The charismatic and always charming Nathan Fillion has been an endearing and playful presence on both the big and small screen for over two decades. The dynamic actor is known for his intriguing and colorful characters, appearing in a slew of successful shows and films that have showcased his compelling wit, humor, and all around range as a performer.

After getting his start as Joey Buchanan on the soap opera One Life to Live, Fillion went on to play supporting roles in shows like Two Guys and a Girl (opposite Hollywood leading man Ryan Reynolds) and in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. His first and arguably most prominent breakthrough performance was as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the short-lived yet deeply adored sci-fi television series Firefly, which will be getting a reboot on Disney+.

From that moment on, Fillion took on the entertainment world and continued polishing his craft, starring in popular movies like the romantic drama Waitress, Firefly spin-off Serenity, and James Gunn’s homage to B-movie horror flicks, Slither. He has also notably appeared as the eponymous character in the adored ABC mystery crime series Castle, and can currently be seen on the police procedural drama The Rookie. These are the best Nathan Fillion performances so far.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

9 Johnny Donnelly (Two Guys and a Girl)

     20th Television 

One of Nathan Fillion’s earliest breakthrough roles was opposite the now-massive movie star Ryan Reynolds in the 1998 ABC sitcom Two Guys and a Girl, in which he portrayed Johnny Donnelly, the boyfriend of the aforementioned “girl” of the series, Sharon Carter. The comedy follows three 20-somethings who share an apartment in Boston while hanging out and working in a pizza place. The role was one of his most resolutely ‘straight man’ roles to date, setting up punchlines and jokes that were often executed by his co-stars, despite the actor becoming famous for his wit and endearing humor.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

The sitcom ran for four seasons, with Fillion appearing in 60 episodes; both he and Reynolds have since expressed interest in having a reunion for the program, having told Inverse, “A couple of years ago, I ran into one of my former cast members. We were laughing about old times, and he mentioned, ‘Wouldn’t a reunion be great?’ Wouldn’t that be cool? So yeah, it’s been mentioned.”

8 John Nolan (The Rookie)

     Disney--ABC Domestic Television 

The 2018 ABC police procedural The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion as a 40-year-old newly divorced man from Pennsylvania who, after inadvertently helping police officers during a bank robbery, moves to Los Angeles and pursues a career in the LAPD. The series is based on the real-life police officer William Norcross, who moved to L.A. and joined the department in his mid forties; LAPD is just one of two agencies who accepts new officers over the age of 37. Fillion’s character John Nolan must navigate the wild and dangerous nature of the job while dealing with being the oldest rookie on the force.

To prepare for the show, the actor slimmed down to physically prepare for the commanding job of being an on-screen officer in this police procedural cop show. Fillion’s character John is endearing and relatable, demonstrating to audiences that you’re never too old to follow your dreams and goals and that while big life changes can be intimidating, they can also be incredibly rewarding. In March 2022, The Rookie was renewed for a fifth season and an FBI spin-off series was ordered.

7 Jacques Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

For the 2017 Netflix dark dramedy adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nathan Fillion appeared in the show as the dashing adventurer brother of the mysterious author, charmingly portraying the VFD member who enlists Olivia Caliban to help the Baudelaire children. The star joined Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, and Alfre Woodward for the exciting series, revealing to TV Fanatic, “It’s such a beautiful program. My God, it’s so good. Spooky painting, you know what I mean? Just a really gross place you wouldn’t want to live and it’s so gorgeous. You’re just like, ‘It’s captivating.’ It’s written so eloquently.”

Fillion appeared in ten episodes of the second season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, dazzling audiences as the optimistic character who faces off against the greedy and conniving Count Olaf, leaving a lasting impression on fans of the show.

6 Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing)

     Lionsgate

Nathan Fillion teamed up with frequent collaborator and popular filmmaker Joss Whedon, who was going from superheroes to Shakespeare for the 2012 romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Based on the classic Shakespeare play of the same name, the film finds Fillion joining fellow Whedon favorites Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, and Frank Kranz for the big screen adaptation. Fillion portrays Dogberry, the constable in charge of Messina’s night watch, showing off his trademark charisma and playfulness for the literary character.

The black and white film was shot over the course of just 12 days in Whedon’s Santa Monica home, having been described by many as a spontaneous project; his idea to adapt the play for the screen originated from having “Shakespeare readings” at his house with several of his friends, years prior. Fillion himself has expressed how much he enjoys working with the director, telling IGN, “When I can come and participate in something with Joss, first of all I know I’m going to have a good time and I know it’s going to do very well… I make new friends, the quality of my life improves because I get to do great projects and meet great people.”

