Once We Were Spacemen | Episode 24
"Once We Filled German Niches with Flula Borg"
Hosts: Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk
Guest: Flula Borg
Release Date: April 22, 2026
Episode Overview
In this vibrant, winding episode, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk invite the multi-talented German entertainer Flula Borg for a deep-dive into his unique career trajectory, German cultural quirks, the art of nicheness, and the joys of playing chaos agents both on screen and off. Expect humor, anecdotes from across Hollywood and beyond, quirky family traditions, lightning questions with not-so-lightning answers, and honest talk about fame, fitness, and making your own luck.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Art of the Niche (03:55 – 07:43)
- Flula’s Unique Career Path:
- Flula is known for carving a “niche” out of unexpected, often accidental opportunities—what Nathan dubs “filling German niches.”
- Flula’s transition from German shoe-slap dancing (“schuplattler”) to accidental hype man and then to U.S. entertainment was largely unplanned.
- “I did not see the banana peel. I fell on it, slipped through the open door and then someone dumped yogurt into my mouth as I was unconscious. And that yogurt was employment in Los Angeles.” — Flula (09:52)
- Representation and National Pride:
- Proudly represents Erlangen, a small German town—“the western portion of Erlangen... west of the Marcus Kirche.” — Flula (04:34)
- Humble about recognition at home; more prized for personal memorabilia than celebrity status. (06:53)
2. Serendipity of Showbiz (08:04 – 13:16)
- From Techno to Hollywood:
- Flula was a techno DJ who won a Scion-sponsored “hype man” contest without understanding what a hype man does (09:04–09:27).
- Emphasizes embracing accidents, saying almost every creative path is accidental in hindsight (10:13).
- Mentors & Influences:
- Counts David Hasselhoff and Falco as distant “mentors” or “muses,” despite neither knowing him personally (13:16–13:45).
3. Found Family: Stories from Set and Beyond (14:31 – 22:28)
- Connections with Nathan and Alan:
- Meeting Flula on "Suicide Squad" and recurring together on "The Rookie," where Flula plays Skiptracer Randy—a character who constantly changes jobs (14:34–15:09).
- Conversation on performing German characters in Hollywood and the inevitable overlap with Alan’s own career: “You’ve killed a revenue stream for me” (21:39).
- Animated Connections:
- All three have worked on "Ralph Breaks the Internet," though didn’t record together (16:04–16:24).
4. Physical Transformation & Typecasting (26:10 – 29:51)
- Getting Ripped for Roles:
- Flula’s decision to become “jacked” for "Suicide Squad"—committing to fitness with trainer Paolo Maschiti:
- “You became an action hero... It’s like you’re carved out of marble.” — Nathan (27:30)
- Fitness opened up more villain roles, including in "My Spy: Eternal City" (28:33–29:14).
- Comedy vs. Drama:
- Flula played a serious, historical role in the biopic "Bonhoeffer," which required him to “rein in the maniacal brain farts” for subtlety (29:24–30:19).
- “My brain is a stable of horses. Sometimes I bring out the silly pony…and sometimes there's a little bit of a Seabiscuit.” — Flula (30:00)
5. Unusual Traditions & Family Backstories (17:27 – 19:56, 52:30 – 54:52)
- Frasierween:
- The Borg family tradition: a Frasier-themed costume party not tied to any holiday.
- "Everyone dresses up as a character or an inanimate object from the television show Frasier." — Flula (18:15)
- “There can be only one [Frasier].” (18:51)
- Fillion’s Easter Bunny Socks:
- Nathan shares his family’s Easter tradition: the Easter Bunny hides not just candy, but socks and underwear for the kids (52:42–54:52).
6. Internet Presence, Skits, & Unexpected Fame (40:00 – 44:53)
- YouTube and Social Media:
- Noted for creative gym sketches with Paolo and cleaning lady Yolanda (40:00–42:23).
- “She is the Robert De Niro of Nicaraguan origins cleaning lady actress.” — Flula (41:02)
- DJ mixes in rowboats, mother-involved rap covers, and viral videos brought unexpected internet stardom (43:19–43:48).
- International Recognition:
- “When I am in Germany, I get recognized as skip tracer Randy more than anything that I do.” — Flula (44:41)
7. Working on ‘The Rookie’ & Creative Play (57:01 – 59:45)
- Improvisation & Collaboration:
- Nathan praises Flula’s improvisational freedom; many improvised lines make the final cut (58:15–58:57).
