Not Only 'Californication' & 'The X-Files': 5 Best David Duchovny Roles, Ranked by IMDb

David Duchovny is an actor whose name is associated with two iconic TV projects: The X-Files, in which he played the enigmatic agent Fox Mulder, and Californication, where he portrayed the cynical writer Hank Moody.

Over the decades of his career, however, Duchovny has embraced a wide range of roles, spanning comedy and drama.

5. 'Red Shoe Diaries', 1992

IMDb Score: 5.3/10

In the drama Red Shoe Diaries, David Duchovny plays Jake, a successful architect grieving the death of his fiancée. After discovering her secret diary, however, he begins to question the sincerity and reciprocity of their relationship.

It turns out that, all this time, she was having an affair with a man whom Jake believes may have been responsible for her death.

Duchovny landed his role in Red Shoe Diaries shortly before being cast in The X-Files. The actor also appeared in the subsequent series of the same name as a narrator.

4. 'Evolution', 2001

IMDb Score: 6.1/10

A group of scientist friends tries to understand a rapidly evolving alien organism poised to take over Earth. In director Ivan Reitman's movie, David Duchovny plays Professor Ira Kane, a scientist assigned by the government to study a mysterious life form brought to Earth by a meteorite.

While you might think Duchovny is reprising his familiar role from The X-Files, Evolution is actually a sci-fi comedy that sets new genre standards for the actor.

3. 'Return to Me', 2000

IMDb Score: 7.0/10

The plot centers on Bob Rueland, a grieving young man played by Duchovny, who is trying to cope with the tragic death of his wife in a car accident. One day, he meets a young waitress named Grace and, despite his misfortune, falls in love again.

Later, Rueland learns that Grace underwent a complex heart transplant and that the donor organ belonged to his late wife.

Return to Me is a touching drama with incredible acting chemistry between Duchovny and Minnie Driver, far from emotional manipulation.

2. 'Aquarius', 2015-2016

IMDb Score: 7.0/10

Aquarius is a series starring David Duchovny that aired on NBC from 2015 to 2016. Duchovny played Sam Hodiak, a Los Angeles police detective who becomes involved in the investigation of the infamous serial killer Charles Manson.

Set in the mid-1960s, the show follows Hodiak as he meets the young people Manson attempts to recruit into his cult.

Despite its short run of only two seasons, Aquarius captures the atmosphere of a free and criminally active era with remarkable accuracy. The series brings the capture of one of the most notorious 20th-century killers to its logical conclusion.

1. 'Things We Lost in the Fire', 2007

IMDb Score: 7.1/10

Things We Lost in the Fire is a poignant drama about the complexities of romantic relationships and domestic violence. Halle Berry plays Audrey, a woman struggling to come to terms with the death of her lover, Brian, played by David Duchovny, who was killed while trying to protect her from her abusive husband.

Alone with grief and two children, Audrey sinks into depression. A family friend and former heroin addict named Jerry helps her out of this difficult situation.