Quick, think of the most underrated, under-appreciated Canadian in Hollywood! If you said Céline Dion then I will hunt you down and flog you with a mackerel. The correct answer is Nathan Fillion. This 37 year old, chiseled jaw specimen of a man (my wife made me say that) has an acting career going back to 1993 with several small roles in films and shows you probably never heard of until 1998 in Saving Private Ryan. From there, his career started building, mostly in TV, and he started gaining fanboy support that almost rivals Bruce “The Chin” Campbell.
And just like Campbell, all of his TV shows were canceled. Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place went down after 4 seasons, Firefly (which to this day remains one of the best shows on TV never to finish), the very short lived Drive, and now Castle which almost didn’t have a second season and could be in danger of not seeing a third. Even Fillion was shocked at Castle picking up a second season, to which he “tweeted”:
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“I can’t remember the last time I had a second season of ANYTHING. I don’t know if I remember what to do. Step one: go to Canada. Relax.”
It’s that style humor, his nonchalant attitude towards roles and his sly grin that are the main reasons people enjoy watching him on screen. It’s also due to the fact that he works a lot with Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who has a good size cult following in his own right. From Firefly to Serenity, to the WGA strike induced Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Whedon and Fillion go hand-in-hand like chocolate and peanut butter, jam and toast, skittles and mayonnaise.
So what show would Fillion like to be involved in if Castle should ever fall? Well Aaron Hillis at IFC caught up with him and had a great interview which you can read in its entirety here. What would his dream project be and what show would he like to do next?
“If I had a dream project right now, I’d like to grab a hold of a superhero. There are so many superheroes out there, I feel like there’s none left. But there is one I think I could handle, and that’s a redo of “The Greatest American Hero.”
When I heard that Barry Sonnenfeld was considering bringing the bumbling, red tight superhero back to TV screens, I couldn’t help but think that Scott MacIntyre, from this past season of American Idol, would be the best choice visually; but now that Fillion has expressed an interest, I can totally see him playing the character. He doesn’t just want to be the character either; Fillion has some ideas of his own for the series.
With the technology we have available today for effects, I’d say it’s largely the same idea, the same story, but the suit would be able to change and morph into whatever it is you needed him to do. So it could become armor, a scuba suit — you could do that stuff.
Interesting ideas, and if the show gets the correct writers, then I could see it working with Nathan Fillion’s involvement…for at least one season that is.
Click to Continue Reading about Nathan Fillion and his current projects…
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24 Comments
Trucker looks interesting but I hate the limited release stuff. I then have to wait till it comes out on DVD. Blah.
I hope the ratings for Castle improve so it will get another season. I really like it.
The Greatest American Hero was one of my favorite shows growing up. I have all the seasons on DVD, so I would be totally on board for a reimagining of the character-especially if Fillion is on board.
Nathan always give a great interview, what he says comes from his heart. He is passionate about his work and it shows in everything he does. Hopefully the rating will improve so he can have a season 3.Castle is the best comedy/drama on TV, I recommend it to everyone. I am sure his performance in the movie Trucker is just as good. FYI he 38yrs old.
I’d hate to see Castle go; it really deserves at least 2 more seasons. I don’t think Nathan should feel disappointed with having such short lived TV shows so far, each of them has been original and as a result risky. I think if Drive had been given 13 episodes it could have turned into another Firefly.
Greatest American Hero could be a great role for him if they tweak the original a lot but it might feel a bit too much like Superman/Clark Kent given Nathan’s physicality and charisma. I think he could slide into either SGU or Sanctuary with great success and help push his exposure before tackling another original series.
I enjoy Nathan’s work in Castle and hope it is renewed for another season after the second. If Castle fails, I’d like to see him continue the Mal Reynolds character for Joss and/or re-do Joey in One Life To Live.
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again. Nathan is a wonderful and under-appreciated actor.
So he wants to continue the death of each show he’s in by being a hero?
All I have to ask is where is Serenity 2? How much merchandise do I have to buy to get a sequel?
I second that, Mojo! Would buy merchandise to get Serenity 2.
castle is one of the newest shows that is really on bright spot on tv – the acting, writing and chemistry make it one of my favorites. greatest american hero was one of my all time favorite shows as a kid – i could def see nathan playing this type of character and do it justice.
I didn’t even think of him for Capitan America… he would be a great choice for that blockbuster, but the greatest American hero would also fit him!
Fillion wouldn’t work as Cap, IMO. Doesn’t have the right look. I do think he would’ve been a great choice for Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern, though.
I’m sure it’s happened many times (Nathan being asked to drop his pants — that’s what happens after you flash your naked butt in an episode of Firefly), but I was at Dragon*Con in Atlanta (so far, my first and only experience at a convention) a few years ago when Nathan Fillion was there promoting Serenity… and yes, someone actually asked him to drop his pants.
I cringed in my seat, I couldn’t believe this girl. But Nathan was so smooth, he just smiled at her and said something like, “Thank you, but noooo,” and went right on answering her other, actual fan question. After that, I felt like I had to do something to balance out that girl’s insanity, so I got up and asked him a question about his work. You know, because he’s an actor, for crying out loud. Heh.
