David Duchovny Talks To AOL On Season Three Finale of "Californication"

[JamesG]

Californication is one of those shows that always manages to get people talking, which is why it's so fitting that the show's star is the brutally honest, make-no-apologies David Duchovny.

After another season full of awkward drunken moments, lessons in how not to parent and Hank Moody continuing to choose heartbreak and rampant adultery over true love, AOL TV caught up with Duchovny to get the scoop on the season three finale (Sun., Dec. 13, 10PM ET on Showtime).


What we got was much more of a peek into the mysterious actor's brain -- revelations about a wide range of hot topics, including his family life, his least funny moment of '09, Twitter, blurring out Adam Lambert, being saddened and amazed by Lady Gaga and wanting to f*** Rick Springfield.

Come on, you know you're curious ...



Do you have a favorite episode that you all have done in these three seasons of Californication?

Yeah, it's funny -- I don't know if I have an opinion on whether or not I like some more than others.

I guess the ones I enjoy the most are the ones that I'm in the least, because I didn't see that stuff being filmed, and I guess I get surprised by it.




Are you one of those actors that can't watch themselves?

No I can ... over and over and over again. [Laughs]




It's been an amazingly ridiculous rollercoaster of a season -- is it still as much fun as it looks?

Yeah, it's shockingly ... well, not shockingly, because the schedule's not bad ... [but] it's only 13 weeks for me if I'm gonna direct one, so it's really kind of a sprint.

We still love going to work and getting to do this. It's not like it was on a network show ... 10 months and you kind of start to hate everybody by the end of the year. We're still loving it.

It's odd for me, because it's really a wonderful kind of experience for me to really want to go to work that badly.




Not that you've had any experiences where you've hated what you were working on or who you were working with ...

No, but you get tired. You get tired. But this show ... comedy demands a certain amount of energy, and there's a lot of challenges every day just trying to make it as funny and as real as possible, that I think we all find ourselves challenged and awake. And happy.




The episode with all of Hank's ladies showing up at his place and there's a passed out stripper -- among other things -- was such a classic sitcom scenario.

It must be tough being surrounded by so many horrible looking women all the time.

Well, you know, it sounds like bullsh** to say, but it really is just work. You know, you go to work and those are the people you're working with on that particular day. I think it's odder for somebody that has to show up that we don't know -- the strippers, say -- and have to get topless and whatever in front of the crew.

But us who know one another, we're all adults. If you've been around this business enough, and you've done enough of this stuff ... I mean, I guess I had my first love type scene, or scene where I was naked, in 'The Rapture' and that's more than 20 years ago.

It doesn't matter anymore. I don't care what we look like -- let's make it funny.




And you guys always manage to bring the funny!

To me, the stroke of inspiration that I had in that episode was wanting to wear the kimono. [Laughs] Yeah. I think they had me in a bathrobe the whole episode ... I don't know why I saw that kimono there. It was on the rack somewhere.

So, to me, that's what makes me happy -- when I do something like that and it can actually work.




Californication finales are nothing if not totally game-changing -- what crazy event can we expect this season?

Well, it's interesting this season -- I would say that it's very often that in our shows, outrageous things happen, but the consequences are less than they might be in real life.

I would say that at the end of the third season, the consequences are much more serious. I'm not saying the show itself is a downer and not funny, but the end of the finale, the consequences, are quite real.

I think it was a nice move on the part of Tom Kapinos, who runs the show and created it, to really make Hank, at least in season four we will, face certain consequences finally.




Like a Becca-less Hank? A Karen-less Hank?

I don't know! I don't know what season four is gonna hold, but you'll see at the end of season three ... it's serious.




You have some super fans on Twitter, but you don't tweet, do you?

No, I don't tweet. Or, as Hank says, I don't twat.

You know, I worked with Demi Moore last year ... I think she's queen Twitterer, right? She's the queen of all Twitterers. She was tweeting and twatting all over the place, and I still ... what is it? You get 20 characters or something -- is that the idea? [Laughs]

I met the creator of Twitter, so I feel like I'm all over Twitter, but I don't do it.




