Nathan Fillion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nathan Fillion
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Fillion at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
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Nathan Christopher Fillion
March 27, 1971 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
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Notable work
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Nathan Christopher Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian-American actor. He is famous for playing Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds in the TV show Firefly and its movie Serenity. He also starred as Richard Castle in the TV series Castle. Since 2018, he has been playing Officer John Nolan in The Rookie, where he is also a producer.
Nathan Fillion has acted in many different types of projects. These include movies like Slither and Trucker, and online shows like Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He has also been in soap operas, sitcoms, and theatre plays. You might also recognize his voice from animated shows and video games. He voiced characters in the Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Destiny, and Destiny 2 video games. He also voiced characters in the TV series M.O.D.O.K..
Fillion first became well-known for his role as Joey Buchanan in the soap opera One Life to Live. For this role, he was nominated for a special award called the Daytime Emmy Award. He also played Johnny Donnelly in the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl. In May 2025, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University of Edmonton.
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Nathan Fillion's Early Life
Nathan Fillion was born on March 27, 1971, in Edmonton, Canada. He is the younger of two sons. His parents, Robert "Bob" Fillion and June "Cookie" Early, were both English teachers. Nathan grew up in the Mill Woods area of Edmonton. He went to Holy Trinity Catholic High School. He also attended Concordia University College of Alberta and the University of Alberta, but he did not finish his degree. He became a U.S. citizen in 1997.
Nathan Fillion's Acting Journey
Starting in New York City
After acting in some theatre, TV, and film projects in Canada, Nathan Fillion moved to New York City in 1994. There, he joined the soap opera One Life to Live as Joey Buchanan. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 1996 for this role. He left the show in 1997 to try other acting opportunities. He did return for a short visit in 2007.
Moving to Los Angeles and Big Roles
After moving to Los Angeles, Fillion had a supporting role in the sitcom Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place. He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's famous movie Saving Private Ryan.
In 2002, Fillion got a main role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the science fiction TV series Firefly. Fans loved his performance, and he won an award for it. Fillion has said that his time on Firefly was the best acting job he ever had. Even after Firefly was cancelled, he played Mal again in the movie Serenity in 2005.
In 2003, Fillion had a recurring role as Caleb in the last few episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Voice Acting and Other Films
Nathan Fillion has also done a lot of voice acting. He voiced characters in the animated series King of the Hill and Justice League Unlimited. He also voiced Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in several animated movies like Green Lantern: Emerald Knights and The Death of Superman.
In 2006, Fillion starred in the horror film Slither. He also appeared in the romantic comedy Waitress in 2007. He made a guest appearance in the TV show Lost in 2006.
In 2007, Fillion was cast in the TV series Drive, but the show was cancelled after only a few episodes. He also joined the cast of Desperate Housewives in 2007, playing Dr. Adam Mayfair.
Fillion lent his voice to the video game Halo 3 in 2007. He voiced a character named Sergeant Reynolds, which was a nod to his Firefly role. He also voiced Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck in Halo 3: ODST, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo: Reach.
Starring in Castle and Beyond
In March 2009, Nathan Fillion began starring in the ABC TV series Castle. He played Richard Castle, a mystery writer who helps the NYPD solve crimes. The show was very popular and ran until 2016. Fillion was nominated for awards for his performance in Castle.
Fillion also made a brief appearance in the web series The Guild. In 2012, he played Dogberry in the independent film Much Ado About Nothing, which was based on a play by William Shakespeare. This movie was directed by Joss Whedon, who also created Firefly.
Since 2011, Fillion has appeared in a live podcast show called The Thrilling Adventure Hour. He plays a character called Cactoid Jim.
In 2014, he voiced the character Cayde-6 in the video game Destiny. He continued to voice Cayde-6 in Destiny 2 in 2017. It was announced in May 2023 that he would return to voice Cayde-6 for The Final Shape in 2024.
From 2015 to 2017, Fillion worked with his Firefly co-star Alan Tudyk on a web series called Con Man. This show was inspired by their experiences at fan conventions.
In 2017, Fillion had recurring roles in the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet and A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Rookie and Recent Projects
In February 2018, Nathan Fillion was cast as John Nolan in the new ABC TV series The Rookie. This show was created by Alexi Hawley, who was also a producer on Castle.
In July 2018, Fillion and director Allan Ungar released a short fan film based on the video game Uncharted. The film was very popular and praised by fans.
In recent years, Fillion has appeared in several films by director James Gunn. He played T.D.K. in The Suicide Squad (2021) and Master Karja in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).
In 2025, he appeared as the DC Comics superhero Guy Gardner/Green Lantern in James Gunn's film Superman. Fillion had previously voiced a different Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, in animated projects. James Gunn has confirmed that Fillion will continue to play Guy Gardner in the larger DCU world. In 2024, it was reported that Fillion is expected to appear as Gardner in the upcoming DCU series Lanterns, which will feature other Green Lanterns.
Nathan Fillion in Popular Culture
Nathan Fillion has been part of public art projects by artist Martin Firrell. These include Complete Hero (2009) and Metascifi (a digital app). Firrell chose Fillion for Complete Hero to explore different kinds of heroism.
In Metascifi, Fillion talks about the deeper meaning of his Firefly character, Captain Mal Reynolds. He discusses important life topics like death, love, and freedom.
In August 2021, the Edmonton City Hall was temporarily renamed the Nathan Fillion Civilian Pavilion for 24 hours. This happened after a petition from fans with over 27,000 signatures.
Helping Others
In 2007, Nathan Fillion and author PJ Haarsma started a non-profit organization called Kids Need to Read. Their goal is to inspire children's imaginations by providing more books to libraries that don't have enough.
In 2019, Fillion also helped raise over $60,000 for the organization Charity: Water, which helps bring clean water to people.
Nathan Fillion's Film and TV Roles
Nathan Fillion has had many roles in movies and TV shows. Here are some of his notable works:
Movies
- 1998: Saving Private Ryan as Pvt. James Frederick "Minnesota" Ryan
- 2005: Serenity as Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds
- 2006: Slither as Bill Pardy
- 2007: Waitress as Dr. Jim Pomatter
- 2009: Wonder Woman as Steve Trevor (voice)
- 2012: Much Ado About Nothing as Dogberry
- 2013: Monsters University as Johnny Worthington III (voice)
- 2013: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters as Hermes
- 2021: The Suicide Squad as Cory Pitzner / T.D.K.
- 2023: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Master Karja
- 2025: Superman as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern
Television Shows
- 1994–1997; 2007: One Life to Live as Joey Buchanan
- 1998–2001: Two Guys and a Girl as Johnny Donnelly
- 2002: Firefly as Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (main role)
- 2003: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Caleb
- 2007–2008: Desperate Housewives as Dr. Adam Mayfair
- 2009–2016: Castle as Richard Castle (main role)
- 2014–2016: Gravity Falls as Preston Northwest (voice)
- 2016–2018: Modern Family as Rainer Shine
- 2017–2018: Santa Clarita Diet as Gary West
- 2018–present: The Rookie as John Nolan (main role)
- 2022–2023: The Rookie: Feds as John Nolan
- 2025: Peacemaker as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern
- 2026: Lanterns as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern
Video Games
- 2007: Halo 3 as Sergeant Reynolds
- 2009: Halo 3: ODST as Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck
- 2014: Destiny as Cayde-6
- 2017: Destiny 2 as Cayde-6
- 2024: Destiny 2: The Final Shape as Cayde-6
Awards and Recognitions
Nathan Fillion has won several awards and received nominations for his acting:
- 1996: Nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for One Life to Live
- 2003: Won the Cinescape Genre Face of the Future – Male award for Firefly
- 2005: Won the SFX Award for Best Actor for Serenity
- 2012: Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama Actor for Castle
- 2013: Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor for Castle
- 2015: Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Crime Drama TV Actor for Castle
- 2016: Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Crime Drama TV Actor for Castle
