Nathan Fillion: Master Photobomber
January 14, 2013 6:06 AM   Subscribe

Nathan Fillion is notorious for sneaking into the the background of other people's photos; But here he takes it to an unprecedented level as he repeatedly photobombs a single scene while shooting Firefly.
posted by quin (66 comments total) 45 users marked this as a favorite
 
Classic.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:10 AM on January 14, 2013


There are no celebrities I would like to hang out with more than Captain Mal.

Maybe Joe Biden and NPH.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:12 AM on January 14, 2013 [13 favorites]


Heh, classic indeed. This is one of the best parts of the extended Firefly gag reel, 13 minutes instead of the 3 minutes or so one on the DVD set. I believe this was originally leaked by a crew member after the show's Christmas party (which became the show's wrap party) where it was shown.
posted by kmz at 6:14 AM on January 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


If I remember, this was done during the episode the cast and crew learnt Firefly was cancelled before its time.

BEFORE.
ITS.
TIME.
posted by Mezentian at 6:14 AM on January 14, 2013 [8 favorites]


Relevant
posted by zippy at 6:24 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Gentlemen, our cause is clear, we must CLONE NATHAN FILLION
posted by The Whelk at 6:27 AM on January 14, 2013 [16 favorites]


That was pretty funny. I did not think it would be that funny.
posted by OmieWise at 6:29 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yeah, this is from the filming of The Message, which is the ep where Joss got the final word from the network. Greg Edmonson's always said that the haunting music from the funeral scene was written as a goodbye to the show as much as it was a song for Tracey.
posted by kmz at 6:29 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


And hell, might as well link the extended Serenity gag reel too. "Traaaaaaaaaaaaaap" is guaranteed to make me laugh every time.
posted by kmz at 6:35 AM on January 14, 2013 [7 favorites]


The hammer is my penis.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:39 AM on January 14, 2013 [6 favorites]


Remember, should you encounter Nathan Fillion in the wild, do not attempt to hug him or begin sobbing tears of joy. Simply nod at him and say "Captain." He will return the nod, and for a split second think of you as a cool person, and what more could you possibly want?

I've never been much interested in meeting celebrities, but since hearing him describe this Fillion-approved method of greeting on Nerdist, I really want to run into him sometime. I just hope I remember my training.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:39 AM on January 14, 2013 [26 favorites]


Jewel Staite just losing it at the end is a perfect finale to the clip.
posted by Atreides at 6:47 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


i could watch this man clip his toenails and be entertained.
posted by echocollate at 6:52 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Say, whatever happened to that show?
posted by Legomancer at 6:52 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Needs moar Jewel!
posted by Thorzdad at 7:02 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


My favorite Canadian.
posted by tommasz at 7:08 AM on January 14, 2013


Simply nod at him and say "Captain."

I have a feeling that, despite (or possible because of) the deep geekiness, this is one of those things that would make everyone present feel extraordinarily cooler for a few moments.

And suddenly, I have a new mission in life.
posted by quin at 7:20 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


WHEATONNNNNNNNN
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:22 AM on January 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


For the record, he does nod back when you meet him in the wild. In quite a captain-y way.
posted by teleri025 at 7:41 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Remember, should you encounter Nathan Fillion in the wild, do not attempt to hug him or begin sobbing tears of joy. Simply nod at him and say "Captain." He will return the nod, and for a split second think of you as a cool person, and what more could you possibly want?

While the whole time, in your mind, you are referring to Captain Hammer.
posted by Danf at 8:21 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Simply nod at him and say "Captain." He will return the nod, and for a split second think of you as a cool person, and what more could you possibly want?

