David Duchovny Net Worth

What is David Duchovny's Net Worth and Salary?

David Duchovny is an American actor, musician, writer, and director who has a net worth of $80 million. David Duchovny is best known for his role as FBI Agent Fox Mulder in the science fiction series "The X-Files" (1993-2002, 2016-2018). His portrayal of the paranormal-obsessed agent earned him Golden Globe awards and multiple Emmy nominations.

Duchovny also gained acclaim for playing the hedonistic writer Hank Moody in Showtime's "Californication" (2007-2014), which won him another Golden Globe. His other notable television work includes the NBC drama "Aquarius" and the revival of "Twin Peaks."

In film, Duchovny has appeared in movies like "Kalifornia," "Evolution," "Zoolander," "The Joneses," and "The Craft." He made his directorial debut with "House of D" in 2004, which he also wrote.

Beyond acting, Duchovny is an accomplished author who has published four novels: "Holy Cow," "Bucky F*cking Dent," "Miss Subways," and "Truly Like Lightning." He's also pursued a music career, releasing three albums since 2015: "Hell or Highwater," "Every Third Thought," and "Gestureland."

Duchovny graduated from Princeton University with a BA in English Literature and received a Master's degree in English Literature from Yale University. He began his acting career with small roles in films and TV, including a recurring role in "Twin Peaks" before his breakthrough on "The X-Files."

Early Life

David Duchovny was born David William Duchovny on August 7, 1960, in New York City. His mother, Margaret, was a teacher and school administrator, and his father, Amram (who passed away in 2003), was a writer and publicist. David's mother is Scottish, and his father is Jewish. Duchovny has two siblings, Daniel and Laurie; Daniel directed a 2008 episode of "Californication" and guest-starred in a 1999 episode of "The X-Files" that was directed by David.

Duchovny studied at Grace Church School and The Collegiate School For Boys before attending Princeton University, where he joined the junior varsity basketball team and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English literature in 1982. That year he was recognized by the Academy of American Poets, receiving an honorable mention for his poetry. David also earned a Master of Arts in English Literature from Yale and began working on a PhD but never finished it.

Early Acting Career

While working on his Ph.D., Duchovny spent the summer of 1987 taking acting classes in New York. He landed his first acting job, a Löwenbräu beer commercial, before heading back to Yale and appearing in "Working Girl" the following year. David played transgender DEA agent Denise Bryson on three episodes of "Twin Peaks" from 1990 to 1991, appeared in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" (1991), and began hosting Showtime's "Red Shoe Diaries," which ran from 1992 to 1996.

The X-Files

In 1993, Duchovny took on what would become an iconic role: Special Agent Fox "Spooky" Mulder on "The X-Files." The Fox series ran until 2002, then returned in 2016 for season 10 and 2018 for season 11. The show also spawned the movies "The X-Files: Fight the Future" (1998) and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" (2008).

After season 7, Duchovny decided he no longer wanted to be a regular on the show and only appeared in 12 episodes in season 8 and 9. In 2004, "TV Guide" published a list of the "50 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends," ranking Mulder #7.

X-Files Salary

For the first three seasons of The X-Files, David earned $150,000 per episode. In a 24-episode season, that would work out to $3.6 million per year. After adjusting for inflation, that works out to around $7 million per year in today's dollars. By the fourth season, both David and his co-star Gillian Anderson were earning $240,000 per episode. That would equate to $5.76 million per 24-episode season. That's the same as $10 million in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation.

David sued 20th Century Fox in 1999, claiming that the company had undersold affiliate rights to "The X-Files" and cheated him out of the show's profits. The lawsuit was settled with a one-time lump sum payment of $20 million.

David and Gillian each earned $4 million to star in the first X-Files film. They each earned an estimated $6 million for the second film.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Californication

Duchovny returned to television in 2007, playing novelist Hank Moody on Showtime's "Californication." The show, which also starred Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon, and Natascha McElhone, ran for 7 seasons. Duchovny acted as an executive producer on the show, a role he would also take on when he starred in NBC's "Aquarius" from 2015 to 2016.

Salary

While starring on "Californication," David was paid $225,000 per episode. There were 12 episodes per season, so David earned $2.7 million before taxes for each season of Californication.

Other Work

While starring on "The X-Files," David made several movies, including "Playing God" (1997) and "Return to Me" (2000), and he hosted "Saturday Night Live" in 1995 and 1998. In 2005, he appeared in "House of D," which he also wrote and directed.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Music Career

David began playing guitar in 2011 and released the album "Hell or Highwater" in 2015 and "Every Third Thought" in 2018. In addition to providing guitar and vocals, he also wrote all 24 songs that appear on the albums. Duchovny embarked on a U.S. and European tour for each album, and he donated some of the proceeds from "Every Third Thought" to the D'Addario Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports music education.

Writing Career

Duchovny published his first book, "Holy Cow: A Modern-Day Dairy Tale," in 2015, and it reached #15 on the "New York Times" Best Seller List. He followed up his successful debut with 2016's "Bucky F*cking Dent" and 2018's "Miss Subways: A Novel." "Time Out New York" included "Bucky F*cking Dent" on their list of 2016's best books. David's fourth book, "Truly Like Lightning: A Novel," is set to be published in 2021.

Personal Life

David married actress Téa Leoni in May 1997, and they welcomed daughter Madelaine in April 1999 and son Kyd in June 2002. In August 2008, Duchovny sought treatment for sex addiction at a rehabilitation center, and in October, it was announced that David and Téa had been separated for several months. The couple later reconciled, but they split up again in 2011 and divorced in June 2014, reportedly agreeing that Duchovny would pay $40,000 per month in spousal support and $8,000 per month in child support.

Getty Images

Awards and Honors

In 1997, David won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama for "The X-Files," and he received the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical for "Californication" in 2008. He also earned a 1997 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama and a 1999 "TV Guide" Award for Favorite Actor in a Drama for "The X-Files." In the late 1990s, Duchovny was honored for a guest appearance on "The Larry Sanders Show," winning an Online Film & Television Association Award in 1998 and an American Comedy Award in 1999. David received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016; the star of the man who brought Fox Mulder to life is appropriately located in front of the Fox Theatre.

Real Estate

In 2008, David Duchovny and his then-wife Téa Leoni sold their Malibu estate to Mel Gibson for $11.5 million. That same year, they purchased a Manhattan co-op for $6.25 million. The property was later listed for sale in 2013 with a $9.25 million asking price.

In 2012, Duchovny paid $6.25 million for a three-bedroom apartment at The Ardsley, a prestigious prewar building on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The sun-drenched corner unit features a private elevator, high ceilings, a fireplace, three bathrooms, a large terrace, and sweeping views of Central Park.

In 2016, Duchovny returned to Malibu, purchasing a property in the exclusive Point Dume neighborhood for $4.75 million. He razed the existing home and spent an estimated $11.7 million constructing a modern, indoor-outdoor residence, complete with a lap pool, gym, outdoor kitchen, and a fully renovated train caboose guesthouse. In total, Duchovny reportedly invested close to $16 million into the estate. In April 2025, he listed the property for $12.5 million, positioning himself for a significant loss if it sells near asking.

Duchovny also reportedly owns a home in Costa Rica, in addition to his New York City apartment.

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