- “No two takes are ever the same... you always throw in a little something different at the end.” — Nathan
- On Being a “Chaos Agent”:
- Flula is beloved on set for bringing “chaos” in the best way, which both cast and crew enjoy immensely (59:12–59:45).
8. Lightning Round: Absurdist Choices (35:50 – 39:08)
- Nathan leads Flula through a “Lightning Round," but Flula overanalyzes each question, turning quick answers into playful, surreal digressions:
- Folding vs. ironing? “Zero of the above. Hang.” — Flula (36:24)
- Roller coaster or carousel? “Roller coaster.” (36:46)
- Sharks or bears? “You gotta go nado all the way, baby.” (36:58)
- Cats or dogs? “For me to befriend the animal... oh, and sorry, what’s happening, Alan?” (37:29)
- Chicken or beef? “I’m on a roll. And I would just eat a little bit of tuna.” (38:59)
9. Personal Revelations & ‘Getting to Know You’ (48:09 – 52:28)
- Flula’s Snack Addiction:
- Former obsession with Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzel bites and Vanilla Jojo’s (48:25–48:59).
- Alan’s “Sober” Hack:
- Looks up “alcoholism” on stock photo sites—bad acting kills any desire to drink while down (49:27–52:07).
10. Reflections on Success & Joy (62:27 – 64:01)
- “Making it”:
- Winning the Scion hype-man contest and a viral YouTube video were pivotal moments:
- “It was like a signal for me... to continue to make fun things and stick around.” — Flula (62:33)
- On Enjoyment:
- “I like to make things that are fun and that other people find also fun. And that’s the whole point.” — Flula (64:01)
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- Flula on accidental success:
“It's like if someone said, give me your Venmo and I was like, which is not even an address, but then they still give Venmo to this non existent address. That's basically my career.” (63:29)
- On family traditions:
“A mythical rabbit delivers you undergarments.”
— Flula commenting on Nathan’s Easter bunny story (54:48)
- On working with friends:
“The Flula days are always fun days.” — Nathan (59:27)
- On comedy vs drama:
“It doesn't work if you're not there. Then I'm just an insane man that everyone doesn't enjoy.” — Flula (57:27)
- On embracing weirdness:
“I was kind of the main bad guy of his. Well, yes, yes, I was his main. Like I don't like you very much. I also don't like you. Let's bang bang, right?” (28:49)
- On improvising on set:
“Something you do always makes it to the air.” — Nathan to Flula on his improv (58:17)
Timestamps of Important Segments
- 03:55 – Discussion of nicheness and German representation
- 09:04 – Winning the Scion hype man contest
- 13:16 – Influences: David Hasselhoff and Falco
- 14:34 – The Rookie, Suicide Squad, and recurring Hollywood connections
- 21:39 – Casting, typecasting, and Alan's German character legacy
- 26:10 – Getting jacked for Suicide Squad
- 35:50 – Lightning Round (hilariously slow)
- 40:00 – Flula’s social media sketches: Paolo and Yolanda
- 44:41 – Fame in Germany as Skiptracer Randy
- 52:42 – Nathan’s Easter bunny and socks story
- 57:01 – Discussing improvisational freedom on The Rookie
- 62:33 – Flula's reflections on "making it"
- 64:01 – Philosophy of fun, fulfillment, and creative joy
Notable Moments of Humor and Authenticity
- Alan’s “sober” trick:
Alan’s confession that he avoids drinking when sad by browsing terrible stock photos of “alcoholics” (49:27–52:07).
- Frasierween:
The annual, non-specific date when everyone dresses up as some obscure character or concept from “Frasier” (18:15–19:56).
- Fanny pack pride:
“I am a little bit probably too proud of my fanny packs.” — Flula (07:45)
- Behind-the-scenes costuming chaos:
"It was like the Smurfs had captured Gaugamel, and they're just now cleaning him up." — Flula (35:26)
Takeaways
- Career success can stem from happy accidents and embracing uniqueness.
- Being the “chaos agent” is a gift, on set and in life.
- Honor the family quirks and traditions—they make the best stories.
- Community, collaboration, and joy fuel creativity – whether on “The Rookie,” “Suicide Squad,” or YouTube.
Final Thought
Flula’s joyful puzzlement at his own trajectory, Alan’s and Nathan’s warm camaraderie, and the delightful digressions make this an episode about the randomness of the creative journey: “There’s lots of terrible things. So why not just make something fun?”
Listen to "Once We Were Spacemen" for more behind-the-scenes chaos, camaraderie, and creativity.