Does it lose all coolness if you call him "Captain Tightpants"? (Which is totally canon!)
posted by pbrim at 8:26 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yes, but it replaces it with total hawtness.
posted by phearlez at 8:31 AM on January 14, 2013


I think if I ever ran into him I'd ask him if he was Private James Francis Ryan from Iowa and see what he said.
posted by bondcliff at 8:48 AM on January 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


So I've been trying to find a perspective that will allow me to watch the episode Heart of Gold again, as I've watched the others, and Serenity, so many times I'm getting desperate. On the one hand, it's the Firefly cast in costume on the teevee. On the other hand, it consists of everybody going into an ordinary house which has been turned all science fictiony by covering it in aluminum foil, and proceeding to act completely out of character.

But then it hit me. It's not just aluminum foil, it's Reynolds Wrap. Doubtless that's just the tip of the iceberg: surely the whole episode is a coded message of some kind to the faithful, and not some bizarre, painful exception to an otherwise beloved series. By bearing that in mind, I will now be able to watch it again. Stay tuned for my website that explains what the message is once I've worked it out.
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:53 AM on January 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


Everything I know about Nathan Fillion makes me really annoyed that I missed the opportunity to see him perform live improv during the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival a few years back. Since he's from here, he knows a lot of the local actors and took the opportunity to join as a guest cast member for one of the popular midnight improv shows that run throughout the week of the festival.

I had thought about attending that night, but was tired and so I didn't end up going. I found out the next morning that Fillion had made a surprise appearance.
posted by asnider at 9:11 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


not some bizarre, painful exception to an otherwise beloved series.

There is no question that it is by far the weakest episode of the series. Still I take solace in the fact that that makes it only twice as good a most of the other stuff out there.

Besides, Inara is finally forced to admit to herself and the audience how deeply her feelings for Mal run. It's possibly the only time in the series other than a few quick cuts during her introductory scene where we see Inara being real. (Maybe with the cows in the hold too, hard to say.)
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:30 AM on January 14, 2013


Besides, Inara is finally forced to admit to herself and the audience how deeply her feelings for Mal run.

We're gonna have to agree to disagree that this is a good thing. (Personally I thought that the lipstick moment in Our Mrs. Reynolds was more in keeping with the way it was being handled, as well as being rather witty and with a superb payoff.)

The trouble with that ep (including, IMO, that moment) is that so many of the story details are at odds with the spirit of the show -- so it comes as no surprise to see that it's by someone who apparently had contributed no other writing to the series. Still, you gotta wonder why Joss bought it.
posted by George_Spiggott at 9:42 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rock Steady: "There are no celebrities I would like to hang out with more than Captain Mal.

Maybe Joe Biden and NPH.
"

Three words: buddy cop movie.
posted by brundlefly at 10:10 AM on January 14, 2013 [13 favorites]


Love. Seriously, I am one CALL ME! away from a restraining order.
posted by mochapickle at 10:35 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I've been watching a lot of Castle since TNT or TBS or whoever has been marathoning it on Wednesdays (my work-from-home day) and there are several episodes I've seen where he references Firefly and I laugh like an idiot every time.
posted by rtha at 11:00 AM on January 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


In that case... Firefly/Serenity references in Castle.
posted by fragmede at 11:11 AM on January 14, 2013 [9 favorites]


I think my favorite Firefly reference in another franchise is Adam Baldwin's appearance on Bones as Booth's friend Agent Canton.

Nathan Fillion seems very good at handling his nerd mega-fame. His interview with the Nerdist is pretty great, if you haven't heard it.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 11:20 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Nothing beats the Halloween costume on Castle. Nothing.
posted by kmz at 11:29 AM on January 14, 2013 [8 favorites]


Alan Tudyk's double-take is comic perfection.
posted by sapere aude at 11:34 AM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


As much as I love Firefly, and as a Class-III nerd I really do, the Mandarin on that show makes me scream in agony. I don't know whose pronunciation is the best, but I'm pretty sure Fillion's is the worst.
posted by 1adam12 at 11:56 AM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I am not a fan of Firefly but I think it's super cute that Molly Quinn cosplayed as Mal Reynolds at SDCC while doing the Castle panel.
posted by Justinian at 12:11 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


the Mandarin on that show makes me scream in agony. I don't know whose pronunciation is the best, but I'm pretty sure Fillion's is the worst.

