Once We Subverted the System with Felicia Day | Episode 17

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Once We Were Spacemen – Episode 17: “Once We Subverted the System with Felicia Day”

Release Date: March 4, 2026
Hosts: Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk
Guest: Felicia Day

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant and heartfelt episode, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk welcome internet trailblazer, actress, writer, and producer Felicia Day. Together, they revisit their shared history in projects like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and Con Man, explore the spirit of creative subversion that has defined Felicia’s career, and discuss the importance of making your own work in an ever-changing entertainment landscape. The trio blends warmth, self-deprecation, hilarious tales, and genuine wisdom about the creative journey, touching on everything from nerd comedy to pastries, motherhood, and personal authenticity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Felicia’s Path to Creative Subversion

• Early Career & Buffy

  • Felicia shares her unique entrée into Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 7) after almost missing out for a poorly advised WB pilot. [02:34–03:43]
    • “I had to choose between, like, two episodes of Buffy and doing this pilot. And I didn't want to do the pilot… So I remember being fomoing in Coalinga, California.” – Felicia Day [02:34]
  • She explains her initial anxiety and how her authentic audition landed her a regular spot as a “Potential,” despite initial role ambiguity. [08:03–09:30]
    • “I went in to audition for Buffy… I did a really good job. And by the time I was out at my car again, they were like, oh, you got hired.” – Felicia Day [08:03]

• Self-Made Success & The Guild

  • Felicia reveals how her self-sabotage and Hollywood’s ambivalence pushed her to create her web breakthrough, The Guild. [10:27–10:42]
    • “I made it all happen myself because I self-sabotaged in front of other people.” – Felicia Day [10:30]

• Dr. Horrible’s & Changing the System

  • She and Joss Whedon exchanged inspiration during the writers’ strike, which partly fueled Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and its demonstration of independent web creativity. [11:11–12:22]

    • “Dr. Horrible was inspired … when I was on the strike line for the WGA … I had emailed Joss the Guild and he had watched it. … the phenomenon … really allowed me to do more of what I do. So it was kind of symbiosis.” – Felicia Day [11:22]

  • They discuss gatekeeping in the industry and how independent creators like Issa Rae and Broad City eventually found their way into mainstream, even as Hollywood tried to co-opt indie energy. [13:02–13:59]

  • Quote: “The good thing about the Internet is it's like a cheese cloth. You know, there's always going to be a hole where somebody could get through and be like, I'm going to prove you wrong. … The precedent is there and the rules can always be broken. And that's the cool thing… subverting the system is always fun for me.” – Felicia Day [00:00 & 13:59]

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2. Making Your Own Path: Mistakes, Rejection & Resilience

• Nerd Culture vs. Comedy Gatekeeping

  • Felicia reflects on trying to sell her magical comedy Third Eye and experiencing “cool comedy versus nerdy stuff” snobbery. [15:05–16:16]
    • “I feel like comedy people don’t like nerd people. … There’s a snobbery from cool comedy people to nerd stuff.” – Felicia Day [15:33]

• Early Years, Homeschooling, and Finding Her People

  • Felicia details her homeschooled upbringing in Mississippi/Alabama, being a violin prodigy, attending UT Austin at 16, and feeling driven by adult standards more than peer comparison. [17:01–21:08]
    • “I was homeschooled … I just happen to be so smart. No, it's just bored. And we didn’t have the Internet back then … so I always thought, oh, if I’m not as good as an adult who's really prominent, then I’m not doing well.” – Felicia Day [17:01]
  • Her mother’s support, film festival volunteering, and the indie Texas film scene’s influence gave her the courage to move to Hollywood. [18:29–19:17]

• Creative Evolution & Artistic Epiphanies

  • Felicia describes two "I've made it" moments: The viral success of Do You Wanna Date My Avatar during peak Guild/Dr. Horrible (2008), and rediscovering pure creation during COVID’s forced pause:
    “I started working on things that I didn't have an ulterior motive to please other people with. And that was sort of the realization that, oh, this is what art's about. … If you let the scales tip too far into the business … that's kind of the antithesis of being a creator.” – Felicia Day [26:58–28:55]

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3. Nerdiness, Friendship, and Finding Community

• Genuine Connection in Hollywood

  • Felicia gets sincere about the rarity of non-transactional, authentic community in showbiz:
    “Outside of the bubble of safety … I always felt safe and accepted for myself. … It’s the safe space that everybody deserves but doesn’t really get in this industry.” – Felicia Day [25:57]

• Comic Con, Digital Networks, and Herding Friends

  • Nathan and Alan recall Felicia’s leadership and digital savvy, from aggressively collecting contacts at early Comic Cons to wrangling friends onto Twitter. [22:52–24:46]
    • “You're conducting it. … ‘I don’t have your number. Give me your number.’” – Alan Tudyk [22:49, paraphrased]
    • “This is Felicia slapping me around, going, ‘I am tired of walking you through this.’” – Nathan Fillion [24:40]
  • She emphasizes her comfort in safe circles vs. being on trial with “the system.” [25:57]

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4. Showbiz Realities: Rumors, Rejection, and Internet Myths

• Internet Misconceptions and Rumors
  • Felicia discusses the misconception that she’s calculated instead of just honest and not glamor-focused. [51:13]
    • “I never felt comfortable … being glamorous or like, putting on the shell that is not me. … I’m really super honest…I’m just like, here’s the reality.” – Felicia Day [51:13]
  • Nathan reads Google’s rumor that Felicia is the mother of his child or that they secretly dated, which all laugh off. [52:32–54:30]
    • “I was underage in the mid-90s.” – Felicia Day [52:52]
    • “I've never even put my hand in his crotch. Never done, like, an Alan.” – Felicia Day [53:20]

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5. Collaborations, Highlights & Memorable Anecdotes

• Dr. Horrible’s Set Stories

  • Felicia shares extreme opening-day nerves and a challenging encounter with a mean hairstylist, and how Nathan’s kindness contrasted sharply and buoyed her. [41:46–43:40]
    • “I was so nervous working with you and Neil. … I had to tell my body how to get up off the ground and move, like, move toward him. … I remember you being so kind, so supportive.” – Felicia Day [41:46]

• Con Man Fandom & On-Set Details

  • Alan and Felicia reminisce about her character “Karen”—originally not a “Karen” in today’s sense—and the absurdities of con security, celebrity decoys, Lou Ferrigno, muscle suits, and hiding early pregnancy. [45:34–47:32]
    • “You did a great job, and it was very fun. … You were attached to Lou Ferrigno for that episode … and I was in that weird muscle suit and I was pregnant, but I hadn’t told anybody.” – Felicia Day [46:45–47:06]

• The Guild’s Past and Reunion

  • Felicia teases a 20th anniversary Guild reunion movie (Kickstarter launching at end of June 2026), new music videos, and her pride in those scrappy, self-made productions. [49:46–61:10]
    • “I'm doing a [Guild] reunion movie. … I have the script, and we're gonna hopefully do music videos… It's available for sign up on the Kickstarter.” – Felicia Day [49:49; 60:01]

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6. Fun Detours: Pastries, Ghosts, D&D, and Motherhood

• Pastries

  • The trio salivate over croissants in Paris (Alan & Felicia) and the “Nanaimo Bar” (Nathan). [32:43–36:32]

• Ghosts & Family Whimsy

  • A question on hauntings prompts Felicia to share her daughter’s imaginary “hallway ghost” and the legendary “Oco Loco: a dolphin in a top hat.” [30:41–32:01]

• Dungeons & Dragons, Dice, and Nerd Parenting

  • Felicia describes owning hundreds of dice and playing RPGs with her daughter. Nathan recounts gifting dice to friends. Alan insists on being a “hairless elf archer, but not with hairy feet.” [54:54–59:07]
    • “I have probably a couple hundred dice, and my daughter stole them all…” – Felicia Day [55:07]
    • “My preference would be to be anything but human.” – Nathan Fillion [57:52]

• Upcoming Graphic Novel

  • Felicia’s new graphic novel, The Lost Daughter of Sparta, is out March 17, 2026. Illustrated by Rowan McCall, it focuses on the youngest sister of Helen of Troy—a story she researched at midnight during early motherhood. [62:47–64:01]
    • “I wrote it at the beginning of COVID … It’s set in ancient Greece, and it's sort of a Hercules journey for this obscure mythological character…” – Felicia Day [62:57]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Subverting the System:

  • “The good thing about the internet is it's like a cheese cloth… the rules can always be broken. And that's the cool thing, because subverting the system is always fun for me.” – Felicia Day [00:00, 13:59]

• On Authenticity vs. Image:

  • “I always–like, I'm really super honest. I'm just like, here's the reality. … It made me feel more authentic and true to who I am.” – Felicia Day [51:13]

• On Community:

  • “Outside of the bubble of safety that are the people who are not only incredibly talented and creators, but they're genuine people… I always felt safe and accepted for myself.” – Felicia Day [25:57]

• On Resilience:

  • “Rejection is just building character. … It doesn't feel good. … But it's a pretty good fuel, man.” – Felicia Day [50:54]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Internet & Subverting the System | 00:00, 13:59 | | Meeting & Missing out on Buffy | 02:34–03:43 | | Early Career, Auditions, and Anxieties | 08:03–09:30 | | Dr. Horrible Origins and Web Independence | 11:11–12:22 | | Comedy vs. Nerd Snobbery | 15:05–16:16 | | Homeschooling & Indie Roots | 17:01–21:08 | | Sincere community in Hollywood | 25:57 | | “Making It” Moments & Post-COVID Realizations | 26:54–28:55 | | Dr. Horrible set nerves | 41:46–43:40 | | Con Man, Muscle Suits, and Pregnancy | 45:34–47:06 | | Guild Reunion Announcement | 49:49; 60:01 | | Internet Rumors | 51:13; 52:32 | | D&D and Dice Collecting | 54:54–59:07 | | The Lost Daughter of Sparta Announced | 62:47–64:01 |

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Episode Tone & Style

Casual, funny, self-deprecating, and deeply geeky, the episode blends candid creative talk with ongoing friendly ribbing between all three. Felicia is open, honest, and resilient, while Nathan and Alan keep the tone in the sweet spot between nostalgia and optimism. There’s real affection and mutual respect, even as the trio roast each other, riff on nerd culture, and relay showbiz wisdom to new generations.

