William B. Davis, better known as the Cigarette Smoking Man from The
X-Files, gave a free presentation at the University of Florida. Following
is the article from the campus newspaper, The Alligator. (Article
written by Rachael P. Bender)
X-Files Actor Lights Up Audience
Departing from his macabre character on the his show “The X-Files”, the
actor America knows as The Cigarette Smoking Man laughed with an audience
of 2,000 fans Tuesday, joking with them that he – and not main characters
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully – is the hero of the science-fiction series.
William B. Davis, who is not a smoker in real life, related this comical
view of the X-Files, what he thinks about conspiracy theories and why the
show is so popular during his two-hour speech at the O’Connell Center.
The show was sponsored by Accent Speakers Bureau, a Student Government
organization.
“This thing (Mulder) wants called the truth. What would happen
if he got it?” asked Davis, who later revealed that he smokes herbal
cigarettes on the show. “He would probably go on ‘Larry King Live’
and tell the world. It would be a disaster.”
But if Cigarette Smoking Man – who is known in the script as CSM –
got his way, there would be no disaster because no one would know, Davis
said.
“Mulder is a chicken-licked pup,” he added in character as the audience
erupted in laughter. “When it is a little dark, Mulder pulls out
a flashlight. CSM lives in the dark and smoke.”
But Davis could not relate much of his inside knowledge about where
the show is headed because all characters were bound to secrecy about the
upcoming X-Files movie, which was filmed last summer and will be released
this summer.
He did make an exception, however, and told the audience that in the
movie CSM will be bathed in a “warm pink light” and will be accompanied
by “soft harp music” so that viewers will realize he is the true hero.
When Mulder and Scully are on screen, there will be foreboding music, he
said.
Davis said X-Files creators did not originally envision CSM’s character
to be such a large part of the show. He said his character’s success
is because of the fans.
Unlike some of the X-Files fans, he does not believe aliens are abducting
people or that there is a government conspiracy trying to cover up the
alien abductions, he said. And Davis does not understand how people
can believe the government could cover up a huge conspiracy because they
have a problem running things everyone can observe.
“There are a lot of people saying they are being abducted,” he said.
“But what’s the most reasonable explanation?”
He added that it is the responsibility of the paranormal believers
to prove the truth and not the other way around. He said neither
side has any true evidence as to the existence of aliens.
Davis has appeared in other television shows and movies such as “The
Outer Limits”, “MacGyver,” “Look Who’s Talking,” and Stephen King’s “It”.
None of these shows and movies made him a cultural icon like The X-Files.
“It is a good show. But ‘ER’ is a good show. They have
not captured the worldwide expectation that The X-Files has,” Davis said.
“It is an amazing cultural phenomenon.”
Davis said the show has done so well because people mistrust the government
and the show feeds off of that mistrust and uncertainty.
“There will be courses about the end of the millenium at UF.
They will study The X-Files to try to understand what is going on here,”
Davis said.
X-Files fan Jim Bosworth said he felt the speech was excellent because
is showed Davis’ personality, which is a lot more friendly than CSM.
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