Once We Were Spacemen — Episode #1: “Once We Were Spacemen”

Release Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk

Episode Overview

In this lively debut, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk reflect on their decades-long friendship, the origins of their careers, and the indelible mark left by the cult TV series Firefly. Together, they set the stage for their new podcast: a blend of personal anecdotes, behind-the-scenes confessions, musings on acting, and the joys (and perils) of fandom. With trademark humor and camaraderie, they also outline the podcast’s future—inviting other creatives to share their own “once we were…” stories.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Meeting and Early Days (00:00 – 05:00)

• Alan’s First Impression of Nathan: Alan recounts their awkward beginnings, confessing initial envy over Nathan's “handsome guy” status and a (failed) competition for the same girlfriend.
  • Memorable Quote:
    • “I didn't like you when I first met you…I decided to compete with you for your girlfriend.” – Alan Tudyk (01:38)
• Recalling First Encounters: The infamous Mexican restaurant meeting (Harry’s Burritos) and Alan's unrequited affection.
  • Nostalgic Moment:
    • “My usual order? Chicken and black beans.” – Nathan Fillion (03:10)
• Becoming Friends Through Firefly: They reminisce about their first real bonding experiences during cast meetups.

2. Acting Careers and Definitions of Success (05:00 – 09:00)

• Movie Star or Not?: Lighthearted debate over the definitions of "movie star” versus “movie actor.”
• Getting to Know Each Other IRL: Their transition from colleagues to “buddies” and working together post-Firefly.

3. Sci-Fi Conventions & Fandom (07:00 – 09:59)

• Convention Highs and Lows: The unique energy and acceptance at fan conventions.
  • Panel Story:
    • “We raced each other around the room and it was a hoot.” – Alan Tudyk on mobility scooter hijinks (08:18)
• Audience vs. Podcasting:
  • “On the panels…there is a live audience who is not just a live audience. They are…a stacked deck. They will laugh at anything.” – Nathan Fillion (09:21)

4. The Birth of the Podcast (09:59 – 12:00)

• Naming Dilemmas: Previous title contenders, like “Don’t Cancel This One” (“It kind of touched on the show, but it has a negative connotation.” – Nathan, 11:00) and “Meant to Be.”
• Why ‘Once We Were Spacemen’:
  • “Once we were spacemen…kind of tied us in. It touches Firefly but leaves it open for whatever direction we want to go to.” – Nathan Fillion (12:54)

5. Giving Away Crap & Merch Ideas (13:18 – 16:43)

• Panel Gifts: They recall giving away random “crap” to fans, from backup rat traps to the proposed future of podcast swag.
• Legendary Merch Brainstorm:
  • The “Personal Magnitude” bottled water, inspired by fake self-help guru photo sessions at Walmart.
    • “We took some dramatic poses. And then the idea was to put that photo on a bottle of water and call it Personal Magnitude.” – Nathan Fillion (15:21)
  • Alan's new product idea: “powdered water—just add water.” (16:30)

6. Clowning, Training, and Alan’s Joys (16:43 – 19:20)

• On Clowns: Alan’s passion for clowning and its misunderstood joy.
  • “Clowns are here to give joy. They are joyful creatures.” – Alan Tudyk (16:59)
  • “If you get a European clown, they are the simplest. They’re Laurel and Hardy, they’re Buster Keaton.” – Alan Tudyk (17:22)
• Discovery and Craft:
  • The impact of clowning on Alan’s method; how he would “wake up in his own body” to practice discovery and presence (23:02–24:21).
• Nathan on Alan’s Process:
  • “You don’t scratch the surface of anything. You crack the surface, you pry it apart, you get into the sticky bits underneath…” – Nathan Fillion (21:08)

7. Mutual Admiration and Acting Styles (25:15 – 27:12)

• Alan credits Nathan as an instinctual actor, while Nathan praises Alan’s dedication and “deep-dive” techniques.
• Friendly banter about stage vs. screen sensibilities and what each brings to the table.

8. Firefly’s Lasting Impact (29:06 – 35:53)

• Personal and Professional Change:
  • “Firefly changed my life…personally, professionally.” – Alan Tudyk (29:12)
  • Alan’s move from NYC to LA, joining Nathan’s Halo gaming group, and becoming best friends.
• First Experiences with Fandom:
  • Alan’s autograph story:
    • “I signed it with my signature that's on my checks, my legal signature. And they looked at and said, I can't read this. What is this? This is your signature? No, this is nothing…Sign it so I can tell.” (32:18)
  • The enduring friendships and memories forged at conventions.

