Nathan Fillion is a Canadian-American actor best known for his leading roles in the TV series Firefly, Castle and The Rookie.
Born on March 27, 1971, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he first gained recognition for his role as Joey Buchanan on the soap opera One Life to Live, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1996.
Fillion later starred as Captain Malcolm Reynolds on the cult sci-fi series Firefly and its film continuation Serenity.
He then played the title role of Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle for 8 seasons, winning 4 People’s Choice Awards.
Currently, he stars as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, on the ABC series The Rookie, which premiered in 2018.
In addition to his television work, Fillion has appeared in numerous films including Saving Private Ryan, Slither, Waitress and The Suicide Squad.
Fillion is considered a cult icon and has a devoted fanbase due to his charismatic performances in sci-fi and fantasy roles.
He is known for his everyman appeal and subtle sense of humor.
Net worth
Fillion has an estimated net worth of $20 million, reflecting his financial success as a prominent actor in the entertainment industry.
This figure encompasses his earnings from various sources, including his leading roles in popular television series like Castle, Firefly and The Rookie.
Fillion’s salary per episode for Castle was reported to be around $100,000, which significantly contributed to his overall wealth.
Apart from his television work, he has diversified his income streams through voice acting in video games, producing projects and participating in public appearances and events.
These additional ventures have allowed him to expand his financial portfolio and increase his net worth over the years.
Furthermore, residuals from his past acting projects continue to generate income for Fillion, adding to his overall financial stability.
His ability to leverage his talent and popularity across various platforms has been instrumental in building his net worth.
Career
Fillion began his acting career in the late 1990s with small roles in films like Saving Private Ryan and Blast from the Past.
He gained recognition for his role as Joey Buchanan on the soap opera, One Life to Live, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1996.
Fillion’s breakthrough role came in 1998 when he starred as Johnny Donnelly on the TV series, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.
He then gained critical acclaim and a large cult following for his portrayal of Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Joss Whedon’s Firefly, which was unfortunately canceled after one season.
Fillion reprised his role as Captain Reynolds in the feature film, Serenity.
Fillion’s subsequent roles include the twisted preacher Caleb in the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the lead in the short-lived TV series Drive and recurring roles on Desperate Housewives and Castle.
He starred as Richard Castle on Castle for eight seasons, winning four People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor.
Fillion currently stars as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, on the ABC series, The Rookie.
He has also appeared in numerous films, including Dracula, Slither, Waitress and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monster.
He has also had a successful career in voice acting, appearing in video games such as Halo 3 and Bright Lights.
Voice acting
Fillion has had a significant voice acting career, showcasing his versatility and talent as a performer.
He has voiced characters in numerous animated movies, television shows and video games.
One notable role is his lead voice acting in Yamasong: March of the Hollows, where he voiced the character Shojun.
Fillion has also contributed to several video games, including Halo 3, Destiny and Halo 5: Guardian.
His work in these games further expanded his voice acting credits.
In addition, he has voiced characters in animated movies such as Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Justice League: Doom, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis.
Fillion has also lent his voice to various animated television shows and specials.
For example, he voiced characters in Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special, American Dad and Gravity Falls.
He also provided additional voices in Big Mouth and voiced characters in Disney Gravity Falls.
These roles demonstrate Fillion’s ability to bring life to a wide range of characters across various mediums, solidifying his reputation as a versatile voice actor.
Awards and accolades
Fillion has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career.
One of his earliest notable recognitions was a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live in 1996.
Fillion also won the Cinescape Genre Face of the Future – Male Award for his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly in 2002.
He received the Saturn Award for Cinescape Genre Face of the Future – Male in 2003 for his work on Firefly.
Additionally, he was runner-up for Best Actor/Movie for his role in Serenity at the SFX Awards in 2005.
Fillion has also won four People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor for his role as Richard Castle on Castle.
He has also been recognized with a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actor for his role on One Life to Live in 1996.
Furthermore, Fillion was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in Two Guys and a Girl in 2000.
Relationship history
Fillion has had several notable relationships throughout his career. He reportedly dated actress Vanessa Marcil in 1995.
His longest and most serious relationship was with actress Perrey Reeves, which lasted from 2005 to 2009.
In 2013, Fillion was engaged to actress Mikaela Hoover, but they broke up in 2014.
Around the same time, he was also in a relationship with Spanish actress Christina Ochoa and they too got engaged but broke up shortly after.
From 2015 to 2020, he dated actress Krista Allen after meeting on the set of Castle, however, despite these relationships, Fillion has never been married.
In an interview, he admitted to being “unlucky in love” and that his exes would describe him as such if they were all together.
