Once We Were Spacemen
Episode 16: "Once We Sold Dead Snakes"
Hosts: Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk
Date: February 25, 2026
Episode Overview
In this entertaining and nostalgic episode, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk engage in a wide-ranging conversation about their earliest jobs, childhood schemes, adolescent adventures, and the lifelong pursuit of humor and creativity. The hosts share stories of odd jobs (yes, even selling dead snakes), their roads to independence, and vivid memories of bullying, supportive families, and learning to stand up for themselves.
The episode is rich with their trademark banter, punctuated by hilarious tangents, personal confessions, and reflections on the ingredients that shaped their unique comedic voices. Listeners get a window into Nathan and Alan’s formative years—complete with life lessons, confessions about questionable entrepreneurial activities, and the ways their childhoods paved the way for their distinctive careers in Hollywood.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Early Entrepreneurship and Unusual First Jobs
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Alan's Legendary First Job (00:03, 06:52)
- Sold a dead snake door-to-door as a child for a silver dollar.
"I found a dead snake and went door to door until I sold it for a silver dollar."
— Alan Tudyk [00:03] - Recounts early hustles: babysitting, weeding (charging per weed), washing cars.
- Memorable Quote:
"If I don't get the root, you don't have to pay me. Because it'll just grow back!"
— Alan Tudyk [07:54]
- Sold a dead snake door-to-door as a child for a silver dollar.
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Nathan's First Gig (14:02)
- Worked at a trophy shop assembling team photos and frames for youth sports.
"I was the kid who slid the team photo in, slid your photo in. Some glue stick on the back of that thing. Put it on there. Wow. That was my job."
— Nathan Fillion [14:42]
- Worked at a trophy shop assembling team photos and frames for youth sports.
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Questionable Childhood Schemes (08:14)
- Nathan shares a story about a friend's small-town scam—selling fake raffle tickets made on a church mimeograph.
"That's the devil's work. They're going into the house of God to print up lies for money."
— Alan Tudyk [09:33]
- Nathan shares a story about a friend's small-town scam—selling fake raffle tickets made on a church mimeograph.
2. The Art of Independence: Paper Routes and Babysitting
- Alan describes being a paperboy with two routes (10:09), managing collections and dodging dogs, all fueled by his early desire for financial independence.
- Both discuss how allowances and small jobs built resourcefulness and awareness of the value of money.
- Nathan relates the shock of taxation on young workers and his brotherly allowance story.
"I remember taking a dollar bill and tearing it right down the middle, saying, here's your allowance..."
— Nathan Fillion [13:43]
- Nathan relates the shock of taxation on young workers and his brotherly allowance story.
3. Creative Childhoods: Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Book Lending
- Alan started renting out his collection of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books at school.
"I was renting books to children, to my fellow students. Step right Up. What you need is a choose your own adventure book right here."
— Alan Tudyk [12:20] - Nathan admits to cheating the system by keeping his fingers in the book to go back if he didn't like the outcome.
"I'd keep my finger in the book... At some point, I remember having, like, four to eight fingers in there."
— Nathan Fillion [12:44]
4. Growing Up: Favorite Ages, Mobility, & Weather
- Both reminisce about the freedoms and challenges of childhood and adolescence.
- Alan cites pre-puberty and suburban unsupervised outdoor play as his happiest phase (23:36), while Nathan laments the harsh Canadian winters curtailing his adventures (19:06).
- Discussion on childhood transportation: Nathan's red Yamaha Townie scooter leading to stories of independence, mobility, and inevitable crashes (20:18).
"There's a lot of independence when I was a little guy, when I was young, man."
— Nathan Fillion [21:09] - Alan: "I wrecked a couple times on mine." [21:14]
5. On Bullies, Bad Teachers & Standing Up for Yourself
Alan’s Bully Story: Sammy (24:34 - 29:05)
- Vivid account of being picked on by "Sammy," a legendary local bully, and seeking advice from his father.
- Follows dad's advice to curse at the bully, only to be reported and beaten up—full circle in the elementary arms race of telling-on and revenge.
"I had to do it. ... Like you, you made me... I felt like I stood up to the bully, and he pussied out and told on me..."
— Alan Tudyk [28:02]
Nathan’s Teacher Story (31:12 - 36:47)
- Nathan shares about a math teacher who publicly belittled students, separating them into "smart" and "stupid" groups.
- With his teacher-parents' encouragement, Nathan bravely demands a public apology.
"Mr. K, you insulted me in front of the class. I would prefer if you apologized to me in front of the class..."
— Nathan Fillion [36:20]
Alan’s Teacher Showdown (37:22 - 41:15)
- An old-school substitute refuses Alan’s request to rinse ink from his mouth. Alan leaves anyway, gets support from classmates, and earns respect—and even "protection" from a football player.