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For First-Time Listeners…

This episode is a masterclass in forging your own unconventional path—especially as a creative “nerd” outside traditional Hollywood. It’s equal parts industry insight, emotional candor, and delightfully unfiltered friendship.

If you love behind-the-scenes stories, indie hustle, and the hidden heart of geekdom, Felicia Day’s journey—and Nathan & Alan’s camaraderie—make this essential listening.

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Felicia’s Upcoming Projects:

• The Lost Daughter of Sparta (graphic novel, Mar. 2026)
• The Guild 20th Anniversary Reunion Movie (Kickstarter launches end of June 2026)
• Recent scripted podcast: “Bailey Bailey” (available on Bandcamp)
• Audible Series: “Third Eye”

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Closing Wisdom:
“Rules can always be broken. And that’s the cool thing—subverting the system is always fun for me.” – Felicia Day [13:59]

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Summarized by Once We Were Spacemen Podcast Summaries — your home for the creative cosmic ride!

Transcript

[Felicia Day]

The good thing about the Internet is it's like a cheese cloth. You know, there's always going to be a hole where somebody could get through and be like, I'm going to prove you wrong. It's not always precedent. Like, the guild and Dr. Horrible didn't escort tons of independent stories forth. I mean, there were great examples like Broad City and Issa Rae and Awkward Black Girl Crazy Ex Girlfriend. All of them have sort of Internet roots because they were out of the box and they worked their way around talent wise. But, you know, it wasn't like the franchise the Guild ran for 20 seasons on NBC or Dr. Horrible got to do a lot more iterations. It could have. But the good thing is that the precedent is there and the rules can always be broken. And that's the cool thing, because subverting the system is always fun for me.

[Alan Tudyk]

Once we were spacemen. Spacemen. I tend to play weird people, usually aliens and robots and things that don't have romance.

[Nathan Fillion]

I once didn't get a job where they were looking for a Nathan Fillion type. Once We Were Spacemen.

[Alan Tudyk]

Once We Were Spacemen.

[Nathan Fillion]

Shall we. Are we commencing? Shall we commence? Are we recording?

[Felicia Day]

I thought we were commenced.

[Nathan Fillion]

We commenced. Okay, Felicia, get ready for this. You ready? Alan, do the thing.

[Alan Tudyk]

Welcome to Once We Were Spacemen. Because at one time, we were space men. And in that moment that once it was a time that we were in

[Felicia Day]

space,

[Alan Tudyk]

and at the same time, Felicia Day was also spacey. And so she also now is part of the space world, like space mayor. Thank you. Yeah.

[Nathan Fillion]

I almost thought it was going to end, and then it kept going and I was happy.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah.

[Nathan Fillion]

Wow.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's.

[Felicia Day]

Wow.

[Alan Tudyk]

Right?

[Felicia Day]

That was a lot to wake up to. And also, I think it peaked, but in my heart,

[Alan Tudyk]

thank you. Thank you.

[Nathan Fillion]

Good morning, Felicia. How are you today?

[Felicia Day]

I am so delighted to see Yalls faces. You're my favorite people. And I say that to every podcast. I do.

[Alan Tudyk]

Wow. Thank you. That feels personal.

[Nathan Fillion]

Thank you, Felicia. I've known you a long time. So long, in fact, I can't remember when we met.

[Felicia Day]

I know.

[Nathan Fillion]

Oh, please tell me. I have a guess and I'll tell you if I was right.

[Felicia Day]

So in 2004, I was on Buffy, the last season of Buffy, and I took an absolutely hideous pilot for the wb. That was an improvised reality thing. You know how that jury show is now where everybody but the actors know their. Okay, so that's what we did with the wb. And I had to choose between, like, two episodes of Buffy and doing this pilot And I didn't want to do the pilot. But of course, my people were like, you gotta do the pilot. So I remember being fomoing in Coalinga, California, the whole time while you were shooting Caleb from Buffy. Right. That character was Caleb. Anyway, so we did not get to act together. But then we met at Joss Whedon's house doing Shakespeare, I believe, later that summer after the wrap of the show. And that was me just going, I could have worked with him instead of doing this pilot that nobody ever saw. And it was pretty bad. So that's the deal. That's it, I think.

[Alan Tudyk]

Is that what you guessed, Nathan?

[Nathan Fillion]

No, I was wrong. Cause I thought you were one of the many. What did they call you? Girls?

[Felicia Day]

Potentials.

[Nathan Fillion]

I was the potentials. I thought you were one of the potentials running around. Cause there was like 16 of y'. All.

[Felicia Day]

Yep. They killed him off every episode. I'm the one of the only ones that survived. But I was not on the episodes that you were on. And again, I've always regretted that. Why did I take that pilot? I didn't want it. And it was terrible. They locked us in a hotel room, and we had to pretend that we were really moving there. And I just was. I would cry off camera. Cause the people were so nice. They're like, honey, you'll like it here as soon as you move here. Cause I was playing a really rebellious teenager. You'll like it. You can join the cheer squad. And they really thought I was gonna move there. And so I would just cry. And we had to stay locked in our hotel room so nobody would know that we were actors. So all it was me and Taran Killam, who would just play the Sims on PlayStation the whole time. Like eight hours a day while we were locked up there in the Harris Ranch, right off the five.

[Alan Tudyk]

Taron Killen from snl.

[Felicia Day]

Yes. Taryn. Oh, wow. Married to Kobe Smolders. Oh, wow.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yes.

[Alan Tudyk]

I got even higher for her.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yes. We met him.

[Felicia Day]

Wow. You got crazy for her. She is very, very cool.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, people say that. Never met her.

[Nathan Fillion]

That sounds like it was a little bit like torture out there.

[Felicia Day]

No, it was not good. It was not good at all. Again, it just made me feel bad. But you know me. I'm a stupid SAP. I'm a little paladin. I don't like fooling people in real life.

[Nathan Fillion]

But it did work out that we did eventually meet and we did eventually work together.

[Felicia Day]

That's right.

[Alan Tudyk]

Do you remember meeting me?

[Felicia Day]

No. No.

[Alan Tudyk]

What the fuck? You don't Remember at all? Sweet.

[Felicia Day]

I honestly don't. I'm so sorry, Alan. I'm so sorry. I.

[Nathan Fillion]

Do you know, the first time you

[Alan Tudyk]

met Felicia, you know what's great is the first time her and I met, I thought she might be flirting with me. So not only was she, like, not recording memories when she met me, I was way off about her kindness being. But I think I had that problem back then. It was when we were doing Firefly. Maybe Firefly was over. And we did Shakespeare at Joss Whedon's. We did Cleopatra with Marina Baccaran reading.

[Felicia Day]

I remember that. I remember that.

[Alan Tudyk]

And we sat right next to each other.

[Felicia Day]

Yep.

[Alan Tudyk]

And you just couldn't stop flirting with me.

[Felicia Day]

My hand was in your crotch. That was a choice. That was an acting choice. With my hand in your crotch. You really need to learn the signals, man. How did you get married and you got such a classy lady? How did that happen?

[Alan Tudyk]

I know. I know. I finally. I was finally like, I think this one's hitting on me. This one. This person, he finally asked, are you hitting on me? Are you hitting on me? And she's like, I don't know. I guess I could. You're not gonna.

[Felicia Day]

I'll get my hand out of your crotch. I guess this is not giving the right signal.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, but that. We. We met there and then I think I saw you in a robot. You were playing a robot in a thing. It was like you had all this metal, but it was. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was there. It was like a. You may have had polio.

[Felicia Day]

I don't remember this. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Were you on that? Were you in that movie?

[Alan Tudyk]

No, I just watched you on it.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, okay. Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

I take it back. You weren't. You weren't a robot. You just had a lot of metal.

[Felicia Day]

There wasn't one classy thing I've ever done in my career, and I never duplicated it for many reasons. They didn't want me, and I.

[Alan Tudyk]

It was very good. It was very sweet. You, like, danced, and you were like the sweetheart, like the. Which you put your heart out while watching it, you know?

[Felicia Day]

Yeah. Yeah. I had polio, which was not cool, but at the time, I made it peppy because I was in a wheelchair. And you're right, it was Franklin Dylan Roosevelt. That was the movie. Warm Springs was the movie.

[Nathan Fillion]

If you didn't do the two episodes of Buffy and you did the podcast pilot instead, how did you eventually still end up over at Buffy?

[Felicia Day]

I think Joss was like, oh, we won't kill her off when she's off screen. So I expected to come back. It was like a two week period that I was gone in the spring.

[Nathan Fillion]

And then they brought started on Buffy and then you. Yes, I see.

[Felicia Day]

I was on like three or four episodes. I took two episodes off and then I came back for like two or three more.

[Nathan Fillion]

What season did you enter Buffy?

[Felicia Day]

Seven, the last one. And I started like September or October of 202023 or 2000 3. Oh, God. So old.

[Nathan Fillion]

Walk me through the Day. Season seven of Buffy was a very popular show. It was very well liked, it was very successful. It was a lot going on. And what was going on for Felicia Day professionally at the time? And that phone call you get. You're gonna be on Buffy. What's that?

[Felicia Day]

I mean, nobody wanted me and mostly people don't want me. So it was nice to get hired. I went in to audition for Buffy and I had had like maybe two roles. I did a lot of commercials. I have a very appealing look of I don't need to own my own body. Do what you want with me. So I did a lot a very good. You know, I made a living doing like Old Navy. It's half my nose. You know, at the time, you could make a lot of money with a half a nose on an Old Navy commercial.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah.

