Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Firefly?
Science fiction fans remember the last four months of 2002 as a blessed but bedeviled time. "Firefly" became a 14-episode phenomenon, dead in the water before the season ended, but eternal in the hearts of its viewers. Their passion managed the impossible, reviving the show for a big-screen send-off in "Serenity" and several canonical comic book miniseries. To this day, crafters knit their own loving reconstructions of Jayne's remarkably orange hat. A Malcolm Reynolds — or five — can be found at any SF convention, or recreated in video games by players aiming to misbehave.
The cast was chosen for their charisma and chemistry with each other, and that shines through in the ways they've found to reconnect over the years. Nathan Fillion is a particular lightning rod, doing voice work with Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk in "Halo 3," and co-starring with Tudyk on the web series "Con Man." But he's far from the only one still flying all these years later, and it's always a good time to celebrate the cast and where they are today.
Nathan Fillion
Captain Malcolm Reynolds wasn't just another Han Solo. An atheist for good reason, and an active rebel against an Alliance that devalued personal freedom across the galaxy, he serves as the core of the Firefly-class Serenity's ragtag crew. Nathan Fillion's winsome appeal made Reynolds an icon, and that same elusive element saw him take center stage in 2006's "Slither." Fillion hit it off with fledgling director James Gunn, and he's been one of Gunn's go-to crew ever since, enjoying a role in every "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie and snagging a hilarious 10 minutes as The Detachable Kid in 2021's "The Suicide Squad."
Gunn isn't the only doorway to the DC Universe. Fillion's provided the cartoon voice of Green Lantern Hal Jordan since 2011, a small irony, since Gunn also has Fillion in mind for his live-action "Green Lantern," but as the bulkier Guy Gardner. Meanwhile, with the long-running series "Castle" — a Halloween episode let him don his old browncoat — and "The Rookie" under his belt, Fillion's been in a great place (or places) to welcome multiple "Firefly" friends to join him for cameos. Of all the former crew, Fillion seems to have let go of the past the least. It works to his benefit and cheers up that thriving fandom still.
Gina Torres
Zoe Washburne, team tactician, warrior, and a former Browncoat rebel, found both the number two chair and a devoted husband waiting for her on the Serenity. Gina Torres' unshakeable poise carries through from "Firefly" to almost every appearance, but few of her roles since can be called retreads. She met and married Laurence Fishburne around the time she appeared as another ship captain in "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions." Torres would also co-star with Fishburne in several episodes of "Hannibal," another series with a small but fiercely loyal fanbase.
Tudyk and Fillion's web series "Con Man" sees her swing by for a visit with old friends, and "Westworld" gave her a small but fascinating storyline as Bernard's estranged wife. It's "Transformers" and "Star Wars" that really keep her in the nerd loop, though. In "Transformers Prime", she voiced the Prime Decepticon Airachnid, and in the latter, she's the Mandalorian Ketsu Onyo, who helped the "Rebels" crew towards victory on Lothal. Today, she co-stars in "911: Lone Star," an emergency services procedural spun off from the original hit show.
Alan Tudyk
Hoban "Wash" Washburne, the Serenity's eccentric pilot, sometimes played with plastic dinosaurs and sometimes pulled off the sort of aerial stunt that would get Lt. Ortegas ("Strange New Worlds") furiously taking notes. Alan Tudyk imbued Wash with cornball charm, and it's a trait the performer has used to good — and sometimes scary — effect since. He followed Joss Whedon to his next doomed-but-fascinating project, "Dollhouse," taking the role of a rogue Active named Alpha. Regardless of a twisty, decades-spanning plot, it's hard to forget Alpha's early slasher personality. It also gave quick proof that Tudyk was a talent to watch.
Today, Tudyk ranks as one of the best voice actors in the industry. Not only is he a Disney mascot, appearing in nearly every animated feature in some small form and voicing the droid K-2SO for "Rogue One," but he also stands out on "Harley Quinn." He voices a Joker that can match Mark Hamill's iconic style, by putting his own wild spin on the character, and also voices an equally terrific Clayface. He's a joy as well in SyFy's "Resident Alien," where his stranded alien tries to fit into a small town, and the first season of Max's "Doom Patrol," as the terrifying yet pathetic Mr. Nobody. And there's more to come. He's slated to join James Gunn's animated "Creature Commandos," as Doctor Phosphorus. We can't wait to hear him again.
