A Change Is As Good As A Rest
by Jean Cummings

Who could this be? Well, its FBI guy John Doggett, played by movie star Robert Patrick. The more important question is does his character offer a future for everyone's favourite show of the unexplained, or will he just be seen as a replacement for Mulder?

Earlier this year actor Robert Patrick received what could be called good news and bad news. The good news was that he'd been cast as John Doggett, the new FBI agent on TV hit The X-Files. The bad news? He'd been thrust into the role created to step in for the missing Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Certainly, though it is rewarding for any actor to get a full-time television role, joining the cast of The X-Files in its eighth season comes with more than its share of issues. 

"I'm looking forward to working with Dave. I'm enjoying working with Gillian. It's great..."

Robert Patrick

First, Gillian Anderson had vowed not to come back, despite a signed contract. Likewise, creator/director Chris Carter and Duchovny; neither one was contractually obliged to return for another season. Both however, however, came to terms with Fox Television for that additional season. Of course, Duchovny's new agreement calls for him to appear in two early episodes and perhaps as many as four at the end of the season. Consequently, Carter created Doggett, and Anderson saw the potential for honoring her contract and returning. All of which means that Patrick faces the challenge of becoming a part of the show without the intent of making fans forget Duchovny, and yet hoping the fans accept him as Anderson's new counterpart.

Patrick, of course, is a veteran actor, having appeared in Die Hard 2: Die Harder, and even more famously as the T-1000, a shape-shifting cyborg sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Married and the father of two children, Patrick acknowledges that with a family to support, he keeps too busy most of the time to watch a lot of television.   

"I have watched The X-Files for the seasons prior to this," he says when asked. "It's been really spotty but I always enjoyed it every time I've watched it. I'm not a hardcore fan of anything or any genre," he adds, "but when I saw the show I was really amazed at what I watched. I really enjoy the performances of David and Gillian. I think they're marvelous, the way they handle their dialogue and their relationship. I think the situations on the show are great, and I was always intrigued by that. There are always questions I have after each episode that I've watched. But I was always fascinated by it. Now I just feel like I'm on this big movie that's going to last for like nine or ten months."     

Ironically, capturing a full-time television role was something that Patrick was actively pursuing when he was cast on The X-Files.

"I really enjoy the performances of David and Gillian. I think they're marvelous, the way they handle their dialogue and their relationship "

Robert Patrick

"I've been looking to get into television for, like, the last five years," he explains. "I've been thinking about it and this year and, during the pilot season, I willingly said I'd really like to aggressively find something that I feel I'd be suited to do for television. So I actively participated and had no idea that this situation was going to present itself and when it did, there was no hesitation. Its a great show, and its a great situation.  

"I mean, Chris has created this brand new guy. They're excited about this guy. I'm excited about coming in here and doing it and I don't see anything other than that, you know. It's the character, it's how he fits in with the show and it's all the possibilities we can have with it, where he can go."

Because it's early into developing the character, Patrick has limited conceptual idea of John Doggett the person. "He's really a well-rounded, I think," he says. "The thing that really appealed to me is that this guy believes in his country. I think he has a code. I think it's well-defined for him. He's a real hard-working guy. He's more street smart.

"I kind of describe him as a little more blue-collarish," he adds. "He's known at the FBI for having a really strong work ethic and those things appeal to me. I think he's a salt of the earth guy. He's very confident and I think the character has a strong breastplate, if you know what I mean. I think he's confident enough within himself that he can figure out what's right and what's wrong, and make a move based on that. So he's self-assured that way.

"I don't know if he's funny," he continues, "I think he's got a sense of humour, yeah. I think he can be a bit of a smart ass, but I think that's just a little bit of the New York ex-cop attitude coming through."

In creating a personal life for the character, Patrick says, "I've thought about it but I can't tell you what's going on with Doggett personally. I have thought about it and I do ask questions but it's not fair to the show to do that. I do think he has a great deal of respect for women and that he really appreciates Scully. "I don't feel any expectations nor do I feel any pressure, because the hard part was really just seeing if this was going to work out, that I would actually be able to do it. Once that obstacle was cleared up, it was certain that I was going to be able to do it, I now feel like if I just work hard and take it, scene by scene, show by show, episode after episode and just focus on the work, I think everything else will take care of itself.

"I think the writing is there and if I execute the role of John Doggett the way that Chris and all the writers have designed him, I think its a win-win situation for me personally as an actor."

As far as succeeding Duchovny, a personal friend of Patrick's, he says, "I feel like I'm joining him, becoming another part of the ensemble. It's a brand new character and I can't wait to see, as I hope the audience does, how the character evolves. I'm really excited about it personally because I think it's one of the best roles I've ever had the opportunity to play," he insists. "I'm just looking forward the opportunity to to actually working with Dave a little bit more than I have. I'm enjoying working with Gillian and it's just a great experience, and I'm enjoying it."

He hesitates a moment before adding, "The first day was really exciting for me, I was actually more nervous for that than I have been in a lot of other situations I've been in. I was nervous because partly I was just really so excited and I couldn't calm down. I think I was a little goofy that day!" 

He laughs aloud at himself before becoming serious when asked about his hope for what the fans of the series will do as they get to see and know him and his character. "I hope they have an honest reaction," he says, "and that they're compelled by that. If they don't like the guy, they don't like the guy. If they do like the guy, they do like the guy. It's meant for their entertainment."

That 'honest reaction' would certainly include the realization that in no manner does Patrick suggest he's joined the show to replace Duchovny. Indeed, that's not the intent of Carter in creating the role. It's to provide the series with renewed interest, and that is Robert Patrick's hope as well. 

Source: Cult Times, Typed by me , and all transcripts are my exclusive property