[Felicia Day]

But I could not crack the audition for theatrical mostly. Cause I had an anxiety disorder that was undiagnosed until just a couple years ago. Really good timing when I'm over my peak. Anyway, so I did. I had done like bring it on again. That's it. And maybe one guest star. But I went in and I had no idea what Buffy was. I'd heard about it and I was like, oh, that's always a show that I would like to have watched. But I just never made time for it. I go in for a guest star and I read for the guest star who turned out to be a girl who was a demon who died at the end of the episode. And I remember Marnie Noxon and David Furey, I think were there. And they had me cold read a monologue for another character. And because I'm really good when I'm unprepared, I did a really good job. And by the time I was out at my car again, they were like, oh, you got hired. Evidently they were so desperate for an actor to start working in two days for this unnamed character who was supposed to be an Asian woman who didn't speak any English. They ended up bringing that potential in like two episodes Later.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's usually my role, but good for you. Wow.

[Felicia Day]

So that's it. By accident, I was. Yeah, that's. That's the story.

[Alan Tudyk]

Well, way to go. If you've got an anxiety disorder and they hand you a huge monologue and you go, bam.

[Felicia Day]

That was easier than preparing. You know, now I know about drugs, so I can operate a little bit better.

[Nathan Fillion]

You're at the car, you get the call. Hey, bad news. You didn't get the role you were reading for. Good news is you got the role for the mute Asian girl.

[Felicia Day]

It's true. But I did get a couple of lines. They did write me some lines. I think it's. I don't know why they liked me. It was probably like, wow, she looks like she's gonna explode with anxiety. That's a new take.

[Nathan Fillion]

You know, Let me tell you why they liked you. You're super talented, you're super cute, you're effervescent. You bubble all the time. You're continually sparkling. I'm shocked to just find out just now that you have suffered from anxiety.

[Felicia Day]

What? I mean, look at my resume. Clearly, I self sabotage. Nancy. There's no way I could get a resume.

[Nathan Fillion]

I look at your resume, I see a self made millionaire.

[Felicia Day]

I made it all happen. I made it all happen myself because I self sabotaged in front of other people. So I literally had to do it myself. Which I guess is fine.

[Nathan Fillion]

Whatever reason that made you do it, you did it.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah. Hollywood is littered with self sabotagers who didn't do it themselves.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah, who still don't pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, truly, it is littered. We need. They need to clean that up.

[Felicia Day]

I don't know.

[Alan Tudyk]

Gavin Newsom is out there. Always this, that, the other thing. Pick up the people who self sabotage. I mean, at least in my neighborhood. I'm sorry I interrupted.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'm starting to go fund me for that, Alan. Good. But we eventually were together on Dr. Horrible's Sing along blog.

[Alan Tudyk]

Woo.

[Nathan Fillion]

And I remember Joss Whedon coming to you and saying, so what do we do next? Because you were already an expert in web series.

[Felicia Day]

I was a little ahead of my time. Maybe too ahead. You know, Dr. Horrible was inspired. And I'm not gonna take all the credit, but when I was on the strike line for the WGA back in the day, I had emailed Joss the Guild and he had watched it. And that's part of what inspired him to just make something on his own. That's what he told me. I'm not talking out of turn. And the phenomenon that Dr. Horrible became thanks to you and Neil and everybody in the production really allowed me to do more of what I do. So it was kind of symbiosis. You know, I'm hoping that something like that comes back, that sort of indie spirit, people making their own stuff, because Hollywood is even in a worse shape right now. I don't know if you guys agree with me, but it's just difficult for people to get stories made. And I don't know. Oh yeah, it was really cool to make something out of the box. I mean, you both have done it over and over again and I think that's what's inspiring.

[Alan Tudyk]

Well, I think you.

[Nathan Fillion]

I ride the coattails of people who do it.

[Felicia Day]

I would not say that, but this is.

[Nathan Fillion]

I've made a career out of coattails. I had a conversation with an agent from my agency at the time when we were doing Dr. Horrible. And I was saying, I'm fascinated. The idea of Entertainment on Demand on the Internet. And we were at an event and this agent had had a couple of drinks and she kept saying, yeah, but it's the Internet. It's never going to work. It's the Internet. And every time I tried to get a point across, she'd interrupt with, yeah, but it's the Internet. I said, what am I about to say that's so terrifying to you that you can't even allow me to say it? And that brought an abrupt end to the conversation. But that's where the conversation was at the time about Entertainment on Demand on the Internet.

[Alan Tudyk]

What year was that?

[Felicia Day]

2008.

[Nathan Fillion]

2008 or nine? Yeah.

[Felicia Day]

I mean, here's the thing. What I've learned is that the institutions don't want things that they don't understand and control. And eventually they took it over. So they spotted it, but they were afraid of people being able to work outside their system. Then they co opted the system and somewhat ruined it. But the good thing about the Internet is it's like a cheese cloth. You know, there's always gonna be a hole where somebody could get through and be like, I'm gonna prove you wrong. And it's not always precedent. Like the guild and Dr. Horrible didn't escort tons of independent stories for us. I mean, there were great examples like Broad City and Issa Rae and Awkward Black Girl Crazy Ex Girlfriend. All of them have sort of Internet roots because they were out of the box and they worked their way around talent wise. But, you know, it wasn't like the franchise the Guild ran for 20 seasons on NBC or Dr. Horrible got to do a lot more iterations. It could have. But the good thing is that the precedent is there and the rules can always be broken. And that's the cool thing. Cause subverting the system is always fun for me.

[Nathan Fillion]

Would you say then you built a career on subverting the system and breaking the rules?

[Felicia Day]

For sure. I mean, I don't. I mean, the things that I'm working on now are all like, well, they won't do it. So screw it, I'm gonna make it. You know?

[Nathan Fillion]

How dare you?

[Alan Tudyk]

I know.

[Felicia Day]

Listen, desperation, I gotta pay for my child.

[Alan Tudyk]

The last thing that I worked with you on was exactly that. It was the thing on Audible.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah. Third eye. You were so funny. Oh, my gosh. If you guys haven't listened to Ellen on this. He plays a sleazy vampire, and he's so funny. And you improv so much. No other actor improv like you. I think Sean Astin improv a little bit, but I was like, this is why he does all the animation. Cause you're just. You add so much. It's so.

[Nathan Fillion]

Thank you.

[Felicia Day]

Amazing.

[Alan Tudyk]

So that was something you wrote on your own, which wrote it on spec. That's a. That's. That's. That's Hollywood lingo right there. And is it a Hollywood secret? That's not a secret. That's just lingo. Hollywood lingo. Okay. You wrote it on spec. It's a story. Could you explain? Describe it just a little bit?

[Felicia Day]

Well, it's about a failed Harry Potter who grew up and was a loser after the guild. My web series ended in, like 2014 or whatever. I wrote this on spec because I wanted it to be my next. It was my dream to be a TV show, and I got a big production company on board and nobody wanted it. Like, it was like I dropped a poop on a table when I pitched it to comedy places. So my heart was broken and I spent like.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'm sorry.

[Alan Tudyk]

I tried to just let it go. A poop on the table?

[Felicia Day]

Oh, yeah. I mean, you're pitching Comedy Central. These cool girls in it men, and they're like, all with their cool people. And I'm like pitching, you know, Harry Potter and vampires. I just. I feel like comedy people don't like nerd people. It's a hard. It's a. When you find the person who loves it. But there's a snobbery from cool comedy people to nerd stuff. I don't know.

[Alan Tudyk]

I don't want to sidetrack this but that one blows me away. It is such a weird, snobby. Because comics are fucking nerds.

[Felicia Day]

I know. I don't get it.

[Nathan Fillion]

You've experienced it, too.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, God. Only Patton Oswald is, like, this one shining example of a nerd who's so good at comedy and, like, brings the respect, and then, yeah, they. They look down their nose at nerds.

[Felicia Day]

I don't get it. And then what we do in the shadows, you have to be, like, have an accent to get away with it, you know, Taika Waititi. You know, he gets away with it because he's had an accent. Right. But I don't know what it was. Maybe it was just also timing. It was a little early to be nerdy.

[Alan Tudyk]

Well, you shouldn't have pooped on the table. I think we can say that across

[Felicia Day]

the board that I will do anything to get a job. Okay.

[Alan Tudyk]

They're the ones who gave me coffee.

[Felicia Day]

I. Yeah, exactly. They. They. Listen.

[Alan Tudyk]

They got it moved.

[Felicia Day]

They validated my parking. I'm going to do it.

[Alan Tudyk]

And I will leave you with this.

[Nathan Fillion]

I want to know, who was Phylicia Day growing up? Like, were your parents looking at you going, we're really worried about Felicia. She's. She's an oddball. What was Felicia in high school? What was. Who was the little girl who became this lady now?

[Felicia Day]

I was homeschooled. I didn't know if you knew that, Nathan. I was homeschooled. Is that what went wrong? Yeah, that's what went wrong in many ways.

[Alan Tudyk]

Was it like a Christian one?

[Felicia Day]

No. My mom just didn't want to get out of bed early, so she would just throw some books on the table and be like, you know, learn some stuff. I just happen to be so smart. No, it's just bored. And we didn't have the Internet back then, or I would, you know, I'd probably be happier nowhere career wise. But I. I just loved. I loved showing off. And that's also been a problem I've had to undo because a lot of my motivation over the years has been extrinsic versus intrinsic. Can you tell? I've gone to therapy. But I was always the oddball. I didn't have any contact with my peers, so I always thought, oh, if I'm not as good as an adult who's really prominent, then I'm not doing well. So I would just push myself to do stuff. And I was a violinist, so I got a very early scholarship to college. And I always just wanted to be an actor, so I got the real degrees And I just moved to Hollywood thinking I was gonna be famous, you know, like an idiot.

[Alan Tudyk]

Where did that start?

[Nathan Fillion]

What city is this you're being homeschooled in and raised in?

[Felicia Day]

I was homeschooled in Mississippi. Alabama.

[Alan Tudyk]

No.

[Nathan Fillion]

Shh.

[Alan Tudyk]

Wow. You don't sound like from that place.

[Felicia Day]

I know. I can put it on.

