I don’t know about you, but I think Nathan Fillion is a total stud. No, wait – scratch that. I know he is. Let’s be honest – that man is every geek girl’s dream (and probably does it for many a geek boy, too). I mean, it’s Nathan Fillion. He’s one of the nicest, funniest, most down to earth actors out there. Plus, he’s Canadian (I like to pretend that explains it all).
And though I’m sure none of you really need to be convinced of said awesomeness, I figure everyone’s day can use more Fillion.
He’s not just an awesome person, but an awesome actor.
It’s a given that any Firefly and Serenity fan knows and loves Nathan. He’s hilarious, offbeat, bad ass, and spouts some of my favourite lines, ever:
“Oh! That was bracing. They don’t like it when you shoot at them. I worked that out myself.”
You also might remember him from Buffy as the sadistic and evil priest, Caleb (I’m sure you remember an eye-gouging scene). The role that has put Nathan Fillion in the spotlight, however, is as mystery writer Richard Castle in ABC’s Castle, where he has referenced, Firefly and Buffy, and even dressed up as the space cowboy for a Halloween episode:
And did I mention that he’s hilarious?
He once showed up at Comic Con, disguised in a hat, big jacket, and mustache, asking Joss Whedon during a panel who his favourite actor was (before revealing himself to everyone amid much applause and uproarious laughter). He also has one of the best Twitter feeds out there. He RTs, responds to his fans, and tweets not just about how awesome he is, but just about what he’s up to.
His responses to fans are priceless:
He sings.
He’s fantastically awful as the narcissistic “hero”, Captain Hammer, in Joss Whedon’s cult hit Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. And he sings! Sure, he plays a total ass, but seriously – listen to him!
He believes it’s important for kids to read.
In fact, he’s so committed to this cause that he co-founded the non-profit organization Kids Need to Read with author PJ Haarsma back in 2007. His goal? To help foster kids’ imaginations through reading by filling up school and library bookshelves. Now if that doesn’t make you weak in the knees with admiration, I don’t know what will.
“Growing up, my parents managed to show me the importance of reading without cramming it down my throat. A difficult task, I’m sure. It breaks my heart to think that there are kids out there, ready to have their imaginations lit on fire, excited and wanting to read, and facing naked shelves in their school or local libraries. Rather than complain or wait till the system stops failing our nation’s children, this is a matter I feel we must take into our own hands. There are children, right now, waiting –wanting to read. What shall we tell them?”
He’s a gamer.
That’s right. Nathan gets extra geek cred for his love of video games. In Halo 3, Fillion voiced the character “Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds” – an obvious nod to his Firefly character. Bungie even took in a step further by including not only his voice, but his face as a soldier in Halo 3: ODST.
Your good looks suit video games. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
He understands us geeks, because he’s one of us.
He loves Firefly. I’ve already mentioned that Mal was his favourite character to play, but his love goes beyond that. He’s even said that if he were ever to win the lottery, he would buy the rights and make Firefly himself. He’s pretty much the perfect example of what being a nerd means, and he brings together our community.
Is it any wonder that people love Nathan Fillion?