Just think of it as an accent or a futuristic dialect. After all, it's been a long time (possibly centuries) since Earth-that-was. The language has changed over those many decades/centuries. Thus, Fillion's terrible pronunciation is actually the most canonically correct* pronunciation.

--

*May not actually be canon.
posted by asnider at 12:23 PM on January 14, 2013 [6 favorites]


Fillion is just adorable, clever and sweet. TMI I just wish to all hells that he didn't look so much like my younger brother so I could call Fillion more than adorable. Personal uncanny valley exists right the eff here.
posted by vers at 12:25 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


but I think it's super cute that Molly Quinn cosplayed as Mal Reynolds at SDCC

I had no idea, but yeah, it's really awesome. Her explanation of making it is pretty cool as well.
posted by quin at 12:31 PM on January 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


we do the weird stuff
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:41 PM on January 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


Nothing beats the Halloween costume on Castle. Nothing.

That was a hoot, then Alexis says "didn't you wear that five years ago? Get over it." and it became awesome++.
posted by phearlez at 1:46 PM on January 14, 2013


Did anyone else catch his hilarious voice work on The Venture Brothers as the Brown Widow, the Spider-Manish character? I ended up in a puddle of my own drool from laughing, and they totally played up his nerd-god cache in spite of how pathetic the poor character is.
posted by emcat8 at 1:53 PM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


I really liked the episode of Castle this season that was essentially a very long Firefly reference. I'm a big fan of Castle, as a whole.
posted by jeather at 2:17 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I loved "The Final Frontier" too. My favorite episode of that show so far. Especially since it was Beckett who was the fan of the obscure show and Castle the one that was scorning it.

And her costume at the end...comedy gold. And boner-killer.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:30 PM on January 14, 2013


I just wish to all hells that he didn't look so much like my younger brother so I could call Fillion more than adorable. Personal uncanny valley exists right the eff here.

vers, where does your brother live? Is he single?

Just kidding, I'm married. But the actual Nathan Fillion would be on my freebie list, if I had one.
posted by vytae at 3:05 PM on January 14, 2013


There's a special hell out there for all of you thinking lascivious thoughts in your bunks about vers' brother.
posted by Mezentian at 4:00 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


There's a special hell out there for all of you thinking lascivious thoughts in your bunks about vers' brother.

There's an even more special hell for those who are writing slash fiction about vers' brother and Nathan Fillion.
posted by jeather at 4:05 PM on January 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


As much as I love Firefly, and as a Class-III nerd I really do, the Mandarin on that show makes me scream in agony.

you'd either appreciate - or hate - the extended gag reel above, for the segment with the cast flailing and screwing up the Mandarin lines...

I swear I remember seeing a clip where they had the Mandarin consultant/translator they'd hired for the show, and it was this very sweet-looking adorable young woman talking about how when she accepted the job she hadn't expected it would involve coming up with the proper Mandarin for things like "frog-humping son of a bitch" or "explosive elephant diarrhea".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:48 PM on January 14, 2013


if I were to ever become rich, Bill Gates or Larry Ellison rich mind you, the cast of Firefly would be at my beck and call. Nothing, bad mind you, but they'd be there when I was bored. And really with a billion dollars, being bored has to be the biggest problem a billionaire faces.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:15 PM on January 14, 2013


EC, careful with the word adorable -- apparently it can get you in heaps of trouble with the folks in this verse.

And for those folks asking, as a point of fact my brother is single. He'll always be single; he's just too sarcastic for women to take a longterm liking to him. No matter that he's tallish, quietish and not a terrible cook. Doesn't make up for the fact that he wears a fedora.

Trap!




