David Duchovny has sung the praises of his Californication co-star Tim Minchin.

The Australian comedian-musician joined the cast of the hit show in a multi-episode arc, playing debauched rock star Atticus Fetch.

And David, who plays writer Hank Moody on the series, said Tim was a "special" performer.

"Tim's fantastic, what a talented guy," he said.

"What would you call him? A comedian-singer-political satirist - that's not a job description that you have very often."

Speaking from the red carpet at the LA premiere of his new movie, underwater thriller Phantom, David added: "It's just a very special kind of a place, and he's so good at it - I'm just very, very impressed by Tim."