Beloved TV Mainstay Nathan Fillion Still Hears The Beat as Officer John Nolan on THE ROOKIE

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Nathan Fillion took a trip down memory lane when it was pointed out to him that he has been on TV, in one form or another and on a very consistent basis, since about 1993. That’s 30 years. “Well, there were a couple of periods in there that were a little drier than others,” said the veteran Canadian actor, who currently is the star of CTV’s THE ROOKIE. “In particular I remember 1997, because I didn’t have a lot of money saved up. At the end of the year, I was paying my rent on credit. I was really scratching the bottom of the barrel – I was beyond the bottom of the barrel.” There was a silver lining for Fillion, though. “I have to say, that experience really made me appreciate employment when I have it, and how difficult this job can be, just to stay relevant, just to stay employed,” he said. “It can be terrible out there. So I’m glad for that experience. But to your point, though, yes, there are times when people mention a project I was in, and I say, ‘Oh my god, yeah, I forgot about that.’ ” There’s no forgetting THE ROOKIE, which is in the midst of its fifth season, with another new episode airing Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. And what’s more, THE ROOKIE has spawned a spinoff series that debuted last fall, THE ROOKIE: FEDS, starring Niecy Nash-Betts, which also airs Tuesdays on CTV, at 9 p.m. ET. “Our goal was not to make two shows that were identical,” said Fillion, who also is an executive producer on both THE ROOKIE and THE ROOKIE: FEDS. “Our goal wasn’t, if you have THE ROOKIE in your title, it’s kind of a cookie-cutter thing, and this is how it’s going to be. Our goal was to invent a new show. And then, quite honestly, it builds momentum. You have to have a great idea to get a show out there, to get a show made, and put it on the air. But after a while, the idea is old. Then it’s about investment. Then it’s about the characters. It’s about the journey we all take together. And I think THE ROOKIE: FEDS is very strong in that department. So we’re not trying to duplicate our success. It’s simply another show in the same universe.” Meanwhile, the journey for Los Angeles Police Officer John Nolan – Fillion’s character on THE ROOKIE, and occasionally in crossover episodes on THE ROOKIE: FEDS – continues. Fillion hears stories from real-life police officers all the time, so he was asked to identify the weirdest tale they’ve ever told him, as well as the oddest call that Officer Nolan has ever experienced. “My God, what’s the oddest one I’ve ever heard … some of them are so graphic, they’re awful, you simply couldn’t tell them to the public,” Fillion said. “But I’ve heard some very creepy stories, enough to make me realize that being a police officer is truly a calling. Everything has to go terribly wrong in order for someone to start dialing 911. And that’s where a police officer’s job begins, after everything’s gone terribly wrong. It is a service. You are in service. You have to have that calling. Without it, you will find no job satisfaction. As for John Nolan, probably one of the oddest things was when he found a fella in the backyard making a homemade rocket. He was trying to rocket himself into space. That thing was not air-worthy, let alone space-worthy.” Unlike his character on THE ROOKIE, Fillion has not changed careers mid-stream. He is still enthused and challenged by the acting roles he takes on, and he wants to keep Officer Nolan on the beat for as long as the viewing public keeps inviting him into their living rooms. “Listen, I’m having a great time,” Fillion said. “The question is, how long will people be entertained? How long will they keep tuning in? I see for myself, in the future, what I like to call a soft retirement, where I don’t have to live in L.A. anymore, perhaps I live somewhere a little more relaxing and tropical. And if they need me to come in and play the new young guy’s dad, they call me up, and I’ll come in for two days of work, and then fly back home, you know what I mean? That’s the new dream.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv