By Kayla DeKraker
Nathan Fillion stars in ABC’s hit show THE ROOKIE, a role he committed to without reading a single script.
“It was the pitch,” Fillion told The Hollywood Reporter previously of why he wanted to work on the project. “The core idea of the show, it has to be something strong enough to carry it a number of years. You want the potential for more. You don’t want to hit a roadblock where you’ve run out of stories because our engine isn’t built that way. This one has an engine. [John Nolan] is literally starting his life over, from scratch. He has an incredible history behind him, but he’s starting everything brand new. It’s a very attractive prospect that people can relate to.”
While Fillion’s previous roles, like those in CASTLE and FIREFLY, had more humor than THE ROOKIE, they helped him learn how to navigate comedy strategically.
“I learned a long time ago it’s very hard to make people laugh; it’s very easy to make people laugh at you. Knowing that difference, it’s simply a mindset. And it simplifies things,” he said.
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He added, “THE ROOKIE has comedy in it. It’s not broad, it’s not overreaching; it’s reality-based. I’ve met a lot of cops — they’re funny guys. They have to have a decent sense of humor to do the job they do. There’s a lot of opportunities for comedy in this program. If you compare it to the comedies I’ve done and are bigger, you just have to dial it down. It’s still funny, it’s just a matter of how you do it.”
As far as playing his character John Nolan, Fillion relies on the writers to tell him how his character should behave.
“One of my strengths is knowing what pies to keep my fingers out of,” he said. “You delegate responsibility. The guy in charge of story knows exactly what he’s doing. My forte is in front of the camera; I can take care of that.”
THE ROOKIE certainly has been a success. So far, it’s run for eight seasons, and ABC renewed it for a ninth, which will likely debut January 2027.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had,” Fillion told his castmates and crew members earlier this month.
Movieguide®’s most recent review of THE ROOKIE, which was for episode 6.1, reads, “The series maintains its positive outlook on law enforcement and John’s insistence on protecting and serving his community, even at the risk of his own life. There is no foul language or objectionable sexual content.”
Movieguide® adds, “The crime scenes and intense shootouts between the police and the criminals are graphic and bloody, especially for a TV-14 series. Despite these elements, this episode is still a largely moral and positive display of the first responder’s sacrifice and hard work.”
It seems like Fillion’s good feelings about THE ROOKIE are paying off.
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