Conversation so far:
who plays the smoking man on the x-files
The Smoking Man is portrayed by Canadian actor William B. Davis.
what is the Smoking Man's role on The X-Files
The Smoking Man serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder.
is the Smoking Man's name ever revealed on The X-Files
In the eleventh season, the Smoking Man reveals his full name to be Carl Gerhard Busch.

Question: how was the man perceived
Self-contained rewrite: how was the Smoking Man perceived by audiences