The X-Files starred David Duchovny as the lead role.
The X-Files . The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) special agents Fox Mulder ( David Duchovny ) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson ) who investigate X-Files : marginalized , unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena . Both the series itself and lead actors Duchovny and Anderson received multiple awards and nominations , and by the end it was the longest-running science fiction series in U.S. television history . After the final theatrical film in 2008 , fans continued to push for a third movie to conclude the series ' plot lines , and in March 2015 , Fox eventually announced that the series would return , with Chris Carter as executive producer and writer , and Duchovny , Anderson , Pileggi , Davis , and Gish all reprising their roles . The X-Files (film) . Five main characters from the television series appear in the film : David Duchovny , Gillian Anderson , Mitch Pileggi , John Neville , and William B. Davis reprise their respective roles as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully , FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner , Well-Manicured Man , and the Cigarette-Smoking Man .