Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • A guide to The Last of Us Easter eggs

      A guide to The Last of Us Easter eggs

      From the Uncharted lighter to the giraffe plushie. Read More
    • 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards

      2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards

      From Brendan Fraser and Angela Bassett to a potential upset in Best Actress, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. Read More
    • Meet the cast of Survivor 44

      Meet the cast of Survivor 44

      Here are the 18 contestants who will be vying for $1 million. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. Nathan Fillion Dishes on 12 Roles

Nathan Fillion Dishes on 12 Roles

From ''One Life to Live'' to ''Firefly'' to ''Castle,'' fan fave looks at his key roles and shares memories of directors and costars that helped define his dynamic -- and diverse -- career
By Jeff Jensen March 21, 2011 at 10:00 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

One Life to Live (TV, 1994–97)

Nathan Fillion, One Life to Live | Played lovesick Joey Buchanan. ''It was kind of like work, kind of like summer camp. I was in New York City. I had never been…
Credit: Ann Limongello/ABC

Played lovesick Joey Buchanan.

''It was kind of like work, kind of like summer camp. I was in New York City. I had never been there, never seen it, and I was now living in it. What I liked about Joey was that while he made some bad decisions, he made them for the right reasons. He was the only good guy on the show. But I learned later that there's a lot of value to being flawed.''

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Saving Private Ryan (Film, 1998)

Nathan Fillion, Saving Private Ryan | Played the wrong Private Ryan?the one Tom Hanks finds before Matt Damon . ''All I had to do was cry. That's all I did on…

Played the wrong Private Ryan?the one Tom Hanks finds before Matt Damon.

''All I had to do was cry. That's all I did on that soap opera. I could cry at the drop of a hat. But I was so tense, so nervous. Steven Spielberg was very encouraging. He said, 'You're acting it, but whatever you're feeling, it's not coming out.' And then he told everyone to take five, and he took me for a walk and sat me down behind this Army truck and we started talking. He gave me all these things to think about, and I just started crying on the spot. He said, 'You look ready.' And I did it, because he took the time to help me. I ran into Steven Spielberg years later. He said, 'Hey! Do you remember me? [Laughs] Yessir, I do.''

2 of 12

3 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Two Guys and a Girl (TV, 1998–2001)

Played handyman-turned-fireman Johnny Donnelly, joining the series starring Ryan Reynolds and Traylor Howard in season 2 . ''He wasn't that good a handyman, and it…
Credit: Everett Collection

Played handyman-turned-fireman Johnny Donnelly, joining the series starring Ryan Reynolds and Traylor Howard in season 2.

''He wasn't that good a handyman, and it turns out he was really cheap. In other words, he was flawed, and what that show taught me was the kind of comedy gold that could be mined from a flaw. Two Guys and a Girl gave me what I had been missing from One Life to Live — the live audience. I love that energy, that visceral reaction of the audience there with you.''

3 of 12

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Firefly (TV, 2002–03)

Firefly | Played the leading man, space cowboy Capt. Mal Reynolds, in Joss Whedon's short-lived sci-fi Western. ''My first lead role. No one would hire me for…
Credit: Fox

Played the leading man, space cowboy Capt. Mal Reynolds, in Joss Whedon's short-lived sci-fi Western.

''My first lead role. No one would hire me for a lead role before Joss did. I felt a lot of pressure... No, pressure is the wrong word. I felt a lot of responsibility. A lot of 'Don't blow this.' That was my mantra. I learned so much and have taken so much from that experience. There was a period of time in ? the '80s when heroes were unbeatable and they couldn't be stopped. That's fun, but I don't think people could relate. I think there's a lot more to be mined in someone who doesn't win a lot?who loses a lot. That was Mal. And that's all of us. We don't have spaceships, but we lose every day. And I think there's something very relaxing about seeing someone on TV who loses as much as, if not more than, you do.''

4 of 12

Advertisement

5 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV, 2003)

Nathan Fillion, Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Played psycho priest Caleb during the show's final season . ''My first supervillain. Incredibly strong. Believed he was right. That was another thing Joss taught…
Credit: The Kobal Collection

Played psycho priest Caleb during the show's final season.

''My first supervillain. Incredibly strong. Believed he was right. That was another thing Joss taught me: Villains never think they're the bad guy. That's what makes a villain so dangerous. It was historic, that television program. To have a little piece of that was great. I'm part of the Buffyverse — I say that with pride.''

5 of 12

6 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Serenity (Film, 2005)

Reprised his Firefly role in Whedon's failed bid to relaunch the show as a movie franchise . ''All the cast were and are my friends,…
Credit: Everett Collection

Reprised his Firefly role in Whedon's failed bid to relaunch the show as a movie franchise.

''All the cast were and are my friends, so we had stayed in touch. But I didn't realize how much I had missed their characters. When they first stepped out of their trailers in their costumes, it was a powerful moment for me. People ask me, Do I wish there was another Serenity? Yeah. But I was really brokenhearted about my television program being canceled — and I got a movie out of it. I find it difficult to ask for more.''