"He said, 'If you get up and you leave here, don't come back.' And I said, I don't care. I don’t want to come back."
— Alan Tudyk [39:19]
6. Family, Support, and Black Sheep Status
- Alan and Nathan reflect on whether their families truly "got" their humor and creative choices.
- Alan: "I think they do appreciate my humor. I think they do. I really do... They know I'm a little [out there]." [63:45]
- Nathan: "My folks are extremely supportive and love to live vicariously through me..." [65:43]
- Cherished moments of making their parents laugh, earning respect through oddball pursuits (unicycling, comedy, costumes).
7. Culinary Boundaries & Odd Food
- Alan’s rule: no animal "cheeks."
"I don't eat cheeks. I won’t eat cheeks...You eat their face. Man, that zombie shit, that's not... That's not good."
— Alan Tudyk [42:19] - Nathan agrees: "There's something very Hannibal Lecter about eating the face. I just feel like that's where I draw the line." [43:05]
- Extended riff on face vs. rump (butt) meat, fish cheeks, and Botox warnings:
"If you get to a point where your facial expression is frozen, somebody might eat your face."
— Alan Tudyk [45:17]
8. The Improviser's Mindset: Jokes They "Wrote"
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Nathan quizzes Alan on lines he improvised in his movies ([50:10]-[51:23]):
- Tucker & Dale: "God damn, he's heavy for half a guy." [50:38]
- Wreck-It Ralph: "Oh, you hit a guy with glasses. Well played."
- Rogue One: Messes with his lines, makes up "prisoners... which I'm taking to prison to imprison them in prison."
"A lot of the lines in Rogue One are mine because when we made that movie, the script kept changing..."
— Alan Tudyk [51:25]
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Nathan’s own ad-lib in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, culminating in him yelling, "That's lunch," after a scene—with the filmmakers keeping his improv in the final cut. [56:41]
9. The Power of Comedy & Collaboration
- Alan and Nathan emphasize their respect for writers, asserting that comedy is a team sport and the best lines often come from collaboration or set-based riffing.
"By no means do I think or does Alan think that we're smarter than writers... but comedy, especially, is a team sport."
— Nathan Fillion [61:21]
10. Oddball Talents, High School Antics, & Aging
- Alan details his senior year costume choices: lunch lady attire, giant sombrero, hairnets—early seeds of performance.
- Nathan confesses to mastering the unicycle as a form of setting himself apart.
- Tangent about aging, stunts, and the realization (painful and hilarious) that they're now the age of the Golden Girls (49:26-50:07):
"It's a sad thing that happens. We're the same age. We're in our 50s... We're the age of the Golden Girls."
— Nathan Fillion [49:26]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Making Odd Jobs Work:
"If I don't get the root, you don't have to pay me. Because it'll just grow back."
— Alan Tudyk [07:54] -
Growing Up Suburban:
"We played flashlight tag at night... tried not to get leeches, catch tadpoles... unsupervised, until my mom would call us in."
— Alan Tudyk [23:36] -
On Standing Up to Bullies:
"I stood up to the bully, and he pussied out and told on me. ... I felt like I had. ... And then he bounced my head off of a locker."
— Alan Tudyk [28:02] -
Improvised Classic - Rogue One:
"Where are you taking these prisoners? ... I am taking them to imprison them in prison."
— Alan Tudyk [52:21]
Important Segment Timestamps
- Alan Sells a Dead Snake: 00:03–00:31 / 06:52–07:25
- Theme & Banter: 00:42–02:23
- Childhood Jobs & Hustles: 07:44–12:20
- Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Lending: 11:43–12:34
- Family & Allowance Stories: 13:14–14:41
- Favorite Ages/Seasons: 18:39–20:01
- Bully Stories: 24:34–29:45 (Alan), 31:12–36:59 (Nathan)
- On Eating Animal "Cheeks": 42:19–45:16
- Improvised Movie Lines Riff: 50:10–54:31
- Reflection on Family Support: 64:08–65:37
Episode Highlights & Tone
- Nostalgic, candid, mischievous, and warm—Nathan and Alan are in top form, balancing irreverence with vulnerability.
- Banter is rapid-fire, peppered with callbacks, movie references, and improv detours.
- Humor is self-deprecating, sometimes absurd, but always rooted in genuine camaraderie and affection for their own quirky upbringings.
For Next Time…
The episode closes with teases for more stories in the next installment, including Alan’s "weirdest direction ever received" and the ongoing quest to determine Nathan’s "season" (fashion-wise). Expect more deep dives, oddball confessions, and inside-Hollywood gems.
A must-listen for fans of Firefly, creative misfits, and anyone who’s ever wanted to sell a dead snake for a silver dollar.