A season 3 episode of The X-Files features a cameo appearance from one of the world’s most famous rock musicians, Dave Grohl. The frontman of Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, Dave Grohl is one of many famous figures who’ve appeared in episodes of The X-Files, alongside other big names like Jack Black, Ryan Reynolds, Lucy Liu, and several cast members from Breaking Bad, including both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. For Grohl in particular, even a cameo appearance on the show was a big deal.
With influences like The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks and a blend of genres from crime thriller to sci-fi horror, The X-Files originally ran from 1993 to 2002. Often hailed as one of the best pieces of 90s American TV, the show went on to spawn two movies, The X-Files (1998) and The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008), before receiving a sequel event series in 2018. Particularly in the 90s, The X-Files had a huge base of devoted fans, including none other than Dave Grohl.
At the time, Dave Grohl was an avid follower of The X-Files, and the FBI agents Mulder and Scully, saying in interviews how he was obsessed with the show (via Rolling Stone). This is what led to Grohl appearing in an episode as an extra in season 3 episode 17, “Pusher”. It’s a fleeting and easily missed appearance, in the background of a single scene, together with his then-wife Jennifer Youngblood.
Seemingly, Grohl has always had a penchant for UFO stories. His band name, Foo Fighters, comes from a World War II-era nickname for unidentified flying objects spotted by allied pilots, chosen because of the books Grohl had been reading at the time. He later said that he’d have probably preferred to give his band a better name (via Rolling Stone) but, nonetheless, Foo Fighters was memorable enough that it stuck.
The Foo Fighters' music has also appeared alongside the Nick Cave track "Red Right Hand", on a compilation album produced by Mark Snow, the composer of the iconic X-Files theme music. Released a month after Dave Grohl's cameo, the album Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files features the Foo Fighters performing a cover of the Gary Numan song “Down In The Park”. Later, a song from the Foo Fighters’ 1997 album, The Colour And The Shape, would be used in the end credits for the first X-Files movie. The song, “Walking After You”, was re-recorded specially for the movie and was released as part of the soundtrack album.
Clearly, even the most famous people in the world are just as likely to be huge fans of TV and movies as anyone else. Sometimes, they even get a chance to make an appearance themselves. Another high-profile example is Samuel L. Jackson, who was eager to appear in a Star Wars movie, even in a bit part. Famously, he didn’t realize he’d been given the major role of Mace Windu until he was fitted for his costume. Dave Grohl’s role in The X-Files may have been much shorter, but the chance to make even a brief appearance was doubtless no less exciting.