The Box: How James Wong Turned A Curiosity And Interest In Television Into An Iconic Career
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Fans of science fiction television are likely to be quite familiar with James Wong, even if they may not recognize him by name. His body of work includes the popular hit American Horror Story and a television miniseries adaptation of the classic horror film Rosemary’s Baby, though Wong is probably known best for his work on the long-running series The X-Files. As a six-time Emmy nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner, James Wong has certainly played a part in the popularization of science fiction television.
James Wong’s career in the entertainment industry can be broken down into two major points: a specialized focus on the science fiction genre, and a heavier presence in television than in other mediums. On the first point, Wong’s connection to sci-fi is very simple: he grew up a fan of the genre. Although he is also especially well known for his horror work, science fiction is the genre with which Wong has been most drawn toward. The latter point, however, was not clear until he arrived at Loyola Marymount University. Wong entered college as an engineering major but left as a graduate of Loyola Marymount’s School of Film and Television. While he “couldn’t bear to take another chemistry class,” Wong found himself enamored with what he had found in film and television classes, pushing him to take a leap of faith and change majors, from a seemingly safe major into one of great ambition and even greater uncertainties. Although he was warned by one of the department’s professors of a “career path…filled with unemployment, danger and hard-to-find success,” there was no turning back: Wong “was obsessed with movies,” and once he switched from engineering to film, he fully “immersed [himself] with films and filmmaking in school.” What he felt was more important during that time, however, was the fact that he “was surrounded by a group of like-minded friends,” friends who he would later collaborate with, friends who would have an impact on Wong’s career, and Wong on theirs.
Following his graduation in 1983 from Loyola Marymount, Wong got his start in the entertainment industry as a production assistant for producer Sandy Howard. It was during this time that Wong, alongside his longtime friend and fellow Loyola Marymount Film and Television graduate Glen Morgan, began writing screenplays, with The Boys Next Door (1985) being produced into a feature film. While it was generally well-received by critics, the production was not enough to sustain a career for the writing duo in film, leading them to turn their focus to television. Starting with ABC’s short-lived series Knightwatch, Wong and Morgan would go on to write for 21 Jump Street, Booker, Wiseguy and The Commish. And while the pair seemed to hit their stride writing for dramatic shows, it was The X-Files that allowed Wong to venture into sci-fi, a genre he had always been interested in, and one in which he would especially shine.
Premiering in 1993, The X-Files brought something to television that viewers had scarcely, if ever, seen before. The show’s premise is relatively straightforward: FBI agents Mulder (Dave Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate supernatural occurrences which turn out to be related to a larger conspiracy of alien abductions that are being covered up by higher-ups at the FBI. The two teeter between both sides of the binary dividing skepticism from belief, and the personalities of each seem to balance the other. But despite the dichotomies on which the plot is founded upon, the actual content of the series shows a complexity that constantly blurs clearly-established lines and constantly moves the goalpost for viewer expectations. And while the show operates as a drama series tinged with elements of horror, it’s funny, and it doesn’t try to hide its humor behind ultra-clever jokes that viewers won’t always understand, instead relying on humor that anyone can catch right off the bat. The show is renowned in part because of its capacity to break away from the drama without disrupting the show, balancing drama with horror and humor in each episode- all within a science fiction narrative frame.
The X-Files was briefly brought back twice, once in 2016 for a six-episode limited revival, and again in 2018 for another limited season. When the show’s creator Chris Carter was planning for its 2016 revival, he didn’t hesitate to call back Wong, who Carter considered to be one of the most instrumental writers that were responsible for the series originally taking off. Along with Morgan, episodes written by Wong were pivotal for the development of the show’s leading characters, especially in building the backgrounds and motivations of Mulder and Scully. In addition, the writing duo was key in developing a “monster-of-the-week” plot format, which became a mainstay of how The X-Files structured its episodes. Even more specific, it was the duo of Wong and Morgan who went on to write one of the scariest episodes of the series, known for its exceptionally horrifying “monster of the week.”
One of the series’ most iconic- and notorious- episodes is “Home”, written by Wong and Morgan, which premiered on October 11, 1996 during the show’s fourth season. The episode was so controversial- featuring incest, a dead, deformed baby and a limbless woman- that for years it was banned on Fox before the network aired a one-time re-run for Halloween 1999. Much of the controversy that was generated from this episode comes from the inclusion of the murderous Peacock family, wherein one of the three brothers has fathered the other two, with all three being born of the same mother. One of the standout aspects of “Home” is the juxtaposition of Johnny Mathis’ Wonderful! Wonderful! playing alongside the graphic brutality that is featured throughout the episode, sealing its reputation for being especially eerie and disturbing. The episode was so disturbing, in fact, that the song that the episode is so well-known for is actually a cover by Kenny James, as Mathis was allegedly so disturbed by the episode that he did not approve of the inclusion of his music. When Wong and Morgan later went on to write for another sci-fi series called Millennium, the duo had pitched bringing in the Peacock family in order to boost the show’s poor ratings- an idea that was immediately shut down by Fox. Said Wong years later, the duo was not looking to be controversial, but were instead “trying to make a terrifying show.” The two had felt that of the four episodes they had written for that season, “Home” was “the most down-the-middle, straightforward,” of them all. Unintended controversy aside, the horror in this episode has stood the test of time and is still regarded over 20 years later as one of the best and most truly terrifying episodes of the entire series.
The X-Files was not just an important show for television history as one of the most impactful mainstream sci-fi series, but also for what it meant personally to Wong for his career. Despite having already built a considerable resume by the time he went on to work on the series, it wasn’t until The X-Files that Wong had felt he had truly made it in the industry. It was only after winning the first of his two Golden Globes with the series in 1995 (for Best Television Series – Drama) that Wong had “felt like [he] could get another job” in television.
Wong and Morgan eventually left The X-Files’ original run following the conclusion of the show’s fourth season in 1997. While the series would go on to last through 2002, the legacy that the show had carved out for itself as a groundbreaking and iconic sci-fi series comes primarily from its first four seasons. The legacy of The X-Files was built in large part by James Wong, and if there is one thing that he should be known especially for, it would undoubtedly have to be his contributions to one of the greatest sci-fi series of all time.
From an engineering major to a major writer, director and producer, it’s safe to say that James Wong’s ascent through the ranks of the television industry so far has been truly astounding. If his previous work is any indication, the next chapter in the career of James Wong is poised to shine just as bright as the last few.
