Chris Owens on Sci-Fi Entertainment

original airing: Nov. 6, 1998

Chris was interviewed by the host of Sci-Fi Entertainment, Chase Masterson, around the time "Triangle" was filmed. Here's a transcipt. ( Click here for more images from the interview.)

Chase Masterson: Chris Owens is from Canada and joined the cast of the THE X-FILES this season as Agent Spender. Now, this isn't the first character you've played on THE X-FILES, is it?

Chris Owens: No, no. I've played the Cigarette-Smoking Man when he was younger. And, uh, assassinated John F. K. and did some other nasty things, yeah. And I played a two-headed fellow named Mutato who lived in the basement and ate peanut butter and liked Cher a lot.

[They laugh]

Chase Masterson: How would you describe Spender's relationship with Mulder and Scully?

Chris Owens: Well, right now I'm sort at odds with Mulder so we've come into conflict quite a bit. He's a firm believer in the paranormal, of course, and I am not. So it starts a tension between us. I don't have a lot of respect for his work, and for some reason he takes that personally. He's very sensitive.

Chase Masterson: Is that anything like your relationship with David Duchovny?

Chris Owens: [Laughs] No, David and I get along great, you know. We have a good time. And with Scully... Spender's just sort of getting to know her, I think.

[clip from"Triangle," where Scully gives Spender heck]

Chase Masterson: Now tell us about the episode that has you and Cigarette-Smoking Man dress up as Nazis. I hear that was an interesting one to shoot.

Chris Owens: Chris Carter wrote it, and it's shot in continuous time, so everything's done in one take. And we shot it on the Queen Mary, which was very exciting. And it's sort of an ode to The Wizard of Oz , believe it or not. Because what Chris has happen is the ship sort of comes back out of time, lost in the Bermuda Triangle, and characters who are regularly on the show recur as Nazis or British Army people, that kind of thing.

[shot of 1939 Scully calling Nazi!Spender a "weasel"]

Chase Masterson: Now there were rumors when you were brought aboard last season that you were being groomed to replace David Duchovny if he didn't return to the series. Is there any truth to that?

Chris Owens: No. [Laughs] No, what and learn all those lines, are you kidding me? No, he's...to me, X-FILES is Scully and Mulder. It's their relationship, as they travel through the paranormal. That rumor just started out, I think, because David wanted to come back to Los Angeles and be with his wife. And people thought he would leave the show. But...but no, I'm just to add another color, give him someone else to play off.

Chase Masterson: As the new guy on THE X-FILES, what can you tell us about David and Gillian that might surprise the fans?

Chris Owens: What are they really like? They're, umm... Well, you know, I think...Gillian, she...as Scully, if you've only seen her as Scully....Scully is pretty serious most of the time. And Gillian, you know, she has a great sense of humor and she tends to laugh quite a bit. So you'll be on set and you'll be hearing her lovely laugh throughout the corridors of the studio. Between takes. And sometimes during takes. So that's one thing I suppose. David is as quick-witted as Mulder is, to me. He's very funny and great to hang around with.

Chase Masterson: THE X-FILES is one of the most analyzed shows in television history. Does that put any added pressure on you?

Chris Owens: If I think about it too much, it might, yeah. I think so. But I just take it a script at a time. Thank god I can play this game. [laughs] The usual sports cliche. But...just do your job. And I trust the writing. The writing is great. That's what makes the show to me. So as long as that keeps going along then everything'll be fine.