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Slither (Film, 2006)

Nathan Fillion, Slither | Played police chief Bill Pardy in director James Gunn's cheeky-gory zombie flick . ''After Firefly / Serenity , which was such a positive working experience,…
Credit: Chris Helcermanas-Benge

Played police chief Bill Pardy in director James Gunn's cheeky-gory zombie flick.

''After Firefly/Serenity, which was such a positive working experience, I couldn't bear the idea that it could be any different. When is the rug going to get pulled out from underneath you? When is it going to get terrible? I told all this to James Gunn one day on the set, and he said: 'Why be afraid of that? Why not just want for the best, always?' James Gunn is nothing but passionate, and clever, and funny, and so original. James for me is like Joss: If he calls me and asks me to do something, I say yes.'' (Fillion has since appeared in two other Gunn projects: Spike TV's 2008?09 viral Web series PG Porn and the forthcoming superhero comedy Super, in theaters April 1.)

7 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Lost (TV, 2006)

Lost, Nathan Fillion | Played cop Kevin Callis, briefly married to fugitive Kate, in one memorable season 3 episode . ''It's always awkward to walk onto the set of…
Credit: Mario Perez/ABC

Played cop Kevin Callis, briefly married to fugitive Kate, in one memorable season 3 episode.

''It's always awkward to walk onto the set of a show where you don't know anybody, and more so when you immediately have to start making out with one of the leading actresses. I was a huge fan of the show — and I got to walk away and say that I was part of it. Absolutely I wish I could have come back! At the same time, it's like Serenity: When you get the chance to be in an episode of something like Lost, I do find it hard to say, 'Now I want two.'''

8 of 12

Advertisement

9 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Waitress (Film, 2007)

Nathan Fillion, Waitress | Played Dr. Jim Pomatter, who falls for pie-making waitress Keri Russell in the late director Adrienne Shelly's acclaimed indie . ''There were times when Keri…
Credit: Alan Markfield

Played Dr. Jim Pomatter, who falls for pie-making waitress Keri Russell in the late director Adrienne Shelly's acclaimed indie.

''There were times when Keri and I were shaking our heads and going, 'Really? That's how you want us to do it?' We put all our trust in Adrienne, and man, I had no idea how well that was going to turn out. No idea it would be that good. The lesson I learned there: Put my trust in people with vision.''

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Desperate Housewives (TV, 2007–08)

Nathan Fillion, Desperate Housewives | Played Dana Delany's husband, Dr. Adam Mayfair . ''It was very relaxed, because the women do all the work. I got to sit around and…
Credit: Ron Tom/ABC

Played Dana Delany's husband, Dr. Adam Mayfair.

''It was very relaxed, because the women do all the work. I got to sit around and watch all these beautiful women do all this incredible stuff and chime in every now and then. On the lot where they film Wisteria Lane, you can actually lay down on what is a real lawn. There's some very nice shade under a nice tree where you can sit and read a book. It was very nice up there.''

10 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Web, 2008)

Nathan Fillion | Played lecherous, self-obsessed superhero Captain Hammer in Whedon's Web sensation . ''Joss called and said, 'You'll be playing a superhero who's actually kind of the…

Played lecherous, self-obsessed superhero Captain Hammer in Whedon's Web sensation.

''Joss called and said, 'You'll be playing a superhero who's actually kind of the villain.' I said, 'Yes!' Then he said, 'And it's a musical.' [Face lights up.] 'Yes!' That's another lesson I've learned in my career: picking the right coattails to ride on. Joss Whedon? You can't fail. Not only can you not fail, you walk away a better actor, and in some ways, a better person.''

11 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 12

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Castle (TV, 2009–2016)

Nathan Fillion, Castle | Plays murder-mystery-solving mystery novelist Richard Castle . ''I get to play a phenomenal character. Not that he's an amazing man. He's actually quite shallow. I…
Credit: Karen Neal/ABC

Played murder-mystery-solving mystery novelist Richard Castle.

''I get to play a phenomenal character. Not that he's an amazing man. He's actually quite shallow. I wouldn't hang out with him for any length of time. He's such a goober. But he's fun. And he has heart. Real things matter to him, like his family. When we got picked up for season 4? Wow. I've had a season 2 once — on a show that was always in danger of being canceled [Two Guys and a Girl]. It was kind of like torture. But here on Castle, we've had the viewers, we've had the audience. I can't go out without someone coming up to me and saying something really nice. That's a great experience.''

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jeff Jensen

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 One Life to Live (TV, 1994–97)
    2 of 12 Saving Private Ryan (Film, 1998)
    3 of 12 Two Guys and a Girl (TV, 1998–2001)
    4 of 12 Firefly (TV, 2002–03)
    5 of 12 Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV, 2003)
    6 of 12 Serenity (Film, 2005)
    7 of 12 Slither (Film, 2006)
    8 of 12 Lost (TV, 2006)
    9 of 12 Waitress (Film, 2007)
    10 of 12 Desperate Housewives (TV, 2007–08)
    11 of 12 Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Web, 2008)
    12 of 12 Castle (TV, 2009–2016)

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    Nathan Fillion Dishes on 12 Roles
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.