Robert Patrick ..............4-9
Bruce Campbell ............2-1
Hart Bochner ................9-2
Lou Diamond Phillips ....8-1
"Scully and Mulder are the best double act since Morecombe and Wise", says Ed Nicholson, entertainment odds compiler at Ladbrokes. But with Duchovny committed to just 11 more episodes, producers are interviewing for the next Mulder on the upcoming eighth season of The X-Files.
Hart, Robert, Bruce and Lou are all in the running, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Hart Bochner, son of veteran actor Lloyd Bochner, made his TV debut in a Kool-Aid commercial, and has continued in this vein with bit parts in big exposure movies. "Hart Bochner has the looks, but is he believable?" asks Ed. "The thing about Duchovny is you believed he could be doing the job. Bochner has no real identity, having played a plethora of different characters."
Favourite has got to be Robert Patrick (pictured). He reached critical mass in Die Hard 2 and played the liquid metal T-1000 in Terminator 2. He's only really played cameo roles since, but his profile - both acting and facial - is ideal for this role. "He's good looking," says Ed, "but has one of those faces that makes you ask 'Where have I seen him before?' - and that must appeal to the producers as they need to find an actor who is known, but not famous."
Bruce Campbell recently been in the King of Thieves character, Autolycus, in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. "They say it's not what you know, it's who you know. Bruce Campbell counts influential director Sam Raimi as a friend. He appeared as the bookstore manager in Ellen, and the absolute cruncher is that he's appeared in an episode of The X-Files. He has the contacts."
Big outsider must be Lou Diamond Philips. "Some critics have questioned his basic acting skills, but he's apparently in the running. His most recent film, Supernova, got a slating, but he would certainly become a shooting star if he were to become Mulder."
