Nathan Fillion has an illustrious career as a lead actor on television and as a voice actor in several animated films and TV series. Fillion began his TV career in 1994, starring as Joey Buchanan in the soap opera One Life to Live. He went on to land one of the leading roles alongside Ryan Reynolds in Two Guys and a Girl. He was also the lead of the popular TV shows Firefly and Castle.
His most recent TV stint is in the ABC drama, The Rookie. The series follows John Nolan, who joins the LAPD as the oldest rookie after facing a midlife crisis. When starting the series in 2018, Fillion had more than two decades of experience in television. Besides being the lead actor, he brought this experience into The Rookie as an executive producer.
The lesser-known role of Nathan Fillion in The Rookie
Over seven seasons and 115 episodes of The Rookie, fans have seen Nathan Fillion at his best as the rookie-turned-training officer John Nolan. Fillion showcased both his dramatics and his comedy skills in the role, that felt tailor-made for the actor. It is his second time playing a lead in a police procedural after Castle.
Many fans may not know that Fillion took an additional role when he joined The Rookie as the lead. He is also an executive producer of the series alongside showrunner Alexi Hawley. He also served the role of exec producer in the spin-off show The Rookie: Feds which was cancelled after a single season.
During an interview with THR, The Suicide Squad actor opened up about his role as a producer on the show. He shared that being a producer meant that he had more of a voice in the behind-the-scenes process of the series. He shared that he could solve problems that arise on set with his 25 years of experience as a producer. He shared:
Being a producer on a program you’re acting in simply means you have more of a voice. It’s permission to solve problems based on the experience you bring along with you. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. I don’t think you can do anything for 25 years and not get sort of smart about it.
However, he made it clear that he did not interfere too much in the creative process of the series. When asked if he gave suggestions about John Nolan’s character arc in the series, he shared that he knew better to “keep [his] fingers out of” the writers’ job. He shared that his “forte is in front of the camera,” adding that he left the other jobs to Hawley and others.
Nathan Fillion’s producer role also got him involved in The Rookie‘s casting
Besides Nathan Fillion, The Rookie has an amazing set of ensemble cast who have developed their own fanbase among the viewers. The series also stars Richard T. Jones, Alyssa Diaz, Eric Winter, Melissa O’Neil, Mekia Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan, and others. Fillion shared with THR that he was present for all of the casting in the series.
He shared that the casting of the series went so smoothly. The Rookie had an advantage over others as they were the first pilot at ABC at the time. They had a vast set of actors to choose from and their particular demands were all met. He shared:
I was there for all of it. I was there for all of the casting. I’ve been involved in casting before, but I’ve never seen it go so smoothly. We had our ability to pick and choose from everybody because we were the first pilot to start casting. We had a head start, which worked in our favor. We were very particular in what we wanted.
He also mentioned one of the “problems” he helped solve during the casting. He shared that they found two actors to be phenomenal but didn’t think they fit the roles written for them. Fillion shared that they did a “little flip” in the script so as to accommodate the two actors.
The Rookie is now available for streaming on Hulu.
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