Celebrating famous Jews from Ukraine: David Duchovny
Were it not for acting classes that David Duchovny took in 1987 while working on his PhD at Yale University, we might have had knowledge today about the influence of magic and technology on contemporary fiction and poetry. However, once he tried himself as an actor, he never returned to his dissertation, being satisfied with a Master of Arts degree from Yale.
David had to make his way to Yale, and before that to Princeton, on his own. He was born in a family with an average income and could only rely on his intellect. To pay for his education, he had to earn extra money as a night watchman, a grocery delivery man and a bartender.
Literally immediately at once after taking the acting classes, a short advertisement for beer, in which David appeared, drew the attention of producers to him.
David’s acting skills turned out to be no less than the makings of a philologist, and in combination with a memorable appearance, he very soon became the number one FBI agent in the X-Files television series.
In Hollywood, David Duchovny, the grandson of an emigrant from Berdychiv, is known as a clever man, fluent in Latin, Hebrew and French. With an IQ of 147, he is one of the top 10 most gifted Hollywood stars, and his interests are not limited to movies and television. Duchovny records albums of his own songs and has already published four novels.
—
Join me, Boris Lozhkin, on Twitter @lozhkin_boris for news and commentary on Judaism in Ukraine and around the world. Follow me on Facebook for updates on the work of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine.
Find out more about my work at borislozhkin.org