Once We Were Spacemen

Once We Were Spacemen

Nathan FIllion and Alan Tudyk were once spacemen. Since co-starring on Firefly, they have also been aliens, mystery writers, veterinarians, superheroes, chickens, robots, and policemen. Now, they’re doing a podcast where they get to know their fellow creatives, learning about who they once were and what they’re up to now. This is that podcast. Listen to Once We Were Spacemen wherever your mom gets her podcasts. If you’d like to listen early, join our community on Patreon. Once We Were Spacemen is a Collision33 production.

Episodes

July 8, 2026 56 mins
Nathan cannot seem to visit Paris without ending up underground. Last time it was the basement of the Eiffel Tower; this time, the catacombs, where one prisoner's story pulled his attention off the other six million skeletons. Back above ground, Nathan and Alan recount the laser eye surgery they both had years ago, and the small difference in results that one of them still refuses to forgive... Follow Once We Were Spacemen w...
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Jim Rash will insist the Groundlings is not a cult, and he is mostly right. The improv troupe turned him into a gifted actor, though he insists his deep well of characters is closer to a kiddie pool. He waves off his writing talents too, which is harder to pull off with an Oscar at home. The newest thing he is being modest about is Miss You, Love You, a film he wrote and directed, now on HBO Max. Ladies and gentlemen, please we...
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June 24, 2026 70 mins
Alan was once cast as Robot #4, but his trailer door now says Gary. The upgrade was not an accident. Checking in from the Atlanta set of the Superman sequel, Alan makes the case that a little conviction can turn a number into a name. Nathan knows a thing or two about conviction himself, having once taped a script page to his own forehead in service of a scene. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen t...
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Eric Winter spotted Nathan at a farmers market and assumed, with some certainty, that his career was over. Fortunately for fans of The Rookie, he was wrong. Despite being told he was too nice to play mean, Eric landed the role of Tim Bradford. After eight seasons of playing television's crankiest cop, somehow none of the cynicism has rubbed off. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended ...
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Do you know how real cowboys earn their belt buckles? If you don't, Alan will tell you. And if you do, Alan will tell you anyway. The guys wander from Texas to Paris, where most people visit the top of the Eiffel Tower. Nathan, however, visited the basement… which is probably for the best, as the wind makes it rather nippy up there. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episode...
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Edi Patterson is one of those performers who commits so fully you forget you're watching someone act. Righteous Gemstones and Vice Principals fans need no introduction. Alan witnessed her brilliance firsthand on Resident Alien, where she played the tallest, most beautiful, most unhinged avian alien in the universe. Their characters’ scenes had a way of going places no one planned, including one that should have been nomin...
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Alan just moved into a new place that may already be occupied. He's fine with some light haunting, as long as the ghost mostly stays out of his way. Nathan, however, thinks Alan should go full Ghostbuster. Speaking of things hiding in plain sight… a soap opera veteran once gave Nathan a piece of advice that he's been slipping into his performances ever since. If you've watched The Rookie, you've seen it. Follow Once We...
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Bill Roe was eleven years old when he rode a trolley to Bavaria Studios, waved to the guard, and went to work scooping foam out of the chocolate river on the set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Five decades later, he's the Supervising Director on The Rookie, and Nathan and Alan finally have a microphone in front of him. As it turns out, the man who was present for some of the most iconic moments in American film and t...
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Alan drove a motorhome across America and arrived with lots of feelings about freedom, the open road, and the structural integrity of RV awnings. Nathan has 150 fidgets – organized by type in velvet-lined display cases – which honestly tracks. The guys catch up on new beginnings, old neighborhoods, and the kinds of stories that only happen in New York. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. ...
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Jon Huertas has lived a life that defies easy explanation. He'll try anyway. From the Bronx to the Air Force, from Castle's precinct to gold country, Jon has always found his way… usually by ignoring the obvious path. Nathan and Alan could listen to his stories forever. They almost did. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episodes a whole week early by joining our Patreon. Once ...
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April 29, 2026 73 mins
Once, Alan Tudyk humped a national treasure. Tom Hanks, specifically. In jeans. Other business includes worst haircuts, surreal celebrity encounters, and the time Alan accidentally got stoned before a red carpet. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline… Actually, it's just Alan's dog. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episodes a whole week early by joining our Patreon...
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Very few people can trace a straight line from a small town in Bavaria to playing supervillains in Hollywood. Flula Borg is not one of them. His path involves an improbable mentor list, a trainer named Paolo, and a holiday tradition that only makes sense if you've seen all eleven seasons of Frasier. Tune in for the slowest lightning round in OWWSM history.Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extend...
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April 15, 2026 53 mins
Quicksand, rip currents, and falling windows… all ways the guys have narrowly avoided death. One of them happened before Alan was even an actor, let alone a Spaceman. Here's to hoping he doesn't see a pair of tiger sharks. Press play; your life may depend on it! **Listener Note: The segment from 35:30–37:52 includes a discussion of sexual coercion in duck mating behavior. Please skip ahead if the subject matter is d...
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April 8, 2026 38 mins
Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk are aging into senior discounts. They’re even wearing shoes with elastic laces. Yet, they STILL found the energy to record a live episode in front of an audience. While on stage, the guys swap stories about prosthetic makeup mishaps, commiserate over dog digestion, and open the floor to audience questions. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episode...
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Pro tip: if you ever find yourself living in a cramped hotel room without a fridge, store your bagels and cream cheese on the window sill. Just beware the pigeons. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episodes a whole week early by joining our Patreon. Once We Were Spacemen is a Collision33 production.
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Molly Quinn left small town Texas with two goals: become an actor and travel the world. She has done just that. In this episode, the drawbridge comes down and we cross the moat into Castle. Molly and Nathan reflect on what it was like to build a TV family. Molly also shares insights about eating on camera, talks about her first impressions of Nathan, and explains how Alan inspired her as a fellow ginger in Hollywood. Follow Once ...
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Nathan, Alan, and the cast of Serenity just announced a brand-new Firefly animated series in development… set during the time between Firefly and Serenity. Whether it happens depends on YOU. The cast has a pilot script. They have showrunners. They have an animation house. They have permissions and blessings from the powers that be. What they need now is proof that the fanbase that kept this show alive for two decades w...
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March 11, 2026 52 mins
What would your 10-year-old self think about your life today? That’s the question Nathan tries to get Alan to answer in this episode. It takes a few tangents, but the journey is worth it. From the joy of Saturday morning cartoons to the challenge of substitute teachers, this episode brings out our inner child. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episodes a whole week early by ...
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Felicia Day is a DIY goddess, an internet icon, and no tool to the industry. A homeschooled violin prodigy turned Hollywood self-starter, she was always intent on carving her own path. Fate connected her with Nathan Fillion, but as for Alan… Felicia doesn't even remember the first time they met. Felicia’s new graphic novel, The Lost Daughter of Sparta, comes out March 17... preorder now! Join her newsletter, Felicit...
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February 25, 2026 68 mins
Once, Alan and Nathan were just two kids trying to earn a buck. For Nathan, that meant working at a trophy shop. For Alan, that meant tossing newspapers from his bike (and selling dead snakes in exchange for silver dollars). They’ve come a long way since. Follow Once We Were Spacemen wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to extended episodes a whole week early by joining our Patreon. Once We Were Spacemen is a Collision33...
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