The 12 Best Nathan Fillion Movies And TV Shows, Ranked

When it comes to sheer charisma, few actors manage to exude it as well as Nathan Fillion. He's been a staple across film and television for the past few decades, playing a wide range of characters that run the gamut of genres. He can deliver comedic lines with the best of them, even dipping into cocky territory without ever coming across like a bad guy. But he's also an extremely talented dramatic actor, grounding the outlandish worlds of "Firefly" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with genuine pathos. 

Plenty of actors are lucky if they get to lead one TV series. Fillion has been the protagonist of several because people just can't seem to get enough of him. Even when he only has a few minutes of screen time, he commands every second. With over 100 credits to his filmography, it's tough to narrow it down to a top 12. However, I firmly believe that the following performances exemplify everything great about the actor. They're not simply the best projects he's been part of but give him a chance to show why he's never unemployed. These are the best Nathan Fillion movies and TV shows you need to put on your watchlist. 

Normally, people freak out when a Marvel movie introduces a new character from the comics or teases an Easter egg of what's to come. But no doubt plenty of audiences reenacted the Leonardo DiCaprio meme during "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," pointing to the screen and saying, "Hey, that's Nathan Fillion!"

He plays Master Karja, an Orgocorp security guard. His screen time is minimal, but at least we finally get to see his face within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He voiced an inmate in the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie. Plus, he filmed a brief cameo for "Vol. 2," but sadly, it was left on the cutting room floor. Director James Gunn, a frequent Fillion collaborator, made it up to him though by giving him a pretty great action sequence where he floats through the air as the Guardians make their escape. 

The role proves how adept Fillion is at pure slapstick comedy. The face he makes while flying through the air can put a smile on anyone's face, and it's easy to see why Gunn gets him for these small roles. It's the perfect example of how there aren't any small parts, just small actors, and Fillion isn't one of them. 

Season 2 of Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" introduces Lemony Snicket's (Patrick Warburton) dashing brother, Jacques. And when you need someone to play the role of dashing hero, no one fits the bill better than Nathan Fillion. He gets a total hero's entrance in the episode "The Austere Academy: Part 2" when he rescues Larry (Patrick Breen) from a refrigerator. Jacques even tries to bring the villainous Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris) to justice, but it's no good reasoning with a demented mind like Olaf's, who winds up killing Jacques. 

It's a small role but one that makes good use of Fillion's talents. It really does feel like if there's anyone who could stop Count Olaf, it would be this guy. He's calm, cool, and collected, a pastiche of the types of heroes Fillion has made a career out of playing. However, as the title of the show alludes, life is extremely unfair and filled with tragic events. 

"Saving Private Ryan" has been heralded as one of the most accurate war movies of all time. It's unflinching in its portrayal of a group of American troops that have been tasked with finding Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon) as all of his brothers have already been killed in action. Earlier in the film, it seems as though their mission is about to come to a close as they encounter James Frederick Ryan, played by Nathan Fillion, except they realize they have the wrong man with a similar name. 

"Saving Private Ryan" contains an exceptional cast. Even the actors who only get a couple of minutes to shine make full use of their performance, and that goes double for Fillion. His role's brief, but you can feel his heartbreak upon thinking his brother has just died despite still being in grammar school. In all honesty, it's a darkly comedic moment, as John H. Miller's (Tom Hanks) unit thinks they're about to be done with all this, only to realize they still have a long, arduous journey in front of them. 

There's a fine line between being charismatic and cocky, and Nathan Fillion knows how to walk it better than anyone. While many of his characters are suave, he can deviate into jerkiness without hesitation. It works well for some of his more antagonistic characters, especially Preston Northwest of "Gravity Falls." He's the father of Pacifica (Jackie Buscarino), the snobby rich girl in town, and it's easy to see where she gets her poor attitude. Her parents are just as condescending (maybe moreso) than her, as they look down amongst the poorer residents of Gravity Falls.

Fillion brings an ideal smugness to the part, especially when he tries to become a minion to villain Bill Cipher (Alex Hirsch) and says, "I would just like to say that as a rich capitalist I welcome your tyrannical rule." What follows is a surprising display of body horror in a Disney show. "Gravity Falls" ended after only two seasons, but Hirsch, the show's creator, wouldn't mind bringing it back in another medium like a video game. If he does, hopefully Fillion can return to give us more great line readings.

