Once We Were Spacemen

Episode 18: "Once We Were Ten-Year Olds"

Hosts: Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk
Date: March 11, 2026

Overview

In this lively episode, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk journey backward, reflecting on what their ten-year-old selves would think of their current lives. With their trademark humor, they dive into childhood obsessions with cartoons, sugar cereals, and daydreams of performance, tracing how these influences shaped their personalities and careers. They also swap stories about home decor choices, teenage adventures, quirky habits, and the deeper meaning behind their creative paths—all while continually poking fun at each other in the way only close, long-term friends can.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Warped Brains of Cartoon Kids (00:00 - 09:55)

• Alan opens with a theory: watching cartoons and eating sugary cereals as a kid “warps” your brain, shaping comedic sensibilities.
  • Alan Tudyk (00:00): “You’re laughing very hard, you’re eating cereal full of sugar. Your brain is trying to grow and it warps it in a certain way. I think it melts it into a. That’s what happened to me.”
• Discuss Sid and Marty Krofft shows, Saturday morning cartoons in Canada vs the US, and their personal cartoon favorites.
• Nathan’s nostalgic memory: limited TV channels growing up, catching what cartoons he could—even in French.
• Alan’s childhood imprinting on robots and aliens via oddball shows like Far Out Space Nuts and Land of the Lost.
• Alan reflects that these “warped” influences led directly to his penchant for playing “weird people, usually aliens and robots.”
• Reminisce about the violent, manic humor of classic Looney Tunes contrasted with today’s cartoon landscape:
  • Nathan Fillion (07:56): “Are there Saturday morning cartoons anymore? … Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd would shoot people in the face, like dropping anvils on heads and lots of things you don’t see on TV anymore.”

2. Sugar Cereals and Childhood Health (10:17 - 11:10)

• Alan bemoans the mouth-destroying properties of Cap’n Crunch and “crappy cereals … just rough corn sandpaper.”
• Typical choices: Cinnamon Life, Honey Nut Cheerios; both admit to sweetening with extra sugar.

3. If Ten-Year-Old You Could See You Now… (11:09 - 13:07)

• Nathan asks: what would ten-year-old Alan think of grown-up Alan’s life?
• Alan: “I think the ten-year-old me would be very happy. You know, I didn’t die by quicksand, which was a big fear for our generation.”
• They tally up Alan’s three dogs (the canine equivalent of a cat lady) and laugh about oddball adult realities versus kid dreams.
• Alan shares that his LA home is filled with visually interesting, toy-like antiques—childhood “peanut butter fingers” are still tempted.

4. House Decor: Bowling Lanes, Yardsticks, and a Snooty Chandelier (13:07 - 16:44)

• Alan details his collection of eccentric home artifacts:
  • Used an actual bowling lane as a kitchen counter (to the fury of builders).
  • Wall of antique yardsticks, recently removed to appease a dramatic Italian chandelier.
  • Alan Tudyk (15:39): “The snotty chandelier said, ‘I will not be by this ugly table and this ugly wall.’ … That thing cost me so much money trying to bring my house up to the chandelier.”
• Nathan fondly recalls another Alan item: a crocheted, dissected frog under glass—a perfectly peculiar synthesis of their mutual love for quirky, macabre artifacts.

5. Dreams and Performance: School Talent Shows & Early Ambition (17:36 - 24:56)

• Alan: “I think I wanted to be an actor. I was always trying to get into the talent show.”
• Nathan: “I didn’t have a lot of interest [in performing as a kid] … You’re searching for your own identity.” He shares stories about unicycles, being a wallflower, and eventually copying Monty Python and SNL sketches in high school assemblies.
• Alan relives failed auditions with mortifying acts: lip-syncing “Grease” as an old woman, miming “I’m a Nut”—only to be denied by wary, unsupportive teachers:
  • Alan Tudyk (20:24): “No, they said no, Alan every time.”
• Trophies finally come in speech tournaments and made-up commercial acts (e.g., the Swiss Army Cow Chip, Macho Hair).

6. Class Clowns, Daydreams, and Shyness (32:01 - 36:35)

• Both reveal pivots from shy kids to class clowns.
• Nathan: “I was a very good kid. But I was always accused of being a daydreamer, practicing my autograph and, who’s laughing now?”
• Alan recounts being constantly admonished: “You don’t know when to stop."
• Both share fantasies of stardom: practicing for talk show appearances (Johnny Carson for Alan, Letterman for Nathan)—with Nathan ultimately fulfilling the Ed Sullivan Theater daydream multiple times:
  • Nathan Fillion (35:32): “I got to go on that … it’s a very proud moment for me.”

