Nathan Fillion Stands by Joss Whedon: I Would Work With Him Again in a Second

 Posted on September 21, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  966 words  |  Aldo Pusey

Nathan Fillion is sticking up for his frequent collaborator Joss Whedon, revealing on the “Inside of You” podcast that he “would work with Joss again in a second.” Fillion had main roles in Whedon’s “Firefly,” “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” plus appeared in several episodes of Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Whedon has been accused of misconduct and toxic workplace behavior by several actors, including “Buffy” star Charisma Carpenter and “Justice League” actor Ray Fisher. Gal Gadot also accused Whedon of threatening her career.

Whedon was the subject of New York Magazine profile that was published in January and detailed the many allegations against him. The writer-director denied insulting Gadot while making “Justice League,” saying, “I don’t threaten people. Who does that? English is not her first language, and I tend to be annoyingly flowery in my speech.”

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“I read that article, and nowhere in there at any point in time did he mention ‘Firefly.’ I had an entirely – that was not my experience with that man,” Fillion said on the podcast, where he described Whedon as “funny, self-deprecating, incredibly talented” and “maybe a little haunted.”

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Fillion added, “I mean, listen by his own admission that guy’s a work in progress and I appreciate that…I would work with Joss again in a second. I would work with him again in a second.”

The actor went on to say that he has spoken in loose terms with Whedon about continuing “Firefly,” the cult space Western drama that ran for one season on Fox in 2002 and was then revived for the 2005 feature film “Serenity.” Fillion said, “We talk, we joke, we fantasize.” As for continuing “Firefly” without Whedon because of the allegations, the actor said, “It would be heartbreak. How can you?”

Fisher’s allegations against Whedon proved to be the most detrimental to the latter’s career. The actor said in July 2020 that Whedon’s behavior while making “Justice League” was “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.” The claim resulted in an investigation by Warner Bros., which led to “remedial action” against Whedon. While the specifics of the investigation were not disclosed, Whedon departed his HBO series “The Nevers” around the same time.

The New York Magazine story also included workplace misconduct claims against Whedon made by members of the “Buffy” production team. One crew member said Whedon and one of the show’s actors were rolling around on the floor in her office making out, banging against her chair. Whedon admitted the affair with the actor, but said the story “seems false” because he “lived in terror” that his affairs would be discovered on set.

“Buffy” costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom said that Whedon got violent with her during a Season 5 dispute over a costume. “I was like, ‘Joss, let’s just get [Sarah Michelle Gellar] dressed,’” Bergstrom said. “He grabbed my arm and dug in his fingers until his fingernails imprinted the skin and I said, ‘You’re hurting me.’” Whedon said he does not “believe” Bergstrom’s story: “I know I would get angry, but I was never physical with people.”

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