Nathan Fillion has defended longtime working partner Joss Whedon, revealing on the Inside of You podcast that he would work with the filmmaker again without hesitation. Fillion was cast as the lead in Whedon’s Firefly, Much Ado About Nothing, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and appeared in several episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Several actors have accused Whedon of misconduct and toxic workplace behavior, such as Buffy star Charisma Carpenter and Justice League actor Ray Fisher. Gal Gadot also claimed that Whedon threatened her career.
New York Magazine published a profile of Whedon in January outlining the various allegations against him. Whedon denied insulting Gadot during Justice League production, 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.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
“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 explained on the podcast, describing Whedon as “funny, self-deprecating, incredibly talented” and “maybe a little haunted.”
“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,” Fillion added. “I would work with him again in a second.”
The actor said he had spoken informally with Whedon about continuing Firefly, the cult space Western drama that ran on Fox for one season in 2002 and then resurrected for the feature film Serenity in 2005. Fillion said, “We talk, we joke, we fantasize.” The actor replied that were Firefly to continue without Whedon, “It would be heartbreaking. How can you?”
Fischer’s allegations proved to be damaging to Whedon’s career. In July 2020, the actor claimed Whedon’s behavior on Justice League was “gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable.” The statement prompted an investigation by Warner Bros., which led to “remedial action” against Whedon.
New York Magazine also reported allegations of workplace misconduct against Whedon from the Buffy production crew. One crew member said Whedon and one of the show’s actors were making out in her office. While he acknowledged an affair with the actor, Whedon said the story “seems false” because he feared his affair would be discovered.
Buffy costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom said Whedon was violent with her during a dispute over costume design in Season 5. “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 because, “I know I would get angry, but I was never physical with people.”