9. Typecasting, Robots, and Secrets (36:40 – 39:47)

• Robot Roles: Alan jokes about potentially being typecast, but Nathan reframes it:
  • “You, Alan Tudyk, have created the new standard for what we culturally accept…Oh, that’s what a robot would be like if we made one.” – Nathan Fillion (37:39)
• Casting and NDA Culture: Both lament how many current projects they “can’t talk about,” cites to NDA culture in Hollywood.

10. Revelations and Personal Quirks (42:07 – 49:49)

• The “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” Game:
  • Alan: Has a deep aversion to tableside cheese service at restaurants.
    • “That whole experience is so upsetting to me. It is disquieting. It makes me want to jump out of my skin.” (43:40)
  • Nathan: Despises when airplane seat neighbors use his seatback to get up or down.
    • His passive-aggressive solution: adjusting his own seat to “educate” them.
    • Also, Nathan’s penchant for polite revenge, like car magnets that read, “It is quite possible you are a fine human being…but you park like an asshole.” (49:13)

11. Smoking Regrets and Friendship Milestones (53:53 – 58:29)

• Alan’s Regret: Smoking for 19 years—quit with Nathan’s support (and a few pranks involving shocking lighters).
• Nathan’s Intervention:
  • “Alan, I love you as a friend and I don’t want you to keep doing this. It kills you.” – Nathan Fillion (56:20)
• Dan Band Story: The odd power of peer influence and a surreal backstage encounter motivates Alan to finally quit.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Alan’s envy:
  “You create enemies where there are no enemies because you decide to compete. You're always in some form of competition…” (01:41)
• Fan convention confession:
  “Those panels are so much fun because you are among friends. It feels like a party. And somebody gave you the microphone for the party…” – Alan (07:38)
• Panel hi-jinks:
  “You bought, so I borrowed one as well. And we raced each other around the room and it was a...hoot.” – Alan (08:18)
• On typecasting as a robot:
  “Guys, we're gonna need Alan Tudyk.” – Nathan (37:46)
• Alan’s “clown joy”:
  “Clowns bring me joy…They are joyful creatures.” (17:09)
• Regret and support:
  “I gotta tell you, you've been a grand friend for a very long time. I admire you… I can't just fathom losing you to a cigarette.” – Nathan (56:42)

Episode Structure & Timeline

• 00:00–04:00 – Early misadventures, first meetings, and cast introductions.
• 05:00–09:00 – Reflections on stardom, conventions, audience dynamics.
• 09:59–12:54 – Podcast naming conversation and vision.
• 13:18–16:43 – Panels, “crap” giveaways, merch brainstorms.
• 16:43–19:20 – Clowning and the discovery mindset.
• 21:08–29:06 – Deep-dive on acting philosophies and mutual admiration.
• 29:06–35:53 – Firefly’s impact, signature anecdotes, friendships.
• 36:40–41:47 – Acting, robots, and secrecy in the industry.
• 42:07–49:49 – “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” game & personal quirks.
• 53:53–58:29 – Alan’s journey quitting smoking and friendship tales.
• 58:48–59:59 – Closing thoughts, meta-commentary on the episode’s round-about focus.

Tone & Style

Nathan and Alan’s banter is unfiltered, warm, and filled with playful jabs. They weave personal, professional, and fan experiences together with self-deprecating wit and an inside look at Hollywood’s creative corners.

What’s Next

Though this episode takes a winding route through their friendship and histories, Nathan and Alan promise future episodes with more stories—Firefly and beyond—and “spaces” for fellow creatives to reveal the surprising turns on their own paths.

For fans old and new, this episode is both a love letter to creative camaraderie and an invitation to join the journey—however unexpected its destination may be.

Listen for:

• Convention chaos (08:18)
• Alan’s clown musings (17:09)
• The “Personal Magnitude” bottled water pitch (15:21)
• Cheesy confessions (43:40)
• Passive-aggressive air travel tactics (47:04)
• Alan’s story of quitting smoking—with “shocking” support (54:36)

Skip:

• Intros, outros, and Patreon/credits sections.

“This is basically what we do when we hang out. Just with less weed.”
– Alan Tudyk (59:27)