Yale. Yeah.

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527.53 - 529.292 Unknown

But you said Princeton. You said Princeton as well.

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529.332 - 530.494 Sean Hayes

And Princeton first.

530.554 - 537.644 Unknown

Is that true? David, welcome. Jesus Christ, David. Is it true? Yes, it's true. Thank you. God. This is so wonderful.

537.704 - 543.772 Sean Hayes

David, why would you, you're such a, you know, I remember we spoke about it a year ago.

543.812 - 546.075 Jason Bateman

Let me just say, I don't like the tone of that. Why?

546.115 - 569.757 Sean Hayes

Immediately, why? Why? Why would they give you a degree? No, no, no, it wasn't that, it wasn't that. Why? It wasn't that. Go ahead, why would I what? The why would you, because you graduated, you were head of your class in high school, and then you go to Princeton, and then you go to Yale. And then I feel like you lowered yourself to come into show business a little bit. You know, a little bit.

Chapter 6: What themes does David explore in his novels and music?

601.261 - 613.177 Jason Bateman

Wow. Because, well, let me tell you why I wrote on the novels, because nobody writes on the novels, and I didn't have to do that much work and research, because I could just make the shit up myself. All right.

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613.458 - 615.08 Sean Hayes

This is nothing to compare it to.

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615.48 - 618.925 Jason Bateman

Yes. No chat GPT cheating. It was an open field.

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618.905 - 622.472 Unknown

And then what happened at – that was Princeton or that was Yale?

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622.492 - 643.249 Jason Bateman

That was Princeton. And then I took a year off and I traveled and I didn't really know what I wanted to do at all. I just knew I wanted to be a writer. And then I thought – I applied for a Mellon Fellowship, which I got from the Mellon Foundation, which – They were trying to lure people that might go into money-making businesses and steer them towards academia.

643.589 - 658.425 Jason Bateman

So it was for people to get PhDs who might not be able to afford staying in school. So I got one of those and I went to Yale. And I thought that I'd become a professor of English literature and then write novels in my summer times. Wow.

659.686 - 664.892 Unknown

And forgive me, have you written like a hundred novels in I'm an Idiot?

664.872 - 674.002 Jason Bateman

I've written four or five novels. Wow. And I just had a book of poems come out. Oh, that's cool.

675.584 - 683.533 Sean Hayes

By the way, he's admitting the fact that he's put out a number of records. He just finished a tour. Am I right? You just finished a tour in Europe.

Chapter 7: How does David view the impact of his work on fans?

727.407 - 730.712 Jason Bateman

I'm not very jazzy. I stay off the water. I try to stay off the water.

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730.732 - 737.501 Sean Hayes

No, it's kind of like indie rock in a way. I mean, sorry, forgive me for saying that, but I'm a 90s indie rock dinosaur myself.

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737.641 - 743.228 Jason Bateman

Well, the 90s was kind of like the garagefication of 70s rock in my mind. Oh, interesting.

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743.729 - 766.598 Jason Bateman

And so I think 70s and 90s have a lot in common. And you're playing the guitar there and you're singing as well? I don't play the guitar on stage because I'm kind of self-taught on the guitar. So I have an inability to play it the same way twice, which is not very nice for my band. So I write the songs. And do you sing them? And I sing in my fashion.

767.159 - 770.645 Unknown

So on stage, you have no guitar as a crutch.

770.665 - 773.83 Jason Bateman

I have nothing to do with my hands. I think that's where you're going.

773.95 - 776.314 Unknown

So you just kind of work the mic and the cord.

776.554 - 782.443 Jason Bateman

You know, you hold on to that fucking mic stand for dear life is what happens. I wouldn't know what to do. It's like a life jacket.

Chapter 8: What upcoming projects is David Duchovny involved in?

861.707 - 882.816 Jason Bateman

But here's something that you guys might appreciate as actors. When I decided I wanted to learn guitar, I'm not 100% self-taught. When I decided I wanted to learn, I was doing Californication at the time. And I said to Tom Kapanos, the producer, I think Hank Moody should learn how to play guitar so I could get the free lessons. That's amazing.

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882.796 - 890.514 Sean Hayes

The intelligence permeates everything you do. I know, I know. He's playing four-dimensional chess, if that's a thing.

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890.534 - 898.874 Jason Bateman

So I, also with singing, I'm not like Sean. I can't, I'm not that kind of a singer.

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899.295 - 900.818 Unknown

I'm not either, which is sad.

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900.838 - 912.814 Jason Bateman

Yes, you are. And it's been a journey to try and put over the song. Because I can hear melodies that I can't necessarily sing, which is weird. I never thought that was a possibility.

913.495 - 921.645 Unknown

Well, you know, just really quick, sometimes the best singers are the, quote, untrained singing. Because you don't think about it. You're not in your head about it.

921.625 - 940.706 Sean Hayes

You know, David, when we had Michael Stipe, our friend from REM on here a while ago, and he was talking about that. Wonderful singer. He was so good. And that first record that he made when he was down in Athens, Georgia with those guys, Radio Free Europe, I think, was their first single. And he was talking about, he basically was singing gibberish and he didn't know how to sing.

940.726 - 949.686 Sean Hayes

Do you remember that, guys? He was talking, he was like, I just kind of winged it. Yeah. Because he didn't know what he... And he kind of taught himself how to... And he got better as he... I think the correct term is wung.

949.987 - 951.11 Unknown

He wung it.

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