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How Nathan Fillion cements his nice-guy charm in The Rookie

By Shah Shahid

THE ROOKIE - "Pilot" - Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a police officer, on the premiere episode of "The Rookie," airing TUESDAY, OCT. 16 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Tony Rivetti)TITUS MAKIN, MELISSA O'NEIL, NATHAN FILLION
THE ROOKIE - "Pilot" - Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being a police officer, on the premiere episode of "The Rookie," airing TUESDAY, OCT. 16 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Tony Rivetti)TITUS MAKIN, MELISSA O'NEIL, NATHAN FILLION /
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Fan favorite actor Nathan Fillion’s new show The Rookie sees him as a middle-aged man trying to reinvent his life as a police officer in Los Angeles. The show is proof positive that Fillion is a rare breed of an actor in Hollywood with little to no ego, and is a real-life nice guy.

ABC’s The Rookie centers around the character of John Nolan, (Fillion) who, after going through a divorce and general life of compromises, realizes his dream of being a police officer and ends up being a 40-year-old rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department. The premise of the show is all about the challenges he faces trying to enter a new physically and emotionally demanding career, almost 20 years too late.

Fillion himself is charming, funny and sweet as hell as a man trying to pursue his passions. But what stands out from The Rookie, is how any A-list actor would even agree to do a role like this. (Fillion’s star status may be up for debate, but he’s definitely well known in TV fandom) The entire show’s premise, story arcs, and jokes are centered around the idea that Fillion’s character is too old. Pushing 50 himself, this has to be incredibly close to home for the actor best known for his role in Firefly.

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The Pilot Episode alone sees the majority of the interaction with other characters, and even some conflicts arising out of this ‘too old for this stuff’ idea. ‘Born before Disco died’, ‘a dinosaur’, ‘past his expiration date’, are only some of the lines in the first episode used to mock and belittle Nolan.

While actors are obviously supposed to be less self-conscious (or more, depending on your perspective) given the constant scrutiny to their looks, image, and age, it’s hard to imagine any actor taking on a role like this, and not letting some of the fictional situations seep into their own consciousness. Especially when considering that while Nolan is being ridiculed for being 40, Fillion himself is even older at 48.

With the Pilot Episode only showcasing the more obvious challenges Nolan faces, episode 2, Crash Course, digs deeper to showcase the nuances of what the character will have to deal with going forward. And Episode 3, The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Nolan’s storyline becomes more lighthearted in tone, when compared to the other characters’ more meaningful and emotionally impactful storylines. The show also seems to be relying on ideas of getting a second lease on life and how it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

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THE ROOKIE – ABC/Tony Rivetti — Acquired via Disney ABC Press /

The fact that Fillion agreed to do The Rookie is a testament to how awesome he really is. Known for his disarming good looks, witty personality and amazingly charismatic demeanor, Fillion’s last big success was the hit series Castle, also on ABC, where he played a more comical main character.

How that series ended definitely led to a lot of debate about Fillion’s true nature, given rumors about his issues with co-star Stana Katic being the cause of the show’s demise. But a closer look at Fillion’s career, interactions with fans and media and general attitude, showcase a self-deprecating actor who has never made career decisions based on vanity or ego. The Rookie is a prime example of that.

While Castle initially started as a very one-note premise, featuring Fillion as the main protagonist, The Rookie has been established as an ensemble show from the Pilot episode. And an ensemble of much younger actors, where Fillion doesn’t even play a character archetype that’s older or in a mentoring role, but one who is trying to keep up with the younger characters. It’s not something that I personally think any actor would choose to do if they were egotistical, vain or didn’t want to share the spotlight.

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The Rookie is an interesting show that takes full advantage of Fillion’s real-life charm and likability, in a way that I don’t think any other actor would have agreed to do. It’s definitely worth checking out.

The Rookie airs Tuesdays on ABC. Let me know your thoughts on Fillion on this show. 

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