James Gunn has largely kept Nathan Fillion tucked away in supporting roles, but for one of his earlier directorial efforts, he put the actor front and center. "Slither" follows a parasitic alien invasion of a small town, turning its residents into a hive mind and pushing its R-rating to its limit. Only a select few manage to avoid the creatures' reach, and that includes police chief Bill Pardy (Fillion). 

"Slither" would come to be a calling card of sorts for Gunn, combining weird sci-fi with horror and comedy. It takes a special kind of actor to navigate the myriad emotions and tones the film goes through, with Fillion perfectly reaching those heights. He's in full action hero mode shooting up aliens and delivering quips while still simultaneously selling the horror aspect. Plus, Fillion has the kind of small town charm that makes him believable as an officer reacting as politely as possible to a bloated woman filled with extraterrestrial slugs. 

Who's to say a superhero can't also be a pompous knucklehead? Nathan Fillion would show the world just how likable a jerk could be as Guy Gardner in "Superman" (more on that in a bit), but his performance as Captain Hammer in 2008's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" could be seen as a precursor to that.

Joss Whedon funded "Dr. Horrible" himself at a relatively paltry $200,000, but the result was pure web-based bliss. The miniseries follows the supervillain Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) who wants to enter the Evil League of Evil but has to do something really heinous to receive the honor. The only problem is that he's foiled at every turn by Captain Hammer, both in his pursuit of evil and getting the girl of his dreams, Penny (Felicia Day). Oh, and the whole thing is also a musical. 

In a way, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" predates a lot of what would become commonplace in the social media age, like live vlogging your every thought. It's not even that odd for people to livestream themselves committing crimes, so Dr. Horrible talking about his next evil move isn't unheard of these days. As for Fillion, he's a surprisingly great singer and fully understands the jerky nature of the character. Action, comedy, horror, sci-fi, and now musicals? Geez Fillion, leave some talent for the rest of us. 

Nathan Fillion has a real knack for playing over-the-top archetypes. It's like he knows he has the rugged good looks of an A-list actor but uses that to his advantage performing the silliest things. It's easy to forget he can be a downright great dramatic actor when he wants to be, as shown in 2007's "Waitress." The indie flick, which would go on to become a Broadway musical, follows small-town waitress Jenna (Keri Russell) who's trying to escape an abusive marriage while having an affair with Dr. Jim Pomatter (Fillion), who's married himself. 

Despite such heavy themes, there's ample comedy in "Waitress" as well that Fillion naturally soars at. But what really sells the entire film is his chemistry with Russell. You know going in their relationship is doomed. Even if Jenna wants to actively leave her marriage for a good reason, getting with her doctor violates all sorts of ethical and moral codes. And yet, you can't help but root for them as she's managed to find some semblance of happiness in the world (at least until her child is born). Someone else must've realized the pair's chemistry is undeniable, as they were also cast as Princess Diana and Steve Trevor in the 2009 animated "Wonder Woman" movie. 

2025's "Superman" isn't the first time Nathan Fillion has played a Green Lantern. He's voiced iterations of the character before in animated films like "The Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen." He clearly has the voice to play an intergalactic hero, but James Gunn finally gave him the chance to play one in live action. And to no one's surprise, he nailed the role. 

Guy Gardner is very different from how other Green Lanterns, namely Hal Jordan and John Stewart, are portrayed. He's typically not noble; instead, he's kind of a jerk more times than not, serving as a nice contrast to the Man of Steel (David Corenswet). He's a far more jaded hero who seems to prefer basking in the limelight than actual doing any heroics, until the very end when he helps the people of Jarhanpur. It gives him a nice, little arc to show how anyone can become inspired by Superman to be better. 

Pretty much every line delivery Fillion has in this film is gold. Even when he's just at a diner eating Fruity Pebbles, especially with that haircut, it's a riot. "Superman" really does feel like the apex of the actor's partnership with James Gunn, who understands no one can say silly lines to cut through the tension quite like Fillion.

