The best directors of "the X Files"
This is a list compiled of my favorite directors on "the X Files," ordered from greatest to least. I also list all of the episodes they directed in order from greatest to least, with my ratings of each episode in parenthesis.
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- Producer
- Director
- Writer
A five-time Emmy Award nominated and the recipient of three Golden Globe Awards, R.W Goodwin is the director and co-producer with Jim Swift of the new feature film, Alien Trespass (2009), starring Eric McCormack.
As an Executive Producer for his work on the hit, cult television series, The X-Files (1993), Goodwin received four Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Drama Series. The producer and director has numerous made-for-television movies and series to his credit. In addition to his work on The X-Files (1993), Goodwin was Executive Producer for television series including Hooperman (1987), Mancuso, FBI (1989), Life Goes On (1989) and The Fugitive (2000), to name a few. Born Too Soon (1993), Living a Lie (1991), Those She Left Behind (1989), Downpayment on Murder (1987), Acceptable Risks (1986) and the Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Winter of Our Discontent (1983) are among the many Network TV movies Goodwin has produced. As co-head of independent Goodmark Productions, Goodwin produced the Richard Donner-directed motion picture, Inside Moves (1980).
Goodwin has also served as a writer on one episode of The X-Files (1993) as well as directing nine episodes of the long-running series, which starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
Among additional recognition that Goodwin has received for his work, includes an Emmy Nomination in the category of Outstanding Children's Program for the television movie, The Girl Who Spelled Freedom (1986).
Goodwin was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, to an American father and an Australian mother, so from birth has had dual citizenship with both countries. He came to the United States at the age of two, lived two years in Boston, then moved to Southern California where he was raised. He graduated from UCLA before starting work in the mail room at CBS. From there he worked his way up to producing, writing and directing. He is married to actress Sheila Larken who appeared in the recurring role of Scully's mother on The X-Files (1993). Since 1993, the Goodwins have lived in northwest Washington state.Episodes:
One Breath (9.5/10)
Herrenvolk (9.5/10)
The Blessing Way (9.5/10)
Anasazi (9.5/10)
The End (9/10)
Talitha Cumi (9/10)
The Erlenmeyer Flask (9/10)
Gethsemane (8.5/10)
Redux (8.5/10)- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Rob Bowman was born on 15 May 1960 in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Reign of Fire (2002), The X Files (1998) and The X-Files (1993). He has been married to Dusty Dawn Bowman since 5 October 2006. They have two children.Episodes:
Momento Mori (9.5/10)
Paper Clip (9.5/10)
One Son (9.5/10)
Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' (9.5/10)
Kill Switch (9/10)
Biogenesis (9/10)
Syzygy (9/10)
Piper Maru (9/10)
Orison (8.5/10)
The Field Where I Died (8.5/10)
End Game (8.5/10)
Paper Hearts (8.5/10)
731 (8.5/10)
Sleepless (8.5/10)
Pusher (8.5/10)
Wetwired (8.5/10)
Terms of Endearment (8/10)
En Ami (8/10)
Our Town (8/10)
Never Again (8/10)
Drive (8/10)
The Pine Bluff Variant (8/10)
Dod Kalm (8/10)
Tempus Fugit (8/10)
F. Emasculata (8/10)
Unruhe (8/10)
Fresh Bones (8/10)
Genderbender (7.5/10)
Terma (7.5/10)
Aubrey (7.5/10)
The Walk (7.5/10)
Trevor (7/10)- Producer
- Director
- Production Manager
Kim Manners was born on 13 January 1951 in the USA. He was a producer and director, known for The X-Files (1993), Supernatural (2005) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). He died on 25 January 2009 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Episodes:
The Truth (9.5/10)
Redux II (9.5/10)
Closure (9.5/10)
Two Fathers (9/10)
This Is Not Happening (9/10)
Milagro (9/10)
War of the Coprohages (9/10)
Humbug (9/10)
Leonard Betts (9/10)
Home (9/10)
Essence (9/10)
Existence (9/10)
Apocrypha (9/10)
Requiem (9/10)
Demons (8.5/10)
Emily (8.5/10)
Die Hand die verletzt (8.5/10)
The Sixth Extinction (8.5/10)
Dreamland (8.5/10)
Without (8.5/10)
Within (8.5/10)
The Beginning (8.5/10)
Hungry (8.5/10)
The Gift (8.5/10)
Field Trip (8.5/10)
Folie à Deux (8.5/10)
Patient X (8.5/10)
D.P.O. (8.5/10)
Tunguska (8.5/10)
Zero Sum (8.5/10)
Max (8/10)
Audrey Pauley (8/10)
Per Manum (8/10)
Unusual Suspects (8/10)
Provenance (8/10)
Quagmire (8/10)
The Rain King (8/10)
Grotesque (8/10)
Kaddish (8/10)
Mind's Eye (8/10)
Oubliette (8/10)
Nothing Important Happened Today (7.5/10)
Release (7.5/10)
Chinga (7.5/10)
Lord of the Flies (7.5/10)
Sanguinarium (7.5/10)
Theef (7/10)
Signs and Wonders (7/10)
Hellbound (7/10)
Brand X (7/10)