5 Bill Pardy (Slither)

     Universal Pictures

James Gunn’s 2006 sci-fi dark comedy horror flick Slither takes place in the sleepy town of Wheelsy, South Carolina where a meteorite brings a malevolent alien plague that turns its residents into terrifying mutant monsters. Nathan Fillion stars alongside Elizabeth Banks and Michael Rooker in the picture, portraying Wheelsy Police Chief Bill Pardy who must battle against the sentient extraterrestrial parasite to protect the town from its vicious attack.

The charming actor was the perfect choice to headline Gunn’s homage to B-movie horror films, with his performance garnering a Fangoria Chainsaw Awards nomination in the category “Dude You Don’t Wanna Mess With.” Despite failing at the box office, Slither was well-received by critics, with many calling it an over-the-top and bizarrely brilliant spectacle; Empire magazine wrote, “Undeniably funny and gooey to boot, Slither may not be groundbreaking but it is a rarity; a horror-comedy that does both its genre-parents proud.” It’s now considered one of James Gunn’s best movies.

4 Dr. Jim Pomatter (Waitress)

     Fox Searchlight Pictures

Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion headlined the 2007 romantic dramedy Waitress, which follows the unhappily married and pregnant Jenna Hunterson, a waitress at a small town southern diner who creates delicious desserts and pies in an effort to save up enough money to skip town and leave her bleak life behind. Jenna’s life changes profoundly when she meets her new obstetrician, the kind and comforting Dr. Jim Pomatter (Nathan Fillion), whom she begins a passionate and secret affair with. Waitress premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, though its debut was bittersweet because of the tragic murder of writer and director Adrienne Shelly just three months shy of its release.

The picture was warmly received by critics, who praised the cast’s tender and heartfelt portrayals, unique script and Shelly’s cinematic vision; Fillion had opened up at the Sundance Film Festival, saying, “You know what, this is a beautiful movie, it’s a really sweet movie…I’m amazed, proud, very, very excited about how well it’s done.” Waitress went on to be adapted into a successful stage musical, making its initial run in 2015.

3 Caleb (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Shaking up his penchant for portraying lively and charismatic characters, Nathan Fillion decided to switch lanes by appearing as the misogynistic and sadistic sociopath Caleb for the final season of the beloved television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon told IGN that he introduced the character because of the non-corporeal nature of the First Evil (the main antagonist of the last season), which “meant that we didn’t really have anything to push against. We needed…a sidekick. Somebody physical that we can see from episode to episode.”

He had described Fillion’s role as “the creepiest priest” and “the most bald-faced misogynist;” Caleb appeared for five episodes of the show, terrorizing and torturing the Scooby Gang and showcasing the actor’s incredible range and ability to dominate any role he’s in. The character is frightening in large part because of Fillion’s delivery, utilizing a deceitfully sweet and menacing approach and southern drawl that masks his true nature; the actor definitely slayed at his portrayal of a “Big Bad.”

2 Richard Castle (Castle)

     Disney--ABC Domestic Television

Starring as carefree playboy and crime-fighting mystery novelist Richard Castle, Nathan Fillion once again charmed audiences in the smash hit ABC crime dramedy series Castle, which depicts the exuberant man child as he shadows homicide detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and helps solve unusual crimes in New York City. Fans couldn’t get enough of the will they or won’t they chemistry sizzling between the two seemingly mismatched leads, with their personalities amusingly clashing during the show; the character of Castle is full of endearing bravado and charisma, while Beckett is more professional and reserved.

Fillion revealed that the character’s name Rick Castle was noted by the show’s creator as sounding like “Rich Asshole” and says that this reflects his character; he also expressed how Castle has Peter Pan syndrome that stems from a lack of a “real male adult role model in his life.” Castle was a massive success, delivering high ratings and lasting eight impressive seasons. The program earned numerous accolades during its run, including multiple People’s Choice Awards and TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorites Awards.

1 Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly/Serenity)

     20th Television

One of the small screen’s most notorious upsets was the premature cancellation of the 2002 space Western drama Firefly, which is set in the year 2517 after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the adventures of a renegade crew of the “Firefly-class” spaceship Serenity. Nathan Fillion appears as the “Space Cowboy” himself, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the cunning and capable leader and owner of the starship who is fiercely loyal to his crew and abides by a personal moral code.

The sarcastic and amusingly cynical hero has become one of Fillion’s most beloved roles to date, with fans brokenhearted over the untimely end of the stunning oddball fantasy show; people assume that it’s one of the most underrated TV shows of its time, but it actually did surprisingly well with viewers, though Fox had a tendency to cancel many beloved shows at the time, such as Family Guy and Arrested Development.

Independent UK praised the actor’s performance in Firefly, calling it a “nimble, quick-witted adventure series powered by the considerable charm of its lead, in this case Nathan Fillion’s kind-hearted captain, Mal. Huge fun.” The post-airing success of the Western drama led to the 2005 feature length follow-up film Serenity, which served as a continuation to the show. The star called Firefly the best acting job ever had, and he compares every job he has had to it, widely acknowledging how monumental the series was for his career.