3. Nathan Fillion - Firefly
The Role That Made HimA Cult Hero: Playing misbeheaving ship owner, Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly.
Fan-Favourite Quote: 'We are too pretty for God to let us die.' Nathan Fillion was known for a starring role on Two Guys and A Girl which ran for 4 seasons until 2001. Still, such a role was never enough to gain him a steady fanbase. In 2004, Joss Whedon's Space Western, Firefly came along and Fillion was the perfect man to play Whedon's leading man, Malcolm Reynolds. What Fillion would've never imagined is just how much of an impact the 14-episode run of the show would have of the science-fiction community. Malcolm Reynolds was an incredible creation, oozing with wit, smarts, charm, arrogance (but in a likable way) and heart (down there somewhere). Nathan Fillion seemed possessed all of these traits himself, and it's amazing how quickly he gets into character and stays there for the duration of the show. Reynolds is essentially the closest thing to a re-incarnation of Han Solo, but for television, and the idea of that is just too appealing to ignore for the cult audiences. And so, the Firefly cult began, and the Nathan Fillion cult began with it. Unfortunately the show was cancelled far too soon, but Nathan was seen again in the film follow up, Serenity. A movie which, by all rights should not have even happened. It's success is a testament to the fan base of the show and of Nathan. Nathan has gone on to play roles in a lot of cult television shows since Firefly, including Buffy, Lost, American Dad and his home since 2009, ABC's Castle.