7. Quirks, Traditions, and Superstitions (39:39 - 49:37)

• Alan reveals: Nathan sews custom “slankets” (sleeved blankets) for friends, a skill learned in home economics.
  • Alan Tudyk (41:23): “We wore the slankets that Nathan made us so that we could have free arms to play Halo while we stayed warm. That’s a pretty great thing about Nathan.”
• Nathan’s “lipstickious” (not superstitious, but superstitious-lite) tradition: lifting feet over train tracks, holding breath through tunnels—childhood habits he still keeps for nostalgia.
• Poignant moment: both admit to holding onto odd traditions and sentimental superstitions as grown men.

8. Car Mishaps and Friendship’s True Test (43:40 - 46:30)

• Alan sheepishly confesses to “wrecking” Nathan’s BMW—sort of (actually, a construction crew hit the parked car).
  • Alan Tudyk (44:12): “I wrecked it because I parked it on the street… [they] backed right into the BMW.”
  • Nathan reassures him, underscoring durable friendship and the importance of safety over stuff.

9. Motorcycles, New York, and Moving On (49:55 - 51:02)

• Alan’s LA car woes may soon be moot—he’s moving to NYC, selling his motorcycle but waxing poetic about riding it, new adventures, and one last gift from Nathan: a package containing a loud horn for the bike.

10. Closing Moments: Gratitude and Reflection (50:29 - 51:02)

• Both hosts express their appreciation for deeper understanding and enduring friendship, with Alan joking about barely surviving his "harrowing" car ordeal.
• The discussion closes with mutual affection and a tongue-in-cheek plug for their Patreon and production crew.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cartoon Influence:
  • Alan Tudyk (00:00): “Cartoons... your brain is trying to grow, and it warps it in a certain way. I think it melts it into a. That’s what happened to me.”
• On Cereal Hazards:
  • Alan Tudyk (10:46): “Captain Crunch would destroy the roof of your mouth. And there was sort of a bunch of crappy cereals ... just rough corn sandpaper.”
• On Chasing Childhood Dreams:
  • Alan Tudyk (17:49): “I think I wanted to be an actor. I always was trying to get into the talent show.”
• Treasure for the Macabre:
  • Nathan Fillion (17:13): “It’s a frame with what looks to be like a dissected frog in it ... but it was crocheted. That kinda epitomizes you, Alan.”
• Breaking Into Showbiz:
  • Nathan Fillion (35:32): “I got to go on [Letterman] … it’s a very proud moment for me.”
• On Class Clown Boundaries:
  • Alan Tudyk (33:43): “I was way past the line, man... I was always trying to find that sweet sweet spot.”
• The Car ‘Wreck’ Reveal:
  • Alan Tudyk (44:12): “I wrecked it because I parked it on the street… they backed right into the BMW and knocked on the door.”
• On Handmade Slankets:
  • Alan Tudyk (41:23): “We wore the slankets that Nathan made us so that we could have free arms to play Halo while we stayed warm.”
• Traditions Die Hard:
  • Nathan Fillion (47:07): “[As an adult]… I still [lift my feet] for tradition or anything, but I lifted my feet and I looked over. My brother was lifting his feet, and he looked over. We both kinda smiled at each other, like we still do it.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 09:55: Childhood cartoons and their lasting effects
• 10:17 – 11:10: Sugar cereals—the good, the bad, and the Cap’n Crunch
• 11:09 – 13:07: Ten-year-old self, cars, and the reality of three dogs
• 13:07 – 16:44: Alan’s unique home décor: bowling lanes, yardsticks, and chandeliers
• 17:36 – 24:56: School days: talent shows, early ambition, and creative beginnings
• 32:01 – 36:35: Finding the line as a class clown; daydreams and autographs
• 39:39 – 41:23: Nathan’s slanket-sewing era and the camaraderie it fostered
• 43:40 – 46:30: Alan’s confession about Nathan’s car “wreck”
• 47:07 – 49:37: Enduring family traditions and superstitions
• 49:55 – 51:02: Wrapping up: motorcycles, reflections, and friendship

Tone & Style

The episode is playful, warm, and irreverent, filled with friendship-fueled barbs and nostalgic humor. Fillion and Tudyk’s rapport is natural and unscripted, with unexpected tangents and confessions ensuring an entertaining, authentic listening experience.

In Conclusion:
For fans and newcomers alike, this episode is a charming, tangential trip through the formative moments that shaped two beloved actors—and the enduring, offbeat friendship between them. Whether you’re here for the vintage TV deep-dives, the behind-the-scenes life tidbits, or the good-natured ribbing, "Once We Were Ten-Year-Olds" brims with nostalgia, affection, and the kind of stories that reveal who these spacemen really are.