Once We Were Spacemen
Episode #3: Once We Were Scrappers
Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk
November 19, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode centers on Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk—two friends, actors, and “former spacemen”—reflecting on their careers, lasting friendship, and creative resilience. Together, they recount stories from auditioning, taking risks, and making bold (sometimes disastrous) choices, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the acting business and the critical role of creative partnerships, perseverance, and humor. Both recount failures and unexpected triumphs, celebrate each other’s successes, and underscore the power of supportive friendships in show business.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Nature of Creative Scrappiness
Tudyk on Auditioning and Typecasting
- Alan describes being a “scrapper” artist, still auditioning despite a long, varied career (“People go, we know he can be a robot, but can he be a robot? Who cares? And so I have to audition for that, too.” [00:00])
- Alan routinely plays “weird people, usually aliens and robots and things that don't have romance.” [00:23]
Nathan on Getting Passed Over for “Nathan Fillion Types”
- Nathan highlights the oddities of Hollywood casting: “I once didn't get a job where they were looking for a Nathan Fillion type.” [00:41]
2. Friendship, Banter, and Loyalty in Creative Life
Mutual Ribbing Builds Trust
- Nathan cites an article saying friends who tease each other are more likely to remain loyal: “If anyone needs to take you down a peg, you can count on those ones to do that for you.” [01:13]
Recounting Resident Alien Memories
- The two recall Nathan’s guest role as “42,” an octopus, in Resident Alien — including an over-the-top death scene and a dramatic attempt at octopus CPR.
- “When you died, I insisted on giving you chest compressions… when you’re an octopus, it’s its own death sentence.” - Alan [03:31]
- “Honor my life by eating my dead body in a butter sauce with a nice Chardonnay.” - Nathan [04:34]
Notable Quote:
- “It was an honorable death. Honor my life by eating my dead body in a butter sauce with a nice... Like a really nice Chardonnay.” (Nathan Fillion, [04:34])
3. Missed Collaborations, Unlikely Successes
Attempts to Work Together
- Nathan tried to get Alan on Castle, but scheduling and work conflicts prevented it.
- “You kept having these near death or would actually die and come back… I was convinced you were Bruce Willis from… Unbreakable.” [05:21]
- “We did get to work together in The Rookie.” [06:14]
Alan’s Canadian Conundrum
- Alan shares about Resident Alien’s distribution issues in Canada, with Canadian fans knowing him only from his Rookie role [07:12].
Mutual Admiration
- “You were a big hit… People enjoy your company. They like having you around. They enjoy watching what you create, but they have to spend the day with you. And I think that's for them, the worthier part.” - Nathan [07:47]
4. "What Were You Thinking?" – Creative Gambles
Alan on Con Man
- Alan details the rocky start behind his series Con Man: losing representation, being told not to pursue it by agents, failing to get the pilot picked up, and ultimately pivoting to crowdfunding to massive success.
- "My agent said, if you keep pursuing Con Man, we can't be your agents anymore… you're not making any money. You keep turning things down that get in the way of Con Man.” [12:03]
- Crowdfunding led to $3 million, a game, comic books, and industry recognition. [12:33]
- Notable cast in the fundraiser promo included James Gunn, Seth Green, and even support from William Shatner. [13:18]
Notable Quote:
- “I'm still pitching the movie, by the way… I have, I've got ears out… They always write something down. I don’t know what they said. Never in a million years. I don't know what they're writing, but they always write something down.” - Nathan [15:07]
5. Auditions & Humbling Experiences
Alan’s “Haunting” Audition Stories
- Alan once nearly blew his chance at Resident Alien because the casting director remembered when he played a blind swordsman for laughs, not as requested ([17:47])
- “There's a reason why I was 104, because she didn't want to call me.” [18:20]
Nathan’s Audition Horror Story
- Nathan tells of a sweltering, 109-degree, two-hour wait for a one-page, phone-call audition, eventually walking out after a testy exchange: “That’s a whole room of people who will never, ever hire me, ever. What was I thinking?” [20:39]
6. Absurdities of the Industry – Cut Scenes & Roles
Roles Lost and Bullet Dodged
- Both actors recount near-misses: losing out on roles, being cut from films (Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for Nathan; Rocket Raccoon for Alan), or projects they’re glad not to be associated with.