[Alan Tudyk]

When you get on the phone with your relatives, does it come out?

[Felicia Day]

Oh, yeah. I'm like, hey, hey, y'. All. Yes, it's really bad. It's really bad. Especially if you go to Georgia.

[Nathan Fillion]

When you say, I didn't and I moved off to Hollywood, it sound. But who did, you know? What support system did you have in Hollywood? When you tell your mom, hey, I'm leaving, what's the reaction from friends and family? This is not an easy move.

[Felicia Day]

Well, the good thing was I was smart and I volunteered for film festivals the whole time while I was in college in Austin. And Austin has an amazing. And used to even have a more amazing film scene, indie film scene. That's kind of where I was inspired. Like, you know, Rick Linklater and Robert Rodriguez, you know, they were known to be, like, working outside the system. So I think that spirit of that indie film thing is why I did what I did. Because I'm like, well, they did it. You know, you can work outside the system and make stuff. I always volunteered, and I met a lot of people there, and I saved up all my money playing weddings at large, Baptist weddings in Austin, Texas. Playing what, the violin? Yeah. Yeah. So I was able to move out with enough money to be okay, and then enough confidence to be like, that's gonna be easy, and we're really fine.

[Nathan Fillion]

Did you logistically, did you call? I have an apartment I'm going to rent or like, where did you stay?

[Felicia Day]

You know, I was able to move in with someone.

[Nathan Fillion]

So that was the someone who's the someone who said, come. You can come crash on my couch.

[Felicia Day]

I'm not going to go into that. It happened to be a lover, but I'm not going to go into it.

[Alan Tudyk]

Can I ask this question real quick, just to back up? Just a real quick. You went to UT Austin?

[Felicia Day]

Yeah. Did you before?

[Alan Tudyk]

No, I went to Juilliard.

[Felicia Day]

Juilliard. Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted you to be able to drop that. You went to Juilliard,

[Nathan Fillion]

Nindra.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes. But you. I just found out from our crack team who cracked it. Crack sound, please. Thank you. The Secrets of Felicia Day. You got accepted to Juilliard?

[Felicia Day]

I got accepted to the pre program. So Dorothy Delay, who was one of the most famous violin teachers in existence. I went and auditioned for her and she accepted me as a violinist program student. Yes, but the violence. You would have been one of those

[Alan Tudyk]

violin kids with a bruise on your neck walking around school all the time.

[Felicia Day]

Until it was like 10 years ago that it started going away. It was there for like, you know, decade after I stopped playing.

[Alan Tudyk]

I mean, that's true.

[Felicia Day]

It's a real nasty hickey.

[Alan Tudyk]

It's like I got blisters on my fingers, you know, everybody knows that from John Lennon. But even worse, violinists have a constant 24 hour hickey. Months, years going. That's how much they love their art. Well, you know, their art gives them hickeys. But you said no to that. I'm gonna go to ut. I'm gonna go to Austin. So you were already, look at this. I don't need this crap. I'm gonna do it my way.

[Felicia Day]

No, I was a child who had no agency. I'm like, oh, I can't go there. We don't have money. And then randomly, my teacher from UT Austin was like, you wanna go to college next year? I'll get you a scholarship. Yeah, I mean, I would love to say I was a kid.

[Alan Tudyk]

And that is a good school.

[Felicia Day]

It's a really good school. And the music department was, you know, great. It was great for me because it was like, it's a 50,000 student school, which is like I was in my house with my brother, but the music building was like 300 people. So it was kind of like I had sort of a high school experience in the music school. And then I would venture out to do other classes from there. So I didn't get into crazy. I never even went to like a party. What? It's. Oh, yeah. You didn't realize I was so pathetic. I can't believe you. I'm very.

[Alan Tudyk]

It's Austin. That thing parties all the time.

[Felicia Day]

I was 16 and my mom drove me to college every day.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, that's good that you didn't party then.

[Nathan Fillion]

Were you a shy kid? Were you wallflower? Were you awkward?

[Felicia Day]

Yes. All of the above.

[Nathan Fillion]

Nathan, when did that wrap up? I'm looking at a confident, incredible human being. What was the explosion that happened that said, ah, enough of this.

[Felicia Day]

It's the Internet and being used as a pinata in Hollywood. Like, I had to. I gotta. I gotta. I had to rough it up, man. I had to.

[Alan Tudyk]

When they break the pinata, what comes out? Is it that poop again or is it.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, yeah, lots of poop. So much poop. Just like. It's like a soft serve machine.

[Nathan Fillion]

Jesus. So it's fresh.

[Felicia Day]

So fresh.

[Alan Tudyk]

Exciting.

[Felicia Day]

Unless I've eaten a lot of cheese and then it would just drop, which.

[Alan Tudyk]

You mentioned the cheese clock earlier. I'm allergic. So I'm hoping that the future of Hollywood doesn't involve a cheeseclock.

[Felicia Day]

Do you have lactose intolerance? Yes, I just developed that. And I'm so upset.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'm fascinated that you were awkward ever, because that's something you've never been. That's not in my. I don't. That is not in my experience with Felicia Day. You're always on top of it. You're in control.

[Alan Tudyk]

You're right.

[Nathan Fillion]

You're conducting it. You're. You're like, hey, you. By the way, I want to know you. We're going to be friends. Shake, shake, shake.

[Alan Tudyk]

When we were in Comic Con, one of the first Comic Cons I went to, I remember we went out to dinner. It was like the group of usuals with Joss and not everybody. And you said, I don't have your number. Give me your number. Or, you know, I don't have any of your information. Now you have to give me your information.

[Felicia Day]

Were you thinking that I was flirting with you again?

[Nathan Fillion]

No. No.

[Alan Tudyk]

At that point, I was. It was just. It was very. Like, you had no problem saying, give me your information. And I said, well, and at that time, it was during the. That oil rig crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. That was just the BP thing. That was just spilling oil for months on end. And I made up cards that said I was in bp. Alan Tuli, bp, Deep water exploration. And anyway, I made cards. And so I gave you a card. And you looked at it. You're like, disgusted look on your face. You're like, this doesn't have your email. It doesn't have your Twitter. It doesn't have anything on here. I cannot use this. And you handed.

[Nathan Fillion]

This is a punchline, Alan. Wow. I'm not here for your jokes.

[Alan Tudyk]

All I had was my phone number. And you're like, what's a phone number for? Get it out of my hands.

[Nathan Fillion]

I got the same look and disdain from Felicia when she found out I wasn't on Twitter. And she hounded and harassed me.

[Felicia Day]

It's true.

[Nathan Fillion]

Until I finally got on Twitter and she said, there, now you're on Twitter. And I called her up and I said, hey, I can't get to my email because I get a notification every time someone follows me. And she said, hey, Everybody, Nathan's on Twitter and she had millions of followers, and I'm getting followers, and I can't stop the emails from coming through.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, God, I can't believe you had that set on. You must have had like a hundred thousand.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah. And then she looked at me, she went, nathan, you can't have this set for notifications. What do you say? I said, I've never. I don't know what the buttons mean. I was a neophyte, and this is Felicia slapping me around, going, I am tired of walking you through this.

[Alan Tudyk]

You don't come off as an anxiety nerdy type person that way. In real life, you're very much like, move, sit down, old man. Let me help you.

[Felicia Day]

Let me just take control.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah.

[Felicia Day]

I will say that, you guys, and this is a compliment, I want to be really genuine about this. And the social group that we've had for so long, that started with Buffy, started with Jaws, started with all the people who are part of that group. I will say that outside of the bubble of safety, that are the people who are not only incredibly talented and creators, but they're genuine people. I'm just dysfunctional because everything in Hollywood is provisional. Mostly. If you're not hot, nobody's gonna call you. If you really have something, everybody's got your number and you know that you're on sort of like, you know, trial basis with everybody. And that's why I feel that. Cause I'm like, there's not really genuine connection. If I'm not useful to you, I won't talk to you. I never felt that with you guys or any of the group that we are with. I always felt safe and accepted for myself. And. And that's so rare in life, but especially in the business we're in because we're transient. You know, we don't. We know each other. But you're not gonna. Might be a couple years before we talk, but it's always like a real human connection. And we get to play together, we get to work together, we get to socialize together whenever we can. But it's always on a real human basis. And I say that as a thank you, as a friend for providing. And I'm gonna cry. Cause it's the safe space that everybody deserves, but doesn't really get in this industry. So I just. I like knowing you guys.

[Nathan Fillion]

I don't deny that connection. I will simply say, you made it happen. You forced us.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I won't leave you alone.

[Alan Tudyk]

It's all that flirting.

[Felicia Day]

Listen, I was homeschooled and no crotch grabbing was like that. Okay. I've learned.

[Alan Tudyk]

I thought that's how you shook somebody's hand. Hi. Hello.

[Felicia Day]

I thought that was a hand. Hi.

[Nathan Fillion]

Hello. I thought that was a hand.

[Alan Tudyk]

Hr. We gotta get. Anyway, we've gotta get an hr.

[Felicia Day]

Is this usually more professional? I'm so sorry.

[Nathan Fillion]

This is something I'd like to ask of people. Was there a moment in your career where you felt to yourself, I've made it. Here it is. I've made it?

[Felicia Day]

I mean, yeah, I think. Okay, I have two of them.

[Nathan Fillion]

Go.

[Felicia Day]

One of them is when the music video for the Guild came out. And, like, just millions of people watched it.

[Nathan Fillion]

Oh, yeah, that was a brilliant video.

