Already have an account?
Get back to the
ABC

Nathan Fillion Wants His ONE LIFE TO LIVE Co-Stars to Appear on THE ROOKIE (EXCLUSIVE)

Tags:

He may have come a long way from his early days as ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Joey Buchanan, but Nathan Fillion still lists the soap on his resumé and credits the experience for his success. “It was an incredibly safe, wonderful place to learn at an incredibly intense rate from people who have been in the business 35 years,” the former CASTLE star shared with Soaps In Depth. “I was bumping elbows with the best.”

In his new ABC series, THE ROOKIE (airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC), Fillion plays John Nolan, a middle-aged man who, as he puts it, is “looking for a way to matter.” When John is inadvertently caught up in a bank robbery, he finds it. “He is faced with a moment where he can sit and do nothing or actually try to help in the face of something that is actually terribly dangerous,” Fillion explained. “He discovers a calling to public service” that leads him to become the LAPD’s newest — and oldest… well, you know the title of the series!

The Rookie

THE ROOKIE’s John joins the LAPD because “he’s no longer required as a dad, he’s no longer a husband.” (Photo Credit: ABC/Tony Rivetti)

If he can, Fillion, who also serves as an executive producer, hopes to bring his OLTL mentors along for the ride. “I want Bob Woods (Bo) on THE ROOKIE,” he says, adding that he’d love to have more Llanview friends appear, too. “I’m going to try my damnedest!” In some regard, that would be a way for Fillion to repay the guidance he’d received as a 22-year-old, soap-set newbie. “I wasn’t a bright kid. I didn’t really care about much,” he admitted. “I was kind of perfectly suited for the job I’m in.”

One Life to Live Viki Joey Kelly

Fillion says that after his parents met his co-stars like Erika Slezak (Viki), they were “calm and relaxed, and said ‘Okay, this is going to be a good life for you.'” (Photo Credit: Ann Limongello/ABC)

Fortunately, Llanview’s veterans were the ones who showed him the ropes and affirmed the value of taking chances that Fillion has since taken to heart. “My uncle said to me, ‘The longer you live, the more valuable firsts become,’” the actor reflects “I’m 47 years old and still experiencing firsts. I think I’m leading a life well lived.”

For more on what your favorite OLTL stars are up to now, keep reading the ABC edition of Soaps In Depth magazine!

More from ABC Soaps In Depth

OLTL’s Eddie Alderson Thanks the Doctors and Nurses Who Saved His Life

Farah Fath Opens up About Her Difficult Pregnancy

Soap Stars Remember the Late Susan Brown

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.