And what about the Runkles -- Charlie and Marcy are made for each other. Think they'll ever get back together for real?

[Laughs] I know, the Runkles -- just saying it makes me happy. Mrs. Runkle was visiting me yesterday -- Pam Adlon. She's a sweet, sweet person.

You know, we had a scene in the pilot -- Pam and I, when they set me up on a blind date. It was really just one scene for Pam, and you never know when a show continues on what characters are kind of going to pop out.

In the middle of the first season, I just realized what an asset Pam was as an actress, and I think Tom has really written to her.




Well, yeah -- she's been to rehab, she's f**ed Rick Springfield ... it's beautiful.

[Laughs] I want to f** Rick Springfield! How come I can't f** Rick Springfield?


Get in line. Hank probably would ...

I don't want to give up too much, but I just have one word for you: finale! [Laughs]




A lot of people have a love-hate relationship with Hank Moody -- do you think you'd be friends with him in real life?

Yeah, I mean, it seems that Hank really only has time for one male friend, and that's Runkle. You never see him hanging out with any other guys really ... well, he had Ashby last year ... I love Ashby.

[But]] he seems to only have time for one guy at a time, so I don't think he'd have time for me. He won't call me back!




How many seasons are you in for this ride?

Oh, I would like to do the standard cable successful six, if we could. That would be great. I never expected to be able to go that long. Kind of right now, living in New York, it's perfect because I get to go to L.A. for three or four months and the kids love to come in the summer, and we all get to be there for a while, and that's great just in my personal life.

But artistically and professionally, I'm constantly challenged. I love having to come to work and figure out how to make things funny and real. I didn't get to do that for so long, and now that I can do it, I just love to do it, so I could keep doing it for a while.




What are you working on over the hiatus?

I have a movie that I think I'm gonna do in March called Goats. Other than that, I'm writing or -- well, you're a writer, you know how that goes -- sometimes not writing.

But I'm really trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life, in a way. Not the rest of my life, but the next five years of my career -- what's gonna be most satisfying?

If I had the balls and the concentration, I would be creating my own stuff, and that's what I'm trying to do this year. I'm actually taking a lot of time off to not write.




And maybe getting behind the camera more?

I'd love to. I love directing. I love not having to worry about my hair.




Looking back at 2009, what was your favorite newsworthy moment -- something that either made you laugh out loud or made you happy?

Oh, OK ... that I wasn't involved in? Because I wasn't laughing out loud ... Obama getting elected. I thought was pretty great. That was 2009, wasn't it?




[Laughs] Yes, we'll count that. So what was the story that annoyed you the most? Right now, I'm beyond sick of hearing about Tiger Woods ...

Yeah, well it's unfortunate. Why? It's nobody's business, obviously, but people like to talk.

So yeah ... that's too bad. I think this whole Adam Lambert kissing a guy is silly.




What? Them blurring out the kiss?

I think they should blur out the entire performance, but that's just me. [Laughs]

You know, I would like the music to mean something, so let's see what that's about. I'm a Lady Gaga fan, what can I say? I think she's cool -- she's actually thinking and working and creating. I'd like to see that with music. I don't care if you're kissing a girl or kissing a guy or whatever that song was. Just sing the fu**ing song, let's hear it!

[But] I came late to Gaga. The name bummed me out; I thought it was silly. My grandmother's name was Gaga -- Gaga was my mother's mother, so Lady Gaga always filled me with a little bit of sadness. [Laughs] But then her performance ... you know, she gets to me.




I love that -- any other secret musical pleasures?

Secretly, this guy Anthony and the Johnsons -- have you heard them? He's almost like a transvestite performer, but he's got this amazing voice. He does a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'If It Be Your Will' -- go to iTunes and get that, and get 'Fistful of Love.' Those are two beautiful songs.

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