Morena Baccarin
There's a lot to unpack about Whedon's notion of ethical sex work in "Firefly," but Inara, a professional Companion, brings wit and elegance to the Serenity... despite Captain Reynolds' best efforts to filth the place up. Actor Morena Baccarin didn't have to rely on her striking beauty to put across Inara's competency, and it's a gift she's since used to ground the "Deadpool" movies and their glorious gutter comedy in the occasional moment of genuine emotion. It's great news that she's confirmed to return for "Deadpool 3."
Baccarin was also the face of a promising 2009 revival of the classic SF miniseries "V." As Visitor leader Anna, Baccarin didn't try to recapture the flirty menace of her 1983 predecessor, Diana (Jane Badler). Baccarin took on a frosty commander's stance, making the role her own. She has also dropped in on the DC universe, recurring on "Gotham" until its end in 2019 and voicing the AI assistant Gideon in CW's recently finished "The Flash."
Jewel Staite
Kaylee Frye was Serenity's engineer, a living cinnamon roll of optimism with a penchant for machinery. If Inara's the brain of the crew, Kaylee's the heart. Jewel Staite never made Kaylee's bubbly personality into a drawback; if someone hurt her, we felt it. She made us invest in Kaylee's deserved happy ending, whether it involved her crush, Simon, or not. Like Gina Torres, Staite joined Nathan Fillion for an episode of "Castle" that let her show off the darker side of what she can do as an actor.
Staite appeared in "Stargate Atlantis" from 2007 to 2009, spending one year as a recurring character, Dr. Jennifer Keller, and the next shaping her into a main role as Atlantis' newest chief doctor. She also co-starred in "Legends of Tomorrow" as another engineer; this time with a talent for robotics. Currently, Staite heads up the successful Canadian legal drama "Family Law." As Abigail Bianchi, Staite plays an alcoholic lawyer and mother who hits rock bottom. It's up to Bianchi if she wants to stay there.
Sean Maher
Simon Tam came off feckless and icy in equal measure when he arrived on the Serenity. A top surgeon with a sheltered upbringing, all he really cared about was his traumatized sister. It's a wedge that kept him from seeing Kaylee's adoration until the last minute. Sean Maher was a relatively new young actor when he assumed the role of this awkward gentleman, but he transformed Simon's distance into something we could empathize with. He's also kept in touch with his former crew through Nathan Fillion, popping up in both "Con Man," and in "The Rookie." The latter cast him as a prisoner John Nolan (Fillion) must apprehend after a bus crash.
Maher also belongs to the DC Universe club, being one of the go-to voices for Batfamily alumni Dick Grayson, in his older Nightwing incarnation. He also guest starred in two episodes of "Arrow" as a reimagined version of the villain Shrapnel, who falls afoul of his orders on Waller's Suicide Squad. They're great appearances, and their brevity lets Maher handle his biggest role: being a dad with two children, alongside his partner.
Ron Glass
Any Western-styled saga has its preacher, and Shepherd Book fit the bill to a T. With a mysterious past, the ever-capable and pacifistic Book wasn't above defending those he cared for. He's the first big loss in "Serenity," defending the planet of Haven and proving to Captain Reynolds that staying on the run isn't the answer. Previously best known for his role on the sitcom cop procedural "Barney Miller," Ron Glass gave Book a gravitas and earthy humor that kept him relatable, even to fans who would prefer Mal's religious pessimism to faith.
Glass landed a few notable nighttime television roles after "Firefly," including appearing twice in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." as Dr. Streiten, one of the doctors who brought Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) back to life. He also featured in the American remake of "Death at a Funeral," ironically just missing Alan Tudyk, who co-starred in the British original.
Sadly, Glass died in 2016. The loss brought the crew of the "Firefly" and its fans together once more as online tributes poured in. That's also when it became known that Glass was a quiet philanthropist; donating his time and money to the Wooten Center, which helps Los Angeles kids embrace their educational potential.