Teso dos Bichos (6.5/10)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Born and raised in Bellflower, California, Chris Carter graduated from the California State University at Long Beach with a degree in journalism. Formerly a freelance journalist and editor of "Surfing" magazine, Carter began his career as a screenwriter in 1985 at The Walt Disney Studios. In 1992 Carter began developing projects for Twentieth Century Fox Television, creating The X-Files (1993), which was the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Drama in 1995 and 1997, Emmy-nominated three times for Best Drama, and winner of a Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. In 1996 he created the series Millennium (1996) and in 1999 Harsh Realm (1999). For his work on The X-Files, Carter has received three Golden Globe Awards (1994, 1996, 1997), a Writers Guild nomination, two Directors Guild nominations, and an Emmy Award nomination.Episodes:
The Post-Modern Prometheus (9/10)
Improbable (9/10)
Duane Barry (9/10)
Triangle (8.5/10)
How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (8.5/10)
The Red and the Black (8.5/10)
Providence (8.5/10)
The List (8/10)
First Person Shooter (7.5/10)
Patience (7.5/10)- Actor
- Producer
- Director
David William Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York City, New York, USA. His father, Amram Ducovny, was a writer and publicist who was from a family of Jewish immigrants (from Ukraine and Poland), and worked for the American Jewish Committee. His mother, Margaret (Miller), was a Scottish-born school teacher. David has a sister, Laurie, and an older brother, Daniel Ducovny, an award-winning director of commercials, as well as a director of photography.
David earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and also attended Yale University, where he undertook a Master's Degree in English Literature. A keen poet and writer, David's work was well recognized by his peers and teachers while he was in attendance at Yale. He was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets for his outstanding work within the literary field. While at Yale, he began commuting to New York to study acting and was soon appearing in off-Broadway plays. In 1987, he abandoned his doctoral studies at Yale to pursue acting full time.
Like any actor or celebrity, David began his career on the bottom, by acting in numerous commercials in the late-eighties. He crossed over into films with bit parts in low key films such as New Year's Day (1989) and Bad Influence (1990). Although these parts were small and somewhat insignificant, it was a start and David was able to get his foot in the door.
In 1991, David got offered the role of DEA Dennis Bryson on the acclaimed TV series, Twin Peaks (1990). He only appeared in three episodes, but at that early stage, it was his biggest claim to fame yet, as Twin Peaks (1990) was watched by millions of people worldwide. Needless to say, David's talents as an actor would finally be recognized and he would get the acknowledgment that he so richly deserved.
In the early 1990s, he got more bit parts in films, this time, however, the films weren't "low key", but hits, such as Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) and the family favorite comedy, Beethoven (1992). David's role in Beethoven (1992) was small, but it was hard to forget the poor guy who was dragged across the lawn by the giant St. Bernard!
A year later, in 1993, David got the lead role in the independent film Kalifornia (1993). The film also starred another up-and-coming young actor, Brad Pitt. In Kalifornia (1993), David played a journalist who goes on a cross-country tour of famous murder sites with his girlfriend as research for a book he is writing about serial killers. He takes Pitt's character along to help pay the bills, unaware that Pitt's character is in fact a serial killer himself. Although it did not do much business at the box office, it is still a great film and has become somewhat of a cult favorite among fans.
That same year, David was offered the role of FBI Agent Fox "Spooky" Mulder on the long-running TV series The X-Files (1993). The show was a tremendous international success and propelled David (and his co-star Gillian Anderson) into super-stardom. His character of Mulder has become somewhat of a pop culture legend and is renowned the world over for his satirical wit and dry sense of humor. Fans loved the fact that he could keep a straight face and still crack and joke in the face of extreme danger. David improvised a lot of his own lines of dialogue while on the show and even penned and directed a few episodes. The series ended in 2002 and still has a strong, dedicated following. To date, David has reprised his role of Fox Mulder in two "X Files" feature films: The X Files (1998) and The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008).