"Man walks down the street in a hat like that, you know he's not afraid of anything ... "
posted by vers at 6:33 PM on January 14, 2013


asnider: That fringe appearance? I'm about to ruin your day even more. Not only did Nathan guest star in the Die Nasty Fringe run for a few days, but for one night -- at least; I only made it out the once -- Alan Tudyk joined him. As an overzealous high school security guard.
posted by ChrisR at 6:54 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just think of it as an accent or a futuristic dialect. After all, it's been a long time (possibly centuries) since Earth-that-was. The language has changed over those many decades/centuries.

The only reason the English is modern is because of a recent find of old American and British television and movies, which an entire generation took up the accents of as a charming affectation, passing it onto their children as "normal speech". However, it was only socially appropriate to do this with American accents, for some reason, and only douchebags used British ones. This is why Atherton Wing and Badger are the only people with British accents of any kind; Ath picked them up from watching upper-class BBC TV dramas, Badger had a heist go bad at one point and ended up with 10,000 copies of Snatch that he had to wait a long time to sell, so he watched as many of them as possible before he actually got rid of them.
posted by NoraReed at 1:33 AM on January 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Nathan Fillon continues his trolling streak.

At the Weinstein Co. Golden Globes party:
"Klum jumped up on a wobbly cocktail table at midnight, dancing to hip-hop. 'Castle' star Nathan Fillion told the supermodel if she got on the table, he'd take off his pants, which he did."

Celebrities, man. They're just like the rest of us.
posted by tooloudinhere at 6:35 AM on January 15, 2013


Not directly related, but... Joss got moves. (Numfar! Do the Dance of Awards Season!)
posted by kmz at 7:04 AM on January 15, 2013


tooloudinhere: Celebrities, man. They're just like the rest of us.

The whole second half of that article could have the names replaced with certain high school classmates of mine and still have remained exactly true.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:20 AM on January 15, 2013


It's my understanding that one goes up to him, stares for a moment, and reports: "that's not Jason Bateman".
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 9:50 AM on January 15, 2013


I haven't been watching Castle -- it hurts too much to see him playing five seasons and counting of an only slightly more hip "Murder, She Wrote" when in a better world than this one he'd still be playing.... well, you know.

But after reading this I had to watch Castle 5.06. OMFG. His untelegraphed Shatner impression about 12 minutes in had me in spasms.
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:01 AM on January 15, 2013


it hurts too much to see him playing five seasons and counting of an only slightly more hip "Murder, She Wrote" when in a better world than this one he'd still be playing.... well, you know.

You guys, Castle is good! It's OK to like it!
posted by mochapickle at 3:18 PM on January 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


I like Castle better than I liked Firefly. Don't all rush to agree with me, though.
posted by jeather at 3:54 PM on January 15, 2013


*tumbleweeds*
*chirping crickets*

*the sound of smashing glass in the kitchen*
posted by Mezentian at 6:50 PM on January 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


asnider: That fringe appearance? I'm about to ruin your day even more. Not only did Nathan guest star in the Die Nasty Fringe run for a few days, but for one night -- at least; I only made it out the once -- Alan Tudyk joined him. As an overzealous high school security guard.

I...buh...wha...NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
posted by asnider at 8:08 PM on January 15, 2013


an only slightly more hip "Murder, She Wrote"

I thought the erotic sub-plot between Jessica Fletcher and Sheriff Amos Tupper was deftly handled.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 8:22 PM on January 15, 2013


an only slightly more hip "Murder, She Wrote"

I liked the episode where she dressed up as Mrs. Lovett for Halloween.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:34 AM on January 16, 2013


Yay, I killed the thread!
posted by jeather at 4:32 PM on January 16, 2013


The really lazy, easy thing to do now would be to quote the Parrot Sketch.
posted by Mezentian at 4:11 PM on January 17, 2013


Halfway through said sketch, one of the participants would suddenly and unexpectedly be killed.
posted by Atreides at 4:25 PM on January 17, 2013


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