5. Evolution (2001)
Duchovny left The X-Files in 2001 after the combination of a contract dispute when season seven finished filming and wanting to move on from Mulder to further his career in film. He appeared in half of season eight, but didn’t appear in season nine until the series finale in 2002.
After deciding to branch out of alien hunting in The X-Files with a red-headed Gillian Anderson, his first feature film after his departure ended up being Evoultion, directed by Ivan Reitman. A film in which he portrays a college professor – Ira Kane – who investigates a meteor crash in Arizona with geologist Harry Block (Orlando Jones). They discover that the meteor has brought extraterrestrial life to Earth which is evolving alarmingly quickly. Kane, Block and Dr. Allison Reed (Julianne Moore) have to figure out a way to stop the aliens from eventually taking over Earth due to their advanced evolution.
So, Duchovny ends up alien hunting in Arizona with a red-headed Julianne Moore. Go figure.
The role of Ira Kane ended up being an extremely good career choice for Duchovny though, as the film highlights Duchovny’s comedic acting and his ability to distance himself from each character he plays, no matter how similar the subject matter is.