During the initial run of The X-Files (1993), David kept busy and made several films, such as: Return to Me (2000), alongside actress Minnie Driver and the comedy favorite Evolution (2001), with Julianne Moore, Seann William Scott and Orlando Jones. He even had a hysterical cameo as a self-obsessed, simple-minded hand model in the comedy-smash Zoolander (2001).
In 2007, after a few years out of the limelight, David struck gold again after landing the plum role of Hank Moody in Californication (2007). The raunchy series follows the life of womanizing writer Hank Moody (Duchovny) as he tries to juggle his career and his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend. The show has become a hit for its off-the-wall humor and Duchovny's ability to always turn in a brilliant performance.
It may have taken a while, but David has worked his way to the top and notched up an impressive resume along the way. We can expect to see a lot more of him in the future.Episodes:
The Unnatural (9/10)
Hollywood A.D. (8.5/10)
William (8/10)- Director
- Producer
- Editor
David Nutter was born in 1960 in the USA. He is a director and producer, known for Game of Thrones (2011), The Pacific (2010) and Space: Above and Beyond (1995). He was previously married to Birgit Nutter.Episodes:
Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose (9.5/10)
Beyond the Sea (9/10)
Ice (9/10)
Little Green Men (9/10)
Nisei (9/10)
Irresistible (8.5/10)
Tooms (8.5/10)
Blood (8/10)
Lazarus (8/10)
2Shy (8/10)
Firewalker (8/10)
3 (7.5/10)
Shapes (7/10)
Roland (7/10)- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Michael W. Watkins is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Justified (2010) and Point of No Return (1993).Episodes:
The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati (9.5/10)
Tithonus (8.5/10)
Sein Und Zeit (8/10)
Arcadia (8/10)
X-Cops (7.5/10)- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Gillian Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Rosemary Alyce (Lane), a computer analyst, and Homer Edward Anderson III, who owned a film post-production company. Gillian started her career as a member of an amateur actor group while at high school. In 1987, her love of the theatre took her to the National Theatre of Great Britain Summer Acting Programme held at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. For several weeks she studied under such NT greats as Peter Chelsom, Bardy Thomas, and Michael Joyce. Afterwards, Anderson returned to the Goodman Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois where she finished her education. Her big break came with The X-Files (1993) as Dana Scully. There, she met her future husband (Clyde Klotz), marrying on January 1st 1994. One month later, Gillian was pregnant. Her daughter, Piper Anderson-Klotz, was born on the 25th September 1994. Her film career started with the movie The Turning (1992) in 1997 and, the following year, she starred in Playing by Heart (1998) with Sean Connery, Ellen Burstyn, Angelina Jolie and Dennis Quaid.Episodes:
all things (9/10)- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Tony Wharmby was born on 1 November 1940 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for Dempsey and Makepeace (1985), The X-Files (1993) and The Gentle Touch (1980).Episodes:
Deadalive (9/10)
Trust No 1 (8.5/10)
Via Negativa (8.5/10)
Three Words (8/10)
Nothing Important Happened Today II (8/10)
4-D (7.5/10)
Badlaa (7/10)- Producer
- Writer
- Director
George Vincent Gilligan Jr. (born February 10, 1967) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is known for his television work, specifically as creator, head writer, executive producer, and director of Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He was a writer and producer for The X-Files and was the co-creator of its spin-off The Lone Gunmen.
Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have received widespread critical acclaim, with Gilligan winning two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Writers Guild of America Awards, two Critics' Choice Television Awards and Producers Guild of America Awards, one Directors Guild of America Award and a BAFTA. Outside of television, he co-wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film Hancock.
Gilligan was born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Gail, a grade school teacher, and George Vincent Gilligan Sr., an insurance claims adjuster. His parents divorced in 1974 and he and his younger brother, Patrick, were raised in Farmville and Chesterfield County, and attended the laboratory school run by Longwood College. Growing up, Gilligan became best friends with future film editor and film title designer Angus Wall. His interest in film began when Wall's mother, Jackie, who also taught alongside Gilligan's mother, would lend her Super 8 film cameras to him. He used the camera to make science fiction films with Patrick. One of his first films was entitled Space Wreck, starring his brother in the lead role. One year later, he won first prize for his age group in a film competition at the University of Virginia.
