With degrees from Princeton and Yale, Duchovny initially intended to join the ranks of English-lit academics before switching to acting. After a variety of supporting film and TV parts---including a flashy role as a cross-dressing DEA agent on the surreal series Twin Peaks---he landed his signature role as an alien-obsessed FBI agent on The X-Files in 1993. During the series' eight-year run, he made the leap to big-screen leading man (Playing God, Evolution, the X-Files feature film). He also branched out into writing and directing, helming a number of X-Files episodes and the 2004 indie flick House of D. Off screen, Duchovny dated a string of beauties (Sheryl Lee, Perrey Reeves) before settling down with Téa Leoni in 1997. The couple, who have two children together, separated briefly in 2008 after Duchovny checked into a rehab clinic for sex addiction. They eventually divorced in 2014. In 2007, he began starring in the Showtime series Californication. His performance in that series netted him a Golden Globe win in 2008. He published his first book, Holy Cow, in 2015.