B Y M A R K N O L L I N G E R

Given his harrowing role as FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner on The X-Files, one might expect that horror stories are the last thing Mitch Pileggi would want to read when he's away from the set. So it comes as something of a surprise to visit his home -- a modest condo amid the arid hills north of Los Angeles -- and find an entire bookshelf devoted to works by Stephen King and other masters of the macabre. But Pileggi's attraction to supernatural yarns started early.

"When I was a little boy, my mom's family was always into ghost stories," the 44-year-old actor explains later over a plate of eggs at a nearby greasy spoon. "The bogeyman was usually this guy called Sam Clutch. And [those stories] scared the hell out of me. But in the end it was always, 'Tell me another one.'"

These days, Pileggi is happily immersed in spooky stuff, supervising agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) on their dark explorations of The X-Files. Skinner -- the stern, conflicted FBI official who seems sympathetic to his agents' cause but is often forced to undercut them because of pressure from his own superiors -- has unexpectedly grown from a minor supporting character into an integral part of the X-Files mix. Proof of Pileggi's growing appeal: The producers felt comfortable enough last season to take the spotlight off the stars for the first time; the episode "Avatar" was built around Skinner's being falsely accused of murder. "It's really gratifying because it shows they have confidence in what I'm doing," Pileggi says. "That's a gas."

What makes him so effective in the role? X-Files executive producer Chris Carter says the actor's compelling presence is the key. "He's the kind of guy who has command of a room just by getting up from his chair," Carter says. "He looks like a real person, not a TV actor. And he's obviously got a very powerful sex appeal."

Indeed. Not since Telly Savalas's Kojak has a bald TV lawman set so many hearts aflutter. On the Internet, fan clubs like the Screaming Pileggis rhapsodize about the man and his charisma. Women often want to kiss his head, Pileggi says, and one especially avid fan once demanded that he autograph her bra. All of this ardent attention leaves the actor slightly rattled. "I never know how to respond to that sex-symbol thing," says Pileggi, a lean six-footer who works out religiously. "I do notice whenever I'm referred to in the press as a sex symbol, it's always qualified by the word unlikely."

Wearing a baseball cap, jeans, and a black T-shirt, and sporting contacts in lieu of the glasses he wears on the show, Pileggi today appears the antithesis of the uptight official he plays on TV. The contrast grows more pronounced when he reveals his preferred weapon for killing time between scenes on The X-Files' Vancouver set: a guitar, on which he bangs out Neil Young tunes with costar Nick Lea (Agent Krycek). Is Pileggi really so different from his TV character? "I don't think you'd see Skinner Rollerblading down the Venice boardwalk," cracks Duchovny, alluding to another of Pileggi's favorite pastimes. "But even when Mitch is relaxing and being himself, there's an underlying intensity. He's a high-energy guy with a low-energy presentation."

That complex personality reflects an unconventional background. The son of an itinerant operations manager for a major defense contractor, Pileggi spent parts of his childhood in three states before attending high school in Ankara, Turkey. He was distracted from athletics by a persistent music teacher who enlisted him in school productions of "West Side Story" and "My Fair Lady." Taking business courses at a number of colleges, he eventually snared a job with his father's company, and spent nearly five years working as an administrator in Saudi Arabia and, later, Iran. "It was just one big party," he says with a shrug, "until the revolution started."

Settling in Austin, Texas, Pileggi rediscovered acting through a community theater. "I was totally hooked," he recalls. After an early marriage broke up, the fledgling actor resolved to pursue his passion, packed up his car, and headed for Hollywood. His arrival was met with profound indifference. In fact, it took him a couple of years just to get an agent. "There were times when I was completely frustrated," says Pileggi, who supported himself by installing window blinds for his brother's company. "But even during the years when I didn't act, I knew this was what I was going to be doing."

Gradually he began to get work as a villain. His most notable role -- one for which he shaved his head -- was as a gruesome psycho killer in "Shocker." In that 1989 film, Pileggi uttered the immortal line "finger-lickin' good" after munching on a victim's hand. But what he really hungered for was greater acting challenges. "I knew there were other characters I could play," Pileggi says. "I just had to get the opportunity to show I could do something other than rip people apart."

Along came The X-Files. After auditioning for Carter twice but projecting the wrong image -- FBI officials don't shave their heads -- Pileggi grew out his hair and was hired for a single episode. Then Anderson's pregnancy, during the second season, inspired the writers to develop a lengthy storyline in which Skinner played a prominent role. Pileggi wound up with a six-year contract as a regular on the show. "I think I put my agent in the worst negotiating position imaginable," Pileggi laughs. "I was panting to do this. They could have offered me nothing, and I would have gone, like, 'OK!'"

With a solid role on a hit series, a new romance (he recently began dating an X-Files colleague who toils behind the scenes), and a little money in the bank, Pileggi is definitely on a roll. The only note of regret comes when talking about the one special person who isn't around to see it, the man who most influenced his portrait of Skinner: Pileggi's father, Vito. "My dad was very tough [with his workers] but very fair," he says. "But he was always excited about what I was doing. He knew that it made me happy."

Pileggi pauses and looks away. "He passed away about two and a half years ago," he continues. "I know he's watching from heaven, but I wish he were here so that I could share this with him. Because he'd be going nuts right now."