Recently, we’ve known him as Commander Caldwell on ‘Stargate,’ and Samuel Campbell from ‘Supernatural,’ but fans will always know Mitch Pileggi in their hearts as Skinner, from ‘The X-Files.’
For those you craving news on the up and coming mini-series, Pileggi wouldn’t budge an inch when asked about it at last weekend’s Denver Comic-Con. What he did say was that “David [Duchovny] and Gillian [Anderson] are very excited, as I am,” and that he “read the first script and it is really good.” He goes on to say that they are really to “kick the sh*t” out of it, and they are raring to go.
“If we do it right,” he mused, “maybe we’ll get more.”
When asked if they would portray the characters differently, Pileggi replied, “We’ve all grown as actors over the years. You might get more variation. More depth as we’ve gained more depth as actors.”
Here’s more of what he had to say at last weekend’s panel:
Getting on ‘The X-Files’
While we could never imagine Pileggi doing any other part than Skinner, he actually auditioned for two other roles for the show, and was rejected both times. Due to this his shaved head, show creator Chris Carter, felt that Pileggi looked too extreme. When he got a call to do a third audition (for the part of Skinner, naturally), he almost didn’t go. His agent had to convince him, fortunately for us!
Though, he noted that this time they are just going to have to deal with a bald Skinner.
Is Samuel Campbell Coming Back?
Sorry ‘Supernatural’ fans. Pileggi stated that he thinks they are “pretty much done with Samuel Campbell.” He did note that while he loved working with Jensen Ackles, Jared Padelecki, and Misha Collins, he felt that he story was dried up. Besides, wouldn’t you want Ackles and Padelecki getting more screen time?
‘The X-Files’ a Curse?
When talking about his role on ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ Pileggi said he was worried he wouldn’t get the part of Ernest Darby because the creators of the show were huge fans of ‘The X-Files.’ For some reason, every audition he ever did where they were huge fans of the ‘The X-Files,’ he knew he wouldn’t get the part. Thankfully, it was not true this time.
If He Could Be an X-Files Monster
Pileggi said he would be a Peacock brother from the episode, “Home.” This is largely because “Home,” which focused on three inbred brothers and their shockingly violent forms of procreations, was his favorite episode. Fans of Pileggi’s work in Wes Craven’s horror films would probably not be surprised to find this was his preferred story.
