HERO COMPLEX: ‘Firefly’: Jewel Staite calls Whedon show ‘the one that got away’
Nov. 08, 2012
by Noelene Clark
If Nathan Fillion’s rough-and-tumble Capt. Malcolm Reynolds was the leader of Serenity in Joss Whedon’s short-lived television series “Firefly,” Jewel Staite’s mechanic Kaylee Frye was the ship’s (and the show’s) heart.
Staite, Fillion and the rest of the Serenity crew are back on the air together for “Firefly: Browncoats Unite,” a Science Channel special commemorating the show’s 10th anniversary. The one-hour special features a roundtable discussion with cast members Fillion, Summer Glau, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin and Sean Maher, and writers Tim Minear and Jose Molina, as well as separate interviews with Staite, Gina Torres and Morena Baccarin.
The special also includes footage from this summer’s “Firefly” reunion at Comic-Con International’s Hall H, during which the cast members reflected on the show’s premature cancellation a decade ago and subsequent second life on the big screen.
The special airs Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/PT following an all-day “Firefly” marathon on Science Channel. Hero Complex’s Noelene Clark caught up with Staite to talk about “Firefly,” “Serenity,” Whedon and what’s next...
... HC: How does your experience with “Firefly” compare to your experience with “Stargate: Atlantis”?
Jewel Staite: "I had an amazing time on “Stargate: Atlantis,” and a really great run on that show, which was shot in my hometown. It was kind of a dream job. But “Firefly” will always have a special little spot in my heart as kind of “the one that got away.” I have nothing but great memories from that show, but it’s all very bittersweet because it ended so early..."
... HC: It’s kind of unbelievable that there’s a TV special and a reunion event and people camping out overnight at conventions for a show that got canceled 10 years ago. What’s it like, to keep coming back to a universe you had to leave so long ago?
Jewel Staite: "Surreal. Always will be. Every time we do these big panels at these conventions, I’m always amazed at how many people turn up to hear us tell the same stories and the same jokes again. I know we love going, just because we get to see each other again and feel the magic of all of that all over again. I’ll never get tired of talking about “Firefly.” It did so many things for me, both personally and professionally. It was one of the best times in my life, and I think the fans can sense that from us as a cast, and they reciprocate that feeling and vice versa. It’s a nice little circle to be in..."
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIREFLY MARATHON SCHEDULE ON THE SCIENCE CHANNEL ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2012