Nathan Fillion doesn't get enough credit for being an incredibly versatile actor. Yes, he can fill in for supporting roles where he plays slimy dirtbags, but he can also be incredibly sweet and sincere. He has a clear understanding of what's needed for a given character, which allows for something like "The Rookie" to last for years. 

Fillion plays John Nolan, who begins the series as a 45-year-old divorcee who decides to upend his life and start a new career as a police officer. It's a young man's game, and John faces all sorts of trials and tribulations trying to navigate this new world. But as the series goes on, the character wins over many naysayers to become a respected name in the field. 

There's little sarcasm and ingratiating behavior here. Instead, Nolan sees Fillion at his most optimistic. He's a kind soul in a world that far too often wants to descend into darkness. You need that kind of charisma in a show like this because not just any cop show can succeed, as evidenced by ABC cancelling the spinoff series, "The Rookie: Feds," after just one season.

Season 7 is generally seen as one of the weaker "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" seasons. It's hard when a show has pretty much already reached its peak but has to keep going anyway, but if there's any bright spot in the final batch of episodes, it's Nathan Fillion's performance as Caleb.

The big bad for the final go-round is The First, but it's hard to make him a compelling threat when his whole deal is not having a physical form. To get audiences invested, there had to be some kind of corporeal bad guy for the Scooby gang to go up against, and Fillion knocked it out of the park. Granted, he only appears in the final five episodes, but what a way to go out. Caleb is a sadistic priest and serial killer who goes around killing any potential other slayers. 

A lot of Fillion's best film and TV roles see him playing jerks. He may be brash and a bit dim-witted, but you can usually tell there's some good in there. He may be an antagonist like in "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," but he's rarely played a straight-up villain throughout his long career. He kills it as Caleb, and in another timeline, he could've had a steady career playing twisted sociopaths. Maybe it's for the best he went down a more righteous path instead. 

When "Castle" first aired in 2009, Nathan Fillion had been a leading man plenty of times before. He could sell drama and comedy equally well and bring a sense of humor to any role. With that in mind, Richard Castle, the titular role from "Castle," feels tailor-made for him. 

Castle's a mystery novelist who takes a liking to actual police work once a copycat killer uses one of his stories as the basis for their crimes. He begins shadowing actual detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), and the two make for an ideal odd couple. Beckett's all business while Castle brings a greater level of naivety to the proceedings. He's a bit of a man child, often coming up with wild theories as to how a certain crime was committed, and everyone's astonished when, some of the time, he turns out to be right. He's snarky but so lovable that you can't help but root for him, especially when you get scenes of him raising his daughter largely by himself. 

There's also the will they/won't they dynamic between Castle and Beckett throughout much of the show's run. It's long been rumored that the pair had a difficult relationship behind the scenes, but you couldn't tell watching them on "Castle." The show makes full use of Fillion's natural charming personality that could be aggravating on anyone else but makes you want to watch eight seasons of it here.

Both Joss Whedon and James Gunn seem to understand what makes Nathan Fillion such a compelling actor on a fundamental level. It doesn't matter if he's the lead or providing comedic relief; he brings a self-assuredness to any role, navigating deftly between comedic and dramatic beats. That's why it's easy to say that the best Nathan Fillion role of all time is that of Mal Reynolds on "Firefly" and its subsequent film, "Serenity." 

In the space western, Mal leads his crew on the Serenity through the galaxy doing all sorts of odd jobs. He's not above breaking the law with some smuggling here and there, but at the end of the day, he tries to do what's right and stand up for the little guy. Mal's the exemplification of every other major role Fillion would do so well. He has action hero chops and isn't always pleasant, but he still has a moral compass. Many of the best Mal Reynolds moments in "Firefly" involve precisely that, like returning medicine he stole to a town that needs it in "The Train Job."

"Firefly" notably got cancelled after just one season. "Serenity" helped tie up loose ends, but the internet has been filled with the cries of fans who wanted to see more. Even though "Firefly" met a swift demise, its legacy lives on, with Fillion continuing to be a welcome face in any geeky sphere since. Mal Reynolds isn't just the best Fillion performance; "Firefly" and "Serenity" helped cement his career and allow him to be a welcome presence wherever he went after.