[Felicia Day]

Do you wanna date my AV? And it was the same summer that Dr. Horrible came out. I cannot believe my eyes. How the world's final wise. Everything was like, aligned. And I was like, oh, my God, this irrational self confidence I had in my work. Doing it the hard way is finally working. That's one. And then the other one is like a couple years into Covid when everything got cut off and, you know, I had left my company. It was very. I had a company that was called Geek and Sundry. It was wonderful. But then it was not wonderful. And then it was really tough. And I was working on things that I wasn't really creatively invested in as much. And I was building other people's careers versus mine. So I left. I had a baby. Total life crisis. I'll write about it one day. And then because I was so desperate to try to get in again or try to grab that success that I had had like 10 years, well, eight years earlier. But Covid cut me off from it because we all shut down. And I was kind of forced to figure out, well, how do you live with yourself and be happy with yourself outside these goals? And so I started writing and I started working on things that I didn't have an ulterior motive to please other people with. And that was sort of the realization that, oh, this is what art's about. This is what being a creator is about. Yes, you have to have the business, but if you let the scales tip too far into the business and you're kind of working for the business, then that's kind of the antithesis of being a creator, right? So you gotta balance it out and you have to keep nurturing your inner creativity that only you could do, even if it's not useful or you lose your own voice. And so, like, you know, I went and wrote like a graphic Novel, and that's coming out actually pretty soon this year. And then I wrote, you know, the Third Eye, which was a rejected TV pilot, which I was able to make into a whole TV length thing. And I wrote a couple other things. Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

So it was on the charts. It charted on Audible.

[Felicia Day]

It was really top three. Yeah, exactly. So I think those are the two things where I'm, like, made it, you know, as far as, like, my mentality

[Alan Tudyk]

being best on the bestseller. You had a bestseller.

[Felicia Day]

Felicia's New York Times bestseller was her 2015 memoir.

[Alan Tudyk]

You're never weird on the Internet almost.

[Felicia Day]

I mean, you know, if you're not well balanced, I mean, you know, discontent. Those were great. It's great. Also, making stuff's great. Like, you guys do it all the time. You're just creative. And I think that's really the heart of it. Like, you have to know that you have a voice and you want to make stuff, and you got to deal with the business. And sometimes the business works for you, and sometimes it doesn't. But it doesn't mean that you, as a creator, are not worthy. And that's the hard part to learn. And you could tell it to somebody, but you can't do it until you learn it.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll say there's a difference. I do participate in projects that are fantastic, and I'm very fortunate. You build things from the ground up, and not just one or two. There's a dozen things you've created from the ground up.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah. Cause I just like, hey, I did a movie last year, and I just released it on podcast form. Cause I was like, I always wanted to be in this movie, and so many times somebody was gonna fund it, and it never happened. And I'm like, I don't think it'll ever happen. And I just made it into a scripted podcast, and I released it on Bandcamp, and I made my money back, and I did a movie. Who knows? It's not gonna make, like, a huge impact on my life, but the people who listen to it enjoy it.

[Alan Tudyk]

What's the name of it?

[Felicia Day]

It's called Bailey Bailey, and you can get it on Bandcamp.

[Alan Tudyk]

Cool.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah. So I don't know. Yes. On a certain scale, I keep making stuff. But, you know, you make stuff that you can employ other people at, which is a nice. That's nice, too.

[Nathan Fillion]

I have a question.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah.

[Nathan Fillion]

Do you believe in ghosts?

[Felicia Day]

What?

[Nathan Fillion]

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you or have you ever.

[Alan Tudyk]

We got a topic turn. Hairpin hairpin topic turn.

[Nathan Fillion]

We talk about career stuff all the Time with guests. But when Alan and I are just alone, we talk about anything. And I just wanted to open it up to anything. And this is something that interests me. Have you ever seen a ghost? Have anyone you love and trust and know and believe, have they ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts?

[Felicia Day]

Okay, believe. That's the thing that just lost me, because my daughter, who's nine, believes in ghosts, and she thinks there's a hallway ghost, and she's convinced that there's a ghost in the hallway. It's like a old, you know, a lady. And I'm like, okay, I'll turn the hall light on. Because you think there's a lady living here. It's creepy. But when she was 2 and 3, she thought that a dolphin in a top hat named Oco Loco would come and wake her up in the middle of the night. So she might just be irrational, I think.

[Alan Tudyk]

Or awesome. That is great.

[Felicia Day]

I even went to a con and had them do fan art of Ocoloco. And it's more disturbing to see a dolphin with arms and legs in a tuxedo with a top hat.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, that's not right.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah, that's.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's. That's the island of Dr. Moreau and shit. That's not.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah, exactly. Would you come back as a ghost if you could? That's my question to you guys.

[Nathan Fillion]

To me, ghosts always kind of seem, like, scary and terrifying and frightening. If there were some helpful ghosts, sure. I think maybe I kind of help out. Maybe punch up some lines in a writer's room. The haunted writer's room.

[Felicia Day]

You'd be like, massaging their head. Like, this is a joke. The pun.

[Nathan Fillion]

This is great. This is great.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah.

[Nathan Fillion]

Does it have to be a cop? Could he be a butcher?

[Felicia Day]

Because then, you know, Hollywood producer ghost. That'd be kind of amazing.

[Alan Tudyk]

I would say, no, don't come back for me. Just. That's my vote. I would not want to come back as a ghost. I'm done. I'm done, Done.

[Felicia Day]

Okay. Can I ask you guys a question?

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah.

[Felicia Day]

What's the best pastry you've ever had? Like, what's the one where you were just like, holy mackerel, this is.

[Nathan Fillion]

Guys, I want a money in. I guess it qualifies as pastry. It was invented in a little town in British Columbia north of Vancouver called Nanaimo, and it's called the Nanaimo Bar.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, those are so good.

[Nathan Fillion]

You know the ones. So it's a. It's a layer of, like, cocoa and granola and walnuts on the bottom A layer of what I thought was icing. It's really just butter with sugar in it.

[Alan Tudyk]

Sweet Jesus.

[Felicia Day]

What?

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah, that's what that middle layer is. And then the layer of chocolate on top. And it's something you have with coffee. You have to have it with something bitter because it is so sweet that it'll send you to a diabetic coma.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah. You have to be near a hospital when you eat one.

[Felicia Day]

Is there a place. Did you go to Nanaimo and have, like, the Nanaimo Bar, or is it just like in general? That's the thing you want.

[Nathan Fillion]

It's all around Canada. It's all over Canada. You don't have to visit Nanaimo specifically, but that's the legendary person place of the Nanaimo Bar.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's where we shot Resident Alien. We did a lot of over there.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah, I was just there. I did a little pilot thing. Maybe it'll go, maybe not. Who knows?

[Nathan Fillion]

But I did. Alan, you lit up a little bit. You've had the Nanaimo Bar.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes, well, it's one of the few gluten free items you can get because I'm also the gluten intolerant. But it is way too sweet for me.

[Felicia Day]

I love how Nathan introduces me to the fine culinary arts of Canada over and over. I remember I was with you and your brother Jeff in Toronto, I think, and you ordered this thing. I was like, what the hell are you putting in your mouth? And it was. You were like, it's a Caesar. And I was like, what is it? What's in it? Clam juice. And I almost puked on you. I was so repulsed. But then I tried it, and it was so delicious. Can you describe your love of a Caesar, please? Cause you looked like you were in love with that glass.

[Nathan Fillion]

The Caesar is the alcoholic beverage that drinks like a meal. And it used to be.

[Alan Tudyk]

Not selling it. Not selling it. That is not a good pain.

[Nathan Fillion]

It used to be the. The. The. What do you put in a drink? The little.

[Alan Tudyk]

Like a celery. Oh, the stir stick.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah. Well, what do you call that? A little.

[Alan Tudyk]

A little your hopes and dreams, Your nightmares. Pepper.

[Nathan Fillion]

What gives? What gives? A drink. It's. It's panache. Oh, and then you put a little on the edge of the glass.

[Felicia Day]

Spritz.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, yeah. The rim.

[Nathan Fillion]

We're gonna have to clam the rim.

[Felicia Day]

That's.

[Nathan Fillion]

We're gonna have to know. We'll have to look this up.

[Alan Tudyk]

Clam rim.

[Nathan Fillion]

It's like the decoration that comes with it. It's like you don'. Umbrella garnish Garnish. Thank you, Alan. Thank you.

[Alan Tudyk]

It's almost like it came to me in a text. You're welcome.

[Nathan Fillion]

The. The garnish used to be a stick of celery, and then it became olives, and then it became pickled, like spicy pickled string beans. And then it became beef jerky. And now it's like a fricking cheeseburger that sits on the edge of your glass. Yes. They've gone. They've gone too far.

[Felicia Day]

You're a traditionalist. You're a Caesar traditionalist.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll eat that cheeseburger. It's just gonna make it. The glass a little lopsided. Don't let go. But it's celery salt and seasonings around the rim. It's like a bloody Mary clamado. Now, I have introduced this to Americans who say. Who taste this and say, this is a confectionary wonderful delight. I might be. It's dancing in my mouth. It's savory. It's incredible. What is in this? And I'll say, there's a little bit of clam broth in there. And they go, I'm never gonna have. They just finished telling me how much they loved it. But it's 1% clam broth in the tomato juice.

[Felicia Day]

That's fine. They put anchovies in a lot of things, you know, just like umami. Yeah, it's an umami.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's flavor. Ooh, umami. It's an umami flavor. Oh, wow.

[Felicia Day]

Umami.

[Alan Tudyk]

I would say that the best pastry I ever had in my life was a croissant. The first time I went to Paris with butter. And that's it.

[Felicia Day]

That's me too. I went on a food tour. I went to a place that just had won the best croissant in the world. I bit into this thing. I had seven of them. It was like Krispy Kreme. I'm, like, just throwing them down the hatch. They were hot. And ever since then, especially, no insult to Starbucks, like, they do what they need to do. But when I look at that bloated, doughy croissant in the case, like they're quote, unquote.

[Alan Tudyk]

It's a crescent. That's a full on crescent.

[Felicia Day]

It's a crescent roll. It has nothing to do with a croissant. I'm. You bastard. How dare you rename yourself.

[Nathan Fillion]

Now, Felicia, you mentioned running into my brother and I in Toronto. There was another city where I ran into you coincidentally. And it was such a coincidence that you were not convinced it didn't happen on purpose.