Summer Glau
River Tam was the unfortunate victim of Whedon's version of the "strong female" shtick, aka the woman as a weapon trope. Driven into a fragile state by years of experimentation, while also granted combat abilities beyond normal limits — all to forge the best undercover assassin available — she could've been nothing more than a small, agile plot device character. Actor Summer Glau turned River into someone we wanted to see healed, even if only a little. By the end of "Serenity," she's earned that much. Glau would also follow Whedon after "Firefly" ended, appearing in four "Dollhouse" episodes as one of Topher's (Fran Kranz) scientific peers.
Glau later co-starred in the cult SF series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" as an advanced T-900 unit named Cameron, the latest Cyberdyne cyborg sent back in time to prevent John Connor's death. The actress won a second Saturn award in 2008, two years after she earned one for "Serenity." The actress went on to recur on "Arrow," as a reimagined Ravager named Isabel Rochev who eventually wrests Queen Consolidated from Oliver's control.
Adam Baldwin
Where Zoe was the martial mind of the group, Jayne Cobb was basic muscle. A mercenary with flexible loyalty, he nonetheless stayed by the Serenity crew's side when it mattered. It was clear there were depths to this lunk, and we can still hope Adam Baldwin will have the same hour of growth, eventually. While he reunited with Fillion in an episode of "Castle," and Torres on "911: Lone Star," he's also the guy the fans have to just sort of... accept.
A steady prime-time worker, Baldwin — not a member of the Hollywood Baldwin clan — landed his best role since "Firefly" as Commander Mike Slattery on "The Last Ship." Based on a novel, it traded its '80s Cold War nuclear holocaust for a biohorror viral pandemic. It wrapped in 2018, well before our real-world pandemic but it probably did nothing for Baldwin's mindset. A staunch conservative whose most notable post-"Firefly" nerd contribution is getting involved with the then-nascent Gamergate movement, he's since devolved to touting Ted Cruz's leadership potential and granting interviews to gaming rags whose stock and trade is making young men angry about "woke libs." At least the Jayne hat still rules.
Mark Sheppard
In only two episodes, Badger, a key underground figure and a master smuggler, became a breakout. He represented the grimiest side of the future and helped the Serenity crew secure money to keep flying. Veteran SFD actor Mark Sheppard had already guested on "Star Trek: Voyager" when he was tapped for the role, and there was clearly rich potential for Badger's future. Sheppard would also join Whedon for "Dollhouse," turning up three times as an FBI agent unconvinced of the Dollhouse's dangers.
Sheppard then recurred on the SyFy hit "Warehouse 13," graced seven episodes of "Battlestar Galactica," and growled his way through a term as the regnant king of Hell in Lucifer's absence for eight seasons of "Supernatural." But for discerning "Firefly" fans, he may be at his best in "Doom Patrol," as the scruffy chaos wizard Willoughby Kipling. Though he doesn't get much time versus the villainous Mr. Nobody (Tudyk), Sheppard is a treat in the later seasons, helping the Patrol face off against werebutts — trust us, just go with it — and zombies.
Christina Hendricks
Saffron represented Serenity's Irene Adler, as smart as Holmes' femme fatale yet still stymied by the rougher and gruffer Serenity team's antics. Using the involuntarily married trope to her advantage, Saffron, who returns with another plan in hand for quick profit, and still manages to win us over. Christina Hendricks was near the start of her career when she joined "Firefly," but the talent she'd offer in the years to come was right there in her fantastic portrayal of Mrs. Reynolds.
Hendricks evolved Saffron into the sharper Joan Harris on AMC's "Mad Men," earning six Emmy Award nominations for her work as a woman who leverages her skills and sexuality to find her own power in a misogynistic world. She's also in Nicholas Winding Refn's repertory company, appearing in both "Drive" and "The Neon Demon." Hendricks isn't above returning to SF on occasion, however. She lends her voice to "Solar Opposites," and also starred in Ryan Gosling's cult fantasy film "Lost River." Of all the cast, it may be Hendricks who moved the furthest away from a series still in our hearts.