The Rookie has become a fan-favorite series that follows 40-year-old John Nolan, portrayed by Nathan Fillion, as he becomes the oldest rookie to join the Los Angeles Police Department. Now seven seasons in, fans have loved watching John’s personal growth with light moments of humor, as the character progresses from a rookie to becoming a training officer.
Nathan had prominent roles in other TV shows prior to landing The Rookie, including starring as Richard Castle in 2008’s Castle. However, that wasn’t necessarily his early breakout role. It was a 90s sitcom called Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (later renamed Two Guys and a Girl) in which Nathan starred alongside Ryan Reynolds for three seasons.
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Nathan Fillion got his early break starring as Johnny Donnelly in the 1998 TV comedy Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place, which was later renamed Two Guys and A Girl.
Based on the life of the show’s creator, Rick Wiener, the show follows Michael “Berg” Bergen (Ryan Reynolds) and Peter “Pete” Dunville (Richard Ruccolo), who live together in a Boston apartment and work together in the pizza place located below them. Joining them is Sharon Carter (Traylor Howard), their sharp-witted friend and neighbor who also lives in the building.
Nathan came on board in Season 2, where he portrayed Sharon’s love interest, Johnny Donnelly. He stayed on as a main character until the show’s final fourth season in 2001. Although the series came to an end, the bond Nathan formed Ryan didn’t fade. The two have maintained a unique and enduring friendship that continues to this day.
In an interview with Inverse (via Hello!) in 2022, Ryan revealed that he would totally be down for a Two Guys and A Girl reunion. “I would do that in a heartbeat. That was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had in my life. Truly. I mean it. I loved every second of it.”
In 2016, Nathan also supported Ryan when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sharing a statement about his former co-star as he received his star, Nathan joked, “Ryan’s life is an embarrassment of blessings, and I genuinely hope he continues to embarrass himself for years to come,” he continued. “Ryan, I am very, very grateful to be here. I consider myself fortunate to bear witness to your brilliant journey. Honestly, my friend, it’s well deserved.”
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Nathan Described His Role On The Rookie As ‘The Best Job I’ve Ever Had’
Nathan has portrayed John Nolan on The Rookie for seven seasons and loves every minute of it. In an interview with Good Morning America in March, the actor called it “probably the best job I’ve ever had,” which says a lot about an actor who has worked in several films and television shows since the late 90s.
“God, I’m having a lot of fun. I’ll tell you, 31 years in the business, this is probably the best job I’ve ever had,” he shared. Along with his clear love for the character he plays, he also opened up about how much fun it is filming the show.
During Season 7, production shut down a busy stretch of Hollywood Boulevard to film an intense scene. But shooting in such a public space came with its challenges as Fillion revealed that they had to reshoot a few takes because excited fans kept shouting things like, “I love The Rookie!”
Nathan Fillion Most Memorable Roles | Year |
|---|---|
Two Guys and a Girl | 1998-2001 |
Firefly and Serenity | 2002-2003, 2005 |
Slither | 2006 |
Waitress | 2007 |
Castle | 2009-2016 |
Justice League Animated Film Series | 2011-2019 |
The Rookie | 2018- |
When speaking to Assignment X in 2019, Nathan shared what made him commit to The Rookie — comparing all its parts to building a very tasty sandwich.
“The auspices. I use the sandwich analogy. If I tell you I’m going to make you a sandwich, it’s going to have the freshest bread, the best deli meats, Dijon mustard – you haven’t tasted it yet, but you know it’s going to be a great sandwich. THE ROOKIE kind of came to me like that. It was all the ingredients. We didn’t have the sandwich yet. It was really neat to be a part of it, and watching it evolve, and watching it develop, and because we did it early, we had everybody that we wanted. We had our pick of all the actors in L.A. There was nobody casting at that time. Everybody we wanted, we got. And that’s rare, that’s very rare.”
Fillion has also expressed genuine appreciation for the cast and crew on the hit ABC show, describing the set as a supportive, and working with co-stars that truly make coming to work a joy.
“I smile when I’m driving to work. It is an incredible community that we have built — not just with the cast who I find phenomenally talented… It’s incredibly meaningful to me because of how I spend my days and who I spend them with,” he told TV Guide.
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The Rookie Has Been Renewed For An Eighth Season
In April, Deadline reported that The Rookie has officially been renewed for an eighth season following a highly successful seventh season that drew in massive viewership. While details about the upcoming season remain under wraps, the renewal has fans and even the show’s cast, excited.
On Instagram, Nathan announced Season 8 with a video montage showing him and The Rookie’s current cast that includes Eric Winter (Tim Bradford), Alyssa Diaz (Angela Lopez), Melissa O’Neil (Lucy Chen), Richard T. Jones (Wade Grey), Mekia Cox (Nyla Harper), Lisseth Chavez (Celina Juarez), Jenna Dewan (Bailey Nune), and Shawn Ashmore (Wesley Evers).
With these co-stars all joining Nathan in this huge announcement, fans can expect all of them to return for Season 8.
Nathan’s caption for his post read, “I’ve been around long enough to know how truly challenging and rare it is to have a long running show. Thank you all for sticking around for these 7 seasons- it’s because of you that we are announcing season 8!! Congratulations to @alexihawley and the wonderful team that puts this show together. I am so very proud to work alongside all of you. Let’s do this! #therookie.”
Fans also flooded Nathan’s post with celebatory comments in anticipation for the new season. “The only good thing in my life fr. SO EXCITED AHH,” a comment read.
“Congratulations! The cast, writers and crew truly deserve this. ❤️👏👏”
“Been a fan of yours since you were Caleb on Buffy!!! And the rookie has been my favorite projects of yours!!! 🙌🙌🙌”
New episodes of The Rookie air on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET on ABC. Season 7 episodes are also available to stream on Hulu the next day.
The Rookie
- Release Date
-
October 16, 2018
- Network
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ABC