[Felicia Day]

I don't understand how this happened. This is a really good story, you guys. And it just goes to show that Nathan and I are supposed to be. He could never dump me as a friend. Cause it's just kid, you know, the fate was like, no, you're kidnapped. Sorry. She's always gonna be around a little bit. I was with my family, and I was doing a convention. MCM Comic Con, I believe. And we were walking in a neighborhood. I think it was. What's it called? Shoreditch. Oh, shortage, shortage. Yes. Oh, it was the hipster area.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, in London.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, my baby was like a year and a half. And we're walking along this kind of hipster alley. And I remember distinctly walking forward and then looking up, and as if it was a champion coming out from the mists in a fantasy film, you're just striding toward me with your, you know, Nathan, panther walk. And you're just like. I'm like, what in the. Am I hallucinating? I haven't been sleeping. Cause my daughter's trying to kill me. But this is weird. Why is my friend here? On no associative basis, you and your family were there on an art tour, just coming out of nowhere in London when neither of us knew we. Each of us were in London. And we're on the same exact street at the same exact time. Just come on.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah. I looked over and I saw. I saw Felicia's red hair. And I said, that looks like. That's Felicia. Oh, my God. I just kind of started smiling to myself, going, this is crazy. Walked over to her. The look on her face.

[Alan Tudyk]

You didn't walk. You panther walked.

[Felicia Day]

He panther walked like a warrior out of a medieval. You know, from the mists. I just was like, that's. You know, that's the impression I get. And then he's panther walking out of the mists like an Excalibur.

[Nathan Fillion]

And then the conversation was me trying to convince Felicia it didn't happen on purpose. She's like, how did you know we were gonna be here? We were almost gonna turn left back there. And I said, no, no, no. Let's just go right. How did you know we were gonna turn right? Cause I just made that choice just now. I was like, I didn't know that. I just walk up to you. No, no, no. Honestly, how did you. It was.

[Felicia Day]

I almost got the restraining order out right then. I'm like, listen, I couldn't believe. I've never had my mind blown like that. Like, I'VE never believed in a ghost, but maybe at that point, it was the ghost of me. I was like, is he alive somewhere? This is his last thing he wants to say to me. He's departed the earth, and yet his ghost is now saying goodbye to his friends.

[Nathan Fillion]

Oh, and here's another little tie in. The art tour we were on was a street art tour of graffiti and street art with the incomparable Louis Jensen, whose name you've heard in the credits of this very podcast. He did the artwork for our logo. Oh, yeah, cool. Same guy, Louis Jensen.

[Felicia Day]

He's, like, amazing. Also, the art there is incredible. Way too cool for me.

[Nathan Fillion]

It is incredible. The tour was fantastic, honestly. And he was there at the time when it was all happening. Like, he's one of the original guys. And he had to leave town to go live in a cave in Spain for a little bit because he was in trouble with the authorities, and he had to wait for the heat to die down. And we would pass by other art tours, he'd be, like, listening in, kind of leaning in with his ear and say, that's not right at all. The guy he's talking about wasn't here until the 1980s. And he didn't do that painting. It was another friend of his. I was here. I watched him do it. Like, he had all the inside bits. And he goes, oh, by the way, right we're standing right now is where Jack the Ripper's number seven victim was found. Okay, let's go over here. Cause it was the same neighborhood where Jack the Ripper was doing his thing. Yeah, it was quite a tour. And then we walked into this beautiful open square where there's these great art pieces around and all this stuff's happening. I look over there's Felicia Panther walking

[Felicia Day]

out of the mist.

[Nathan Fillion]

So I proudly.

[Felicia Day]

I was like a chinchilla. I was jumping like a chinchilla. It was one of the best moments of my life. If I would be like, top 10 memories. It's you just crashing my party, my existence in London.

[Nathan Fillion]

Give me a memory of Dr. Horrible. Something. Something about Dr. Horrible that stands out.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, my gosh. So I don't know if you knew this, but I was so nervous working with you and Neil. I was so nervous, and I wanted to die inside. Every time we were. And I didn't even know how to move my body sometimes. The first day we were on the back lot, which I guess doesn't. I think it burned down. It doesn't exist anymore. But we're in the backlot of the Universal Studios. And it was my first day working. And I will say, I don't know if you knew this, but the hair woman was really, really mean to me. She was so mean. Oh, she was awful to me. I sat down and I was already really nervous. And she. I was like, can I have my hair curly? It was as if I asked for, like, a nose job in the. Like, I need you to change my nose right now. She acted like, well, I'm just doing this a favor, and I. You want me to curl your hair every day? I just don't know how that's gonna work. And so she took what little confidence I had, and I. Will. I listen. I don't know who the ladies. I don't wanna, like, ruin anybody's career, but it was one of the worst. She was obviously having a bad day, I'll give her that. So I had a bad day, and it was the one where I fall in the trash and you pick me up, right?

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah, I pushed into the trash.

[Felicia Day]

Exactly. And I was so nervous, I had to tell my body how to get up off the ground and move, like, move toward him. Just remember to move toward him. It was. It got better after that. The first day was just a rough day. But I remember you being so kind, so supportive, and, like, I didn't even realize at the time how extraordinary. I mean, I realized you were extraordinary, but I didn't realize at the time how generous you were as an actor. And a lot of actors in your position and of your stature would not necessarily have that as a reflex. And you have it to this day, even being on the Rookie. And it's not just me, it's anybody on the set. And I just want to tell you that I'm just. I'm just glad that you're a paladin who has not been corrupted, and you continue to have your heart in the world in a lovely, positive way. And you've always been like that, and I know you always will.

[Nathan Fillion]

I love how the role playing game nomenclature makes it into your daily speech. It makes me very happy. The other thing is, I can't believe anyone could be mean to you. And the other thing is, I'm so glad I asked because that's so many lovely compliments, Alan. Were you listening to those?

[Felicia Day]

I don't remember anything about ever interacting with Alan.

[Alan Tudyk]

Wait, what?

[Felicia Day]

No, I do. I remember Con man. I have so many memories of con man. And I will say, this is really terrible, but when you. And I'm not even kidding, when you prove to be really competent. I was always impressed. Like, what? He can do that.

[Alan Tudyk]

So was I.

[Nathan Fillion]

No, no, that's fair.

[Alan Tudyk]

That's fair. Don't worry.

[Nathan Fillion]

He does not exude that.

[Felicia Day]

I'm like, wow, he knows what he's doing. But always with a question mark at the end. Like, what? I don't know why.

[Alan Tudyk]

God bless you.

[Nathan Fillion]

And the third last thing I'll make a comment about Dr. Horrible was I was so tense to be working with you and Neil because the two of you were such incredible singers. I remember somebody asking you to tone it down a bit as far as the professionalness of your voice.

[Felicia Day]

It's true. I went a little awkward. No, I actually, for the penny song, I was told to sing out less. And there. If anybody has not listened to the commentary track that goes along with Dr. Horrible, which nobody knows about, but you can get on iTunes and the DVD, it's another, like 10 songs that they wrote that go with the song.

[Nathan Fillion]

It's the musical commentary to the musical.

[Felicia Day]

Exactly. And my song is all about me, like, singing out and being operatic and also promoting myself to the point of absolute obnoxiousness because I love the Guild so much. And so Joss and Jed and Marissa and Zach made fun of me in the song and it was just. I mean, of course it's all good natured, but it was. It was true. Because I was obnoxious and that's how I am here today.

[Nathan Fillion]

Okay, so then, con man, let's go to con man. Let's talk about con man a little bit. Because you rocked that.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes. You helped. You not only were great in it, you played a fantastic character.

[Felicia Day]

You gave me that character.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes.

[Felicia Day]

It's good casting, good writing.

[Alan Tudyk]

I've had people dress like that. So the character, her name was Karen, which at the time Karen wasn't what Karen is now.

[Felicia Day]

Nope. Nope.

[Alan Tudyk]

But it was a reaction to. There's a lot of hyper security around cons with a lot of, like, fans end up in positions of security and running cons. And they're so considerate to the guests.

[Felicia Day]

Sometimes too much too.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah. That they will be like, come with me, come with me.

[Nathan Fillion]

Careful.

[Alan Tudyk]

Out of his way, out of his way. As if some people need that you're going to be attacked or you're going to be hounded. And it's never. People in my experience have been. Not that they've been very friendly. And so you were one of those people and you had dressed exactly like I was. When I meet you, you're already dressed exactly like I was. So you could be a decoy at any time to draw off any attackers. But you'd never met me. And some people had taken a picture of me at the airport. So you were able to put together an outfit that was exactly right.

[Felicia Day]

I was basically a stalker, but a benevolent one.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes. And you did a great job, and it was very fun. We had Leslie Jordan in that. No, he wasn't in that episode. He was in the second season. Because you came back second season.

[Felicia Day]

That's true.

[Alan Tudyk]

With Leslie Jordan.

[Felicia Day]

You did bring me back, which was nice.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yes. And that was when you were attached to Lou Ferrigno for that episode. I was.

[Felicia Day]

And I was in that weird muscle suit and I was pregnant, but I hadn't told anybody. It was like five weeks in, and I almost fainted. And I told pj, the producer. I was like, hey, I don't wanna tell anybody this, but I'm really hot and I have to go lay down. Cause I'm pregnant. And everyone was, like, freaking out. But it turned out, you know, my baby, she's great. She's great. You know, I could blame anything on you. So she.

[Alan Tudyk]

Con man. Con man Cooked the child.

[Felicia Day]

Cooked my baby. Yeah, exactly.

[Alan Tudyk]

In a loo. Ferrignum muscle suit.

[Felicia Day]

There were so many funny scenes there. And I just am so impressed that you directed, like, again, just like, he could do this. He directed and wrote it all and just so funny.

[Alan Tudyk]

There was a lot of funny stuff. That was a fun episode. That was the musical episode where Lou Ferrigno played Of Mice and Men. I'm with stupid, but Lestic Jordan was in.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

Mini Stern. It was a lot of fun. I love that we found out you were pregnant because you were. You were doing the same thing you did with my character, where you were gonna draw people away in case they attack him. So you were in a huge muscle suit. Muscle suit, yeah. I'm losing Grigno.