But seriously, I just thought he was the coolest. He was so witty and articulate and generous with his time. Seems like such a good guy. That he’s actually talented on top of that makes him supremely awesome in my book.
I like his comment about how it’s nice to see a ‘nobody’ type of character do something interesting on screen, that it doesn’t always have to be Somebody like a cop or a spy. A trucker, a waitress, a guy in a bookshop, whatever… if illuminated with depth within a clever story, such characters can be just as fascinating, if not more so. Very thought-provoking.
Because I didn’t answer your question from at the end of the article… (apologies for lengthy yammering, here)
I love Nathan’s work.
I thought he was one of the best things about Two Guys & a Girl (and a Pizza Place) — you could really tell there was something special about him, that he was a stand-out talent, and that he was able to add more depth to the handyman character, rather than allowing him to fall to stereotype. Plus, he was really funny.
I was fascinated by the way he played Mal on Firefly, such a complex and moody character. I really wished that show could have lasted longer because I wanted to see the evolution of his character (and all the other characters). It’s such a shame, just such a shame.
I was impressed by his willingness to make an ass out of himself with his portrayal of the dumb-as-a-rock Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. He just seemed to leap into that role with enthusiasm, no matter how arrogant or insane or silly it made him look. He was hilarious.
(P.S. He also has a surprisingly impressive vocal range, which we really didn’t get to hear in his songs in the actual Sing-Along Blog, but if you listen to him sing in the DVD’s musical commentary, he’s really quite good! In that commentary, he was able to cut loose a bit more, instead of playing up the doltishness of the Captain Hammer role, and I really found myself impressed with his singing voice.)
As for what I could see him play on small or big screen? I agree that it’s really tough to peg him, because he’s not your conventional type of actor. But that’s a good thing, in my mind. He doesn’t fit your stereotypes; he doesn’t fall into the cheesy, toothpaste-grinning ‘movie star’ category. Instead, I think he could find his niche in more obscure, independent ways. His being a part of the internet success of Dr. Horrible (not to mention, his being silly in James Gunn’s PG Porn) is an example of that. I think he could make an excellent living working with people like Joss Whedon who want to push the boundaries, explore intriguing characters, step outside the box and challenge the ideas for what makes a thought-provoking, creative project.
Nathan doesn’t seem to want to do anything boring or mindless; instead, he seems interested in challenging himself and getting to the heart of a character, rather than falling to easy stereotypes. His role as Castle is an example of that, to me. He could play Castle as the charming, arrogant rogue and leave it at that, but from my view he adds another layer (or two) which provides a deeper view of the character. I love that!
I think that he has the talent to be on any sized screen, and he is slowly but surely getting the recognition that might lead him in all sorts of interesting directions. I look forward to seeing what choices he makes.
Two words: Nathan Drake
Seriously, I would have loved to see him take on Green Lantern, but that didn’t work out. And, it’s not coincidental that he looks like the guy from Uncharted; the based the character off of him!
That is the one role that he absolutely HAS to play, because no one can fill his shoes. Much like Sam Jackson for Nick Fury. Nathan Drake IS Nathan Fillion.
Sounds interesting! If I may ask… who is Nathan Drake, Josh?
@Josh Rose…
Just got a PS3 last week, along w/Uncharted 2, and you’re right … he’d make an awesome Nathan Drake if we ever get Uncharted: The Movie.
Wow… to see that adventure seekere/treasure hunter on the big screen… and I promise not to swoon (lol).
I would Love to see Nathan in TGAH he is cool and has a great sense of humor Heck let whedon direct then it would be a great movie
Love Nathan’s work.
But I have one question to Screen Rant – Who is the young lady in the picture where Fillion is in the hard hat. She looks familiar . . .
@Fury2701 – Hope you don’t get embarrassed easily becasue she is a porn star
He did a bit for Spike TV called “PG Porn”, directed by James Gunn, and the porn actress he was paired up too NOT have sex with was Aria Giovanni in a scene called “Nailing Your Wife”. Read more about the project here.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=58119776&blogID=435034378
Oh and it is very Safa For Work.
@ Paul
Thank you sir. And no, I do not get embarrassed easily – that’s exactly who I thought it was.
And she’s not really a porn star, she’s more known for nude modelling and some girl-girl stuff. Never gone all the way – on film that is.
A beautiful, all natural young lady she is.
I am a huge fan of Nathan Fillion. I love anything he’s in. So talented
Nathan Fillion would be amazing as The Greatest American Hero, just as he would be perfect in the roles of Captain America, Indiana Jones, Nathan Drake in Uncharted, and General Jubal Early or even Colonel Chamberlain in a movie version of the book “The Killer Angels”, just to mention a few.
Nathan Fillion is a goldmine of brilliant talent. He’s very smart and delightfully funny. He’s young and ageless, hot and sexy, and we need to see far more of him in big screen features.
@Paul
I checked out Nathan’s “PG-Porn” by the way – very funny.
And just an FYI – it seems Fillion was the first man that Giovanni ever kissed on screen.
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