- “Sometimes you say, I don't mind… Sometimes you think, oh, that would have been great if I could have been in just a little bit.” - Nathan [33:27]
- Alan notes if he’d been cast as Rocket Raccoon, he’d have missed an opportunity to be in Star Wars: “I would have been busy and I wouldn’t have been up for doing another motion capture role.” [34:32]
Notable Moment:
- Nathan’s comic retelling of a cut Deadpool scene: “I remember I was the bathroom attendant in the strip club. Morena worked in. And Ryan Reynolds comes in…” [32:51]
7. Worst Advice Ever Given & Best Mentors
Alan’s Bad Advice Story
- A hometown mentor urged him not to attend Juilliard:
- “Don’t go to Juilliard. They can’t teach you anything that you don’t already know.” [35:02]
Nathan’s Mixed Advice
- Soap acting mentor, Bob Woods, gave step-by-step career advice about leaving a steady job for riskier opportunities, all of which came true [36:41]
- Contrasted by bad peer advice:
- “You have a job, you have a steady gig as an actor and you’re going to let it go on a chance in some other city where nobody knows you? Are you crazy?” [37:18]
8. What’s Next? Creativity and Aging in Showbiz
On Quitting and Reinvention
- Alan shares a recurring impulse to “quit” acting, his desire to write more, and debates whether to seize new creative opportunities. Humorous resignation: “I think I'm always going to be quitting.” [24:10]
- Nathan predicts Alan would always end up acting in his own writing: “You're playing that step back, and now you're in it.” [25:03]
On Fear and Directing
- Alan opens up about his fear of rejection in asking directors to join Con Man, which led to him taking on too much himself [25:21]
- “Fear of rejection. That’s real.” [25:41]
9. Nostalgia: Rebooting Childhood Shows & The Firefly Pitch
Firefly Revival Fan Fiction
- Alan describes an imagined Firefly revival with an older Mal Reynolds assembling a new crew: “I would do the thing that ... somebody lands on some distant moon somewhere ... and older Mal Reynolds opens the door...” [26:22]
- Both reminisce fondly on shows like Simon & Simon, MASH, and Gilligan’s Island, playfully debating which character they'd be in a reboot. [27:23–28:50]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
“It was an honorable death. Honor my life by eating my dead body in a butter sauce with a nice Chardonnay.”
— Nathan Fillion ([04:34])
“I'm still pitching the movie, by the way… I have, I've got ears out, you know, people listening... They always write something down. I don’t know what they said. Never in a million years. I don't know what they're writing, but they always write something down.”
— Nathan Fillion ([15:07])
“Don’t go to Juilliard. They can’t teach you anything that you don’t already know.”
— Alan Tudyk ([35:02])
“We are still spacemen. Once you’re a spaceman, that’s it, man. There’s never… you can’t go back. No, you go out to the black. There’s no coming back.”
— Nathan Fillion ([37:53])
“I'm really good at making errors. I just. So I know that whatever I am doing is meant to be because I screw up a lot. I just—I make bold choices when I audition.”
— Alan Tudyk ([23:21])
Important Segments & Timestamps
| Segment Description | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Alan on always auditioning, being a “scrapper” | 00:00–00:23 | | Resident Alien, “42” octopus death scene | 01:49–04:46 | | Friendship and mutual support in showbiz | 07:20–08:33 | | Con Man’s crowdfunding origin story | 09:41–12:33 | | Audition horror stories (Alan then Nathan) | 15:50–21:45 | | On being cut from movies and near-misses | 32:41–34:58 | | Worst career advice each received | 35:02–37:06 | | Firefly revival fan-fiction discussion | 26:22–27:18 |
Final Reflections
Nathan and Alan, through candid stories and fast-paced banter, illuminate the highs and lows of creative careers—marked by resilience, failures, and the value of camaraderie. The episode is a testament to embracing missteps, laughing at yourself, and always remaining a "spaceman" at heart.
Tone & Style
Throughout the episode, both hosts display a mixture of warmth, quick-witted humor, and self-deprecating charm. Their casual, affectionate ribbing underscores a deep mutual respect and highlights the importance of supportive friendships in an uncertain industry. Conversation is peppered with inside jokes, honest confessions, and a sense of playful irreverence towards the absurdities of Hollywood.
This summary covers the episode’s main content and most memorable exchanges, providing a comprehensive guide for those who missed this rich and amusing conversation between two of Hollywood’s most beloved ‘spacemen.’