[Felicia Day]

It was hot.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

It was summer. Oh, fuck.

[Felicia Day]

Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

But thank you so much. And you helped raise money. We were. I got to come by your house. You gave me orangutan doll just for fun. I kept that thing for a while. It looked like a baby, but it was an orangutan.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, I remember that. Do you want to come to my house now? I have so much more trash I'd love to give you.

[Alan Tudyk]

I'm moving, so we're trying to shed.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, okay.

[Alan Tudyk]

All the extra.

[Felicia Day]

All right. Well, if you ever need a baby, you know, ring a tank again. I'll let know you. Not a real one. That's illegal.

[Nathan Fillion]

And then more crossplay. I came and did an episode of the Guild.

[Felicia Day]

I know.

[Nathan Fillion]

Where one of your characters was, like, so super mean to me when I was trying to make, like, a business connection. He's like, no, thanks. Give me the hand. And as I walk away, some little girl walks up and says, can you sign this? And I smack it out of her hand. Cause I'm just so.

[Felicia Day]

You were so funny in that. And, you know, I'm writing the. I'm doing a reunion movie. We're gonna kickstart it this summer. And I was like, oh, I have Nathan. Oh, he already was in the thing. God damn it. He was already in the show.

[Nathan Fillion]

That's why you have me come back, though. That's why. And to finish off what we had started with that. Angsty. Yeah, I remember you.

[Felicia Day]

Okay, okay, okay. It's a good pitch. If you become a. You can be a ghost and come to my house and be like, you know what you need?

[Alan Tudyk]

Massage your head.

[Nathan Fillion]

Does it have to be a Guild?

[Felicia Day]

So funny. You know what? It was so fun. We just talked about, like, some of the most fun times I've ever had making things. And all of them were things where we had a lot of control and not a lot of oversight and not a lot of resources, but we were there just playing and making things together. And, you know, that's the spirit. Like, that's what we're here for, right? I don't know. Those were all memories that I would never forget and productions that I'm, like, super proud I was part of. So, I mean, you know, all my jobs I'm proud of. But when you're just scrapping it together, it's kind of like, I don't know, there's something special about it.

[Alan Tudyk]

When young people come up to you and say. Or you're talking, you're in a position to give advice about the biz. Is that what you tell them? Make your own. Make your own thing.

[Felicia Day]

I'm always so. My daughter's like, I want to be a famous singer, Mama. And I'm like, I think it was from, like, just K Pop Demon Hunters. And I'm like, okay, but you got to write your own music, because you're not going to be a tool to the system. And she's like, okay, mama. Tool to the system.

[Alan Tudyk]

No, wait. Well, K Pop is a system is a great example of that, because the woman who wrote the songs was trying to be in the system. And then they were like, no, you don't have it.

[Felicia Day]

Her story's Incredible. And then she's like, listen, I got rejected. And 10 years went by, and I went back to, you know, songwriting school. And then this happened. And, you know, now she's, like, the biggest in the world.

[Nathan Fillion]

And, like.

[Felicia Day]

And she did a quote that was really interesting. Like, rejection is just building character. And I was like, well, that's. That's a pretty good. That's pretty good fuel, man.

[Alan Tudyk]

It sucks, though. It does.

[Felicia Day]

It doesn't feel good. It doesn't feel good.

[Nathan Fillion]

What is something the Internet gets wrong about you every time?

[Felicia Day]

Oh, wow. Oh, boy. That's interesting. That's a really good question. I've never heard that. That I have any calculation in what I do at all. I think I have an interesting career. Cause I was one of the first, like, Internet influencers. And I think if I had gone really heavy into looking really cool and taking sexy photos and all that stuff, there was a point at which I think I could have made a lot of money and been a lot better, you know, like, more people would know about me if I had gone, like, that traditional route, trying to be glamorous and trying to present my looks online. And, you know, I was one of the first people on Twitter, like you said, and Instagram and all that stuff. And, like, I never felt comfortable putting those clothes on or being glamorous or, like, putting on the shell that is not me. You know, Like, I. I don't want to put my effort into that. Like, look at my hair. I just don't have that desire. And I don't like setting the bar in a way, like, I am putting on a false front. But the reality is this. I always, like, I'm really super honest. I'm just like, here's the. Here's the reality of it. Maybe too honest, and maybe that may be less high profile, but it made me feel more authentic and true to who I am. And also it saved me a lot of money because grooming is expensive.

[Nathan Fillion]

If you search Felicia Day Nathan Fillion in Google, are you.

[Felicia Day]

Are we going to tell the world that my daughter is yours?

[Nathan Fillion]

That's one of the things that comes up. I'm reading right now. Felicia Day, long before she became the queen of geek culture, reportedly dated Nathan fillion during the mid-90s.

[Felicia Day]

What?

[Nathan Fillion]

That's one of the things that comes up. I was in New York in the mid-90s.

[Felicia Day]

I was underage in the mid-90s.

[Nathan Fillion]

There we go.

[Alan Tudyk]

Whoa.

[Felicia Day]

Did not happen, you guys.

[Nathan Fillion]

Hollywood secret. There's another. There's another one that says, we dated in 2017. There's.

[Felicia Day]

Yes, that was the year my daughter was born. So for you to inseminate me, I guess we would have had to do something the year before. Clearly not, right?

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, my gosh.

[Nathan Fillion]

I think this is our opportunity to set the record straight.

[Felicia Day]

We have never dated.

[Nathan Fillion]

We have never dated.

[Felicia Day]

I've never even put my hand in his crotch. Never done, like, an Allen. I've never done an Allen on anything. Isn't that weird? What rumor is it that you're. I mean, there's so many rumors about all of us, Alan. What's the one that you are most irate about?

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, I don't ha. I don't. I don't know. I guess I don't read a lot of stuff.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, I'm looking you up.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, no, don't. I don't want to know. I try not to know.

[Felicia Day]

Just say rumors. Okay. I'm just gonna see if there's anything. Oh, there's nothing. Not really.

[Alan Tudyk]

I'm an open book. Squeaky clean, and it's a picture book, so really not much to the.

[Felicia Day]

You're open to returning to Star Wars? These are the most boring rumors I've ever seen.

[Alan Tudyk]

I love that you still. Oh, my God. This I love. You get these things, like, on social media. They'll be like, this actor would like to play Batman. Okay. Who wouldn't want to play Batman? That's pretty great.

[Nathan Fillion]

I mean, what's your source for this? Because it's not me.

[Felicia Day]

Okay. So anyway, for the record, my child is not Nathan Villains.

[Nathan Fillion]

Okay. Yeah, you should say.

[Felicia Day]

So. We're just gonna set the AI Record straight. Sadly, she does have good hair, though, so I don't know if something happened. She does have great hair, Nathan.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, my God.

[Nathan Fillion]

But I think you get your hair from your mother, though. You get your mother's hair?

[Felicia Day]

You get your mother's hair. No, not my kid. I don't know where she got it, but I have thin, thin hair, and she's got the thickest hair, and it has slight curl, and I'm like, I don't know. Maybe. Could be that. I don't know who the father is.

[Alan Tudyk]

Ask your husband. Wow.

[Nathan Fillion]

Do you still participate in the D and D of it all?

[Felicia Day]

You know, I do.

[Nathan Fillion]

I have a question, then. What is your preferred set of D and D dice? Because I know they're pretty fancy.

[Felicia Day]

I have probably a couple hundred dice, and my daughter stole them all. She likes to play dice shop and have me play characters like, oh, I'm an old wizard, and I need a Blue part, because I like ice. And she'll, like, you know, get them out and be like, what about these? I'm like, no, they're not icy enough, you know, so. So I do love. I have a composite pair that has a bunch of minerals in it. It's all different colors. And I do like the ones that sparkle with the really sharp corners that are, like, sort of like not 3D printed, but they're, like cast in clear resin, and they have, like, sparkles in the middle, and you could even have one where they have a hole in the middle and you have glitter. And so it's like a glitter gel in the middle and you. Oh, they are very sparkly.

[Nathan Fillion]

The liquid core. Those are my favorites. The ones that have the floating eyes so that when you roll it, the eyes are always looking up. That's my. That's my. Like.

[Felicia Day]

Do you collect dice? Do you collect dice?

[Nathan Fillion]

I don't collect dice, but I do love online shopping. And so when I find somebody who plays D and D, and this just happened to me on Thursday, one of my friends said, who's been a guest on our show, Melissa o' Neill has started playing a little bit of D and D. And I said, I'm gonna set you up with some dice. I'm gonna get you a little roll tower where you drop them in and they come out into the tray at the bottom. And, yeah, I got her some fancy dice that she can play with.

[Alan Tudyk]

I have a set that is hewn from the bones of my. That's my understanding of Dungeons and Dragons. That's about all that doesn't seem probably what it's about. No.

[Felicia Day]

Well, listen, if you ever want to play, I know some great DMs who will do all the work in LA

[Alan Tudyk]

from the Talons of a dragon.

[Nathan Fillion]

And I've seen these now, these tables that you can use. It's like a touchscreen table computer of sorts, where they'll put the land out there in front of you. And is that frowned on in D and D?

[Felicia Day]

I think it's whatever you want. I have a company that I work with called Lorescape, and they have, like, almost. It's almost like a Minecraft. They have the hex tiles they put together, and you could lay them out. And my daughter and I, we play a lot. Not really officially. She just lays out the tiles, and they're all different landscapes, like swamp and desert. And our little characters will go in, and she's like, mama, let's search for treasure. And that's basically what we do we go shopping? But she sets it up so they're like layers of these cool little hextiles. And the landscape is really three dimensional versus like just a flat map. I think it's whatever you like. Man, there's so many different options from

[Alan Tudyk]

the tailbone of a griffin. Okay, I'm done.

[Nathan Fillion]

Thank you.

[Alan Tudyk]

Those are my dice.

[Felicia Day]

I would love to play with you. What would you play? What would be your class? Nathan and Alan. Secondary thought.