Jackie would take Wall and Gilligan to Richmond and drop them off at Cloverleaf Mall to see films, and encourage both of them to pursue a career in the arts. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Jackie. She was a wonderful lady and a real inspiration," he recalls. Gilligan was recognized for his talents and creativity at an early age. George Sr. described him as a "kind of a studious-type young man, and he liked to read, and he had a vivid imagination". He introduced Gilligan to film noir classics, as well as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood Westerns on late-night television. Gilligan won a scholarship to attend the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts. After eighth grade, he moved back to Chesterfield to attend high school.
After graduating from Lloyd C. Bird High School in 1985, Gilligan went on to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts on a scholarship, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film production. While at NYU, he wrote the screenplay for Home Fries; Gilligan received the Virginia Governor's Screenwriting Award in 1989 for the screenplay, which was later turned into a film. One of the judges of the competition was Mark Johnson, a film producer. He was impressed by Gilligan, saying he "was the most imaginative writer I'd ever read".Episodes:
Je Souhaite (8.5/10)
Sunshine Days (8/10)- Director
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cliff Bole was born on 9 November 1937 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974) and V (1984). He was married to Brenda. He died on 15 February 2014 in Palm Desert, California, USA.Episodes:
Small Potatoes (8.5/10)
Chimera (8.5/10)
Jump the Shark (8/10)
Bad Blood (7.5/10)- Producer
- Director
- Editorial Department
Episodes:
Deep Throat (8.5/10)
Conduit (8.5/10)
The Host (8.5/10)
S.R. 819 (8/10)
Kitsunegari (7.5/10)- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Award-winning American writer and producer Frank Spotnitz is the Chief Executive of Big Light Productions Ltd., a London-and Paris-based production company he founded in 2013 with a vision to create distinctive and ambitious TV drama series, and has become one of the fastest-growing independent production companies in Europe. Big Light Productions creates and produces a diverse slate of international television series, including drama, comedy and documentaries.
Under the Big Light banner, most recently, Spotnitz co-created and executive produced the drama series Leonardo, starring Aidan Turner, Freddie Highmore and Matilda De Angelis, for RAI, France Télévisions, RTVE and Sony, and is co-produced by Big Light Productions alongside Lux Vide.
Previously, under Spotnitz's stewardship, Big Light has produced a number of high-end drama productions including Amazon's Emmy award-winning The Man in the High Castle, based on the classic Philip K. Dick novel. Spotnitz created, executive produced and wrote several episodes of the acclaimed series, which launched in the UK, US, Germany and Austria in 2015 and quickly became Amazon's most viewed drama series ever. Series also included Medici: Masters of Florence, starring Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman, two seasons of Medici: The Magnificent, starring Daniel Sharman and Sean Bean, both for RAI in Italy, SFR Play in France and Netflix; Ransom for CBS in the US, Corus's Global in Canada, TF1 in France and RTL in Germany; and the comedy-drama series The Indian Detective, starring international comedian Russell Peters, for Bell Media/CTV and Netflix.
Spotnitz's other credits include: Crossing Lines season 3 (2015) with Tandem/Studio Canal; Transporter: The Series season 2 (2014) for the U.S.'s TNT, Germany's M6 and HBO Canada; Hunted (2012); Strike Back (2011); Samurai Girl (2008); Night Stalker (2005); Michael Mann's Robbery Homicide Division (2002); The Lone Gunmen (2001); Harsh Realm (2000); and Millennium (1997-1999). In 2006, Spotnitz co-wrote and created (with Vince Gilligan) a pilot for Spike TV called A.M.P.E.D. Spotnitz directed two episodes and wrote or co-wrote more than 40 episodes of The X-Files television series. He served as a producer and co-writer of both The X-Files feature films, Fight the Future (1998) and I Want to Believe (2008). Spotnitz shares three Golden Globes for Best Dramatic Series and a Peabody Award for his work on The X-Files. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for writing and three times for Outstanding Drama Series.
In 2013 Spotnitz helped establish and began teaching at Serial Eyes, a postgraduate training programme in Berlin to help prepare the next generation of European TV writer-producers. With the writers' room experience at the core of the programme, twelve participants are given the opportunity to learn from industry experts and develop a European model of show-running. Each year one participant is also selected to do a three-month placement with Big Light Productions.
Born in Japan, Spotnitz received a B.A. in English literature from UCLA and an M.F.A. in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. He began his career as a newspaper and magazine writer, working for the Associated Press, United Press International and Entertainment Weekly, among others.Episodes:
Daemonicus (8/10)
Alone (8/10)