Nathan Fillion isn’t going anywhere. If you take a quick glance at his resume, you’ll see that in 2018 alone, he’s worked on 12 projects – and his latest is about to premiere. The actor, 47, is taking on ABC’s newest police drama, The Rookie, in which he plays John Nolan, a man who is starting over and attempting to be part of the LAPD.
“John Nolan is a guy with a good heart, who is comfortable doing the right thing, and that means maybe [it’s] not always the easiest thing, [and it’s] not always the thing that’s going to make him happiest, but what’s right. It’s a nice core to have,” he told Us Weekly exclusively about the new procedural. He also added that he was drawn to John because of his “relevance” in 2018.
“My parents are still married and still together, and that was the norm at one time. And then divorce became the norm. Now, the norm is midway through life, people are staring over – people are starting new jobs, people are starting new families, entirely new careers. The world is changing,” he said. “This is where Nolan is. He no longer plays the role of father, he no longer play the role of husband. His construction company was a job he did out of necessity because it was the right thing to do and now he’s looking for a way to matter and be relevant. At that moment, he finds a calling. I think that’s what people are going through right now. People are finding that their roles in life have changed, so they take on a new role.”
Fillion has taken on many iconic roles during his career, starring in hit shows such as Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Castle, to name a few. In fact, January 2019 will mark 25 years of being in the industry for the actor – and he’s learned many important life lessons over the years.
“I think one of the best lessons I’ve learned is not just an industry lesson, it’s a life lesson. I was always taught that kindness is not a weakness,” he told Us. “The cost of kindness is low and what you get back is high. That’s just good business.”
The Rookie premieres on ABC Tuesday, October 16, at 10 p.m. ET.