[Alan Tudyk]

And also Alan.

[Nathan Fillion]

Just. My preference would be to be anything but human. I would want, if I get the opportunity to play a character I just like I'm human all the time. I would just make sure I don't want to be human and anything. I think that lends itself easily to comedy so that I can throw in some jokes in there.

[Felicia Day]

So like a dwarf, a halfling, a gnome. Or you could be like a tiefling, which is kind of like a demony thing or an ogre. Or, you know, you want to be a big, broody, you know, kind of person. Or a. I don't know if I

[Nathan Fillion]

could be friends with a halfling, but you never know.

[Alan Tudyk]

Pun.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, no. Why'd you have to ruin everything?

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah.

[Felicia Day]

Oof. Okay, Alan.

[Alan Tudyk]

I mean, I kind of was liking the halfling thing.

[Felicia Day]

Okay, well, you don't need to be friends. You can roll with half.

[Alan Tudyk]

What and half. What is a halfling? Half human?

[Felicia Day]

It's a hobbit. It's like. It's the way that they get around the hobbit with the hairy feet.

[Alan Tudyk]

I don't want that.

[Felicia Day]

No, that's nice.

[Alan Tudyk]

I don't want the hairy feet. I don't know, like a thief. Like, I want to. I want to be one of the. I want to be one of the hairless arrow shooters with point ears.

[Felicia Day]

So an elf. Like an elf thief, but also an archer. Okay.

[Alan Tudyk]

And also hairless.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, what is with the hair, man?

[Alan Tudyk]

Well, I just. I can't. I don't know. The hairy feet just really put me off.

[Felicia Day]

What about other body parts? Do you wax everything? I just need to know if it grows.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'm trimming it. If it grows. You gotta trim it. Folks, I see people with, like, nose hair coming out their nostrils. Hey, everyone in your life is doing you a disservice. You got to trim that.

[Felicia Day]

Get the manual. Get the electric. Do something.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll do it.

[Alan Tudyk]

Do we do with Felicia before we're done things we don't know about you?

[Felicia Day]

Oh, no, you know everything.

[Nathan Fillion]

You got something you're funding. Pretty soon you're Gonna do another movie.

[Felicia Day]

It's gonna be a Gilbert reunion movie. Cause it's our 20th anniversary next year.

[Nathan Fillion]

Congratulations.

[Felicia Day]

Wow. I know. And I have the script and we're gonna hopefully do a music videos or more than one. We'll see how successful it is.

[Alan Tudyk]

So cool.

[Felicia Day]

It is available for sign up on the Kickstarter and I have a page that I can give you a link to so you can be notified first when it goes live at the end

[Nathan Fillion]

of June, you're getting the whole gang back together. Is everybody in? Everybody tell me that. What is that phone call like? You call everybody, go, hey, guess what?

[Felicia Day]

We have a text message. Isn't it fun to get parties back together, though? You know what I'm saying? And I'm like, hey, you guys want to do this? And everyone's like, sure. And I'm like, great. That was easy. Because I love them and they had a great time on the show and I did too. And yeah, hopefully we can make a movie. It's a weird time in the world, but hopefully people will be like, oh, yeah, I loved that back in the day. Let's see more of it. And it's a fun script. I'm excited about it and I have a lot of other things planned if we make enough money to make the movie. So I don't know, to do extra stuff.

[Nathan Fillion]

20 years is a long time. I mean, that you run the risk of somebody saying, you know what? I've changed my life. I'm an accountant now. I've got my real estate license. I've turned to leave that behind me.

[Felicia Day]

I know. Well, if we don't make the Kickstarter, then I can always make it as a podcast or a comic or, you know, But I have a feeling. I have a feeling my heart. I have a feeling my heart's gonna be.

[Nathan Fillion]

Well, you have a level of engagement, too, that people who are interested in what you create are also interested in supporting that creativity.

[Felicia Day]

Cross your fingers.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll donate. I'm saying it right now. I will donate.

[Felicia Day]

Aw, thank you, dear.

[Alan Tudyk]

I'll donate. I'll donate.

[Felicia Day]

I was looking at you significantly.

[Nathan Fillion]

Yeah.

[Alan Tudyk]

I will donate. I will donate.

[Felicia Day]

Just sign up.

[Alan Tudyk]

I'll be in the thing.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll put the new email in the thing and donate.

[Alan Tudyk]

I'll play a character.

[Felicia Day]

Aw, that would be amazing.

[Alan Tudyk]

Okay, I don't necessarily want to be me, but I'll play a character.

[Felicia Day]

Now listen, you'll do what I tell you to.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'll play Alan if you need Alan Tudyk. And he's not gonna play him. I'll play Alan Tudyk.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, Nathan's got it. This is gonna be the worst version of me ever.

[Felicia Day]

Oh, my God.

[Nathan Fillion]

I can. I can do a good. Okay.

[Alan Tudyk]

What is that you got. Look at that.

[Nathan Fillion]

I don't want to play another robot.

[Alan Tudyk]

What? That's not true. Although I can't. I can't fill out captchas anymore. They're like, make sure you're not a robot. And I can't.

[Nathan Fillion]

They're like, you don't even know how. It does not compute.

[Alan Tudyk]

Yeah, I'm like, bikes. I don't see any bikes in there.

[Felicia Day]

It's never the piece of furniture you thought it was. I was like, I thought that was a wardrobe. What are you talking about? Who do I email to be like, that's clearly a wardrobe, sir, and.

[Nathan Fillion]

Or Madam Felicia, Is there anything you'd like to add that we missed? That you think, hey, you know, we didn't touch on this.

[Felicia Day]

Wow. This has been a wonderful. This has been a wonderful time. I could do this for eight hours.

[Nathan Fillion]

You sound surprised.

[Felicia Day]

I have a book that's coming out, and if you want a graphic novel, it's called the Last Daughter of sparta. It's out March 17th.

[Alan Tudyk]

You wrote this?

[Felicia Day]

I wrote it at the beginning of COVID It took six years to get out there, but how cool. It's set in ancient Greece, and it's sort of a Hercules journey for this obscure mythological character I found at midnight one day trying to overcome my insomnia years ago while my daughter wouldn't sleep. So, yeah, I wrote it. I'm really proud of it. It's coming out in March, so if you think that might be up your alley.

[Nathan Fillion]

Who is your art. Who did you get to?

[Felicia Day]

A woman named Rowan McCall. And I found her because I was looking through a hashtag called visiblewomen because I knew I wanted a woman illustrator for this book and. Cause it's very female empowering, but also universal. My friend Wil Wheaton said he cried when he read it. So she's incredible. And she's not. You know, she's just perfect for this book. It was a very distinctive style I was looking for, and I just found her by going through the Internet, like a thousand people. And I was like, that's her. That's her. So I hope people like it. Yeah, it's good. My daughter read it in, like an hour and was like, mama, you need a glossary. And I was like, well, I'll give the publisher a note later for maybe.

[Alan Tudyk]

And what is it?

[Felicia Day]

Called again the lost daughter of Sparta.

[Alan Tudyk]

Lost daughter of Sparta.

[Felicia Day]

The youngest sister of Helen of Troy, who's actually in mythology, but nobody has ever written about her, so I'm excited.

[Nathan Fillion]

What's your daughter's reading list that she's throwing out words like glossary.

[Felicia Day]

I mean, she loves reading. And when she was like, two or three years old, I was reading her, like, Greek myths. She's named after a Greek. You know, a Greek goddess, Calliope. So I want her to be a liberal arts major and support her for the rest of her life.

[Nathan Fillion]

I don't want your life, Mom. Yeah, and then she gets her real estate license.

[Felicia Day]

Exactly. Or something that will actually support her. No, I don't know. I mean, you guys are so good. I just think you're awesome. And thank you for having me on.

[Alan Tudyk]

You're awesome.

[Felicia Day]

Stop it.

[Nathan Fillion]

What a treat. What a treat. Listen, I mean, I know we don't hang out constantly. I'm still getting into the habit of hanging out with people after Covid.

[Felicia Day]

I know. And you're so busy all the time. How do you like. I just. Again, I just sleep. I don't see people. So half the time I'm like, I'm getting better.

[Nathan Fillion]

I'm getting better. And I got some time off coming up.

[Felicia Day]

Let's have a lovely time. All right, let me know.

[Nathan Fillion]

Let's have a lovely time.

[Felicia Day]

I would love that. And maybe Alan could come.

[Alan Tudyk]

Or not.

[Felicia Day]

Maybe not.

[Alan Tudyk]

Alan Also Alan also plus Alan. Also Alan plus Alan.

[Felicia Day]

Alan, you're a delight. And thank you for letting me insult you the whole hour. It's funny.

[Alan Tudyk]

Oh, that's another smile.

[Felicia Day]

I think you're wonderful.

[Alan Tudyk]

Lovely.

[Nathan Fillion]

Thank you, Felicia.

[Alan Tudyk]

Music, please.

[Felicia Day]

Q.

[Nathan Fillion]

Hello and thank you for listening. This is Nick Fillion. Now is the part where I read aloud the credits for our show in my best telephone voice. So put on some headphones, lay back and relax because this is our time. If you haven't yet, you can always head over to our Patreon to get bonus content, longer episodes, and a chance to get your hands on some incredible crap. If you love the show, please leave us a review and feel free to tell all your friends. If you who didn't love the show, now is the time for quiet contemplation. Once We Were Spacemen is a collision 33 production. Some of the names I will mention are my favorite people in the world. And some of them have room for improvement. You know who you are. If you hear your name being read, please stand up. This show is produced by Siobhan Homan. Michelle Chapman and Josh Lebbey of Collision 33. We are edited, mixed and produced by Resonate Recordings, with special thanks to Courtney Blomquist and Adam Townsell. Our theme music is done by Carlos Sosa and Joshua Moore. Artwork by the incredible and incomparable Louis Jensen. But I'm gonna tell you right now, I think he fakes his accent. Until next time.

[Felicia Day]

Can you tell I've gone to therapy?