Firefly had a brief run on Fox, airing only 11 of the 14 episodes that were originally planned.
Fans nevertheless flocked to Joss Whedon’s distinctive series, which combined aspects of the science fiction and Western genres.
Even though the cast was able to reprise their parts in the sequel Serenity, it would be the final time they played the iconic starship’s crew.
Instead, they were compelled to leave Firefly and look for alternative employment. Others drifted into obscurity, while some went on to experience leading parts in popular series and films.
Who was the most successful after Firefly? Let’s investigate!
Jayne Cobb, played by Adam Baldwin, was a tough and unforgiving mercenary who had a soft spot for Firefly.
While he was initially a little rough around the edges, he gradually opened up over the series and in Serenity to become a show favorite.
Unfortunately, Full Metal Jacket, Next of Kin, Predator 2, Deadbolt, Independence Day, and The Patriot were among the movies he had film credits for before Firefly and Serenity.
Baldwin took on a few roles after 2005’s Serenity, most of which were cameos in series like Bones, Castle, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Baldwin was cast as Colonel John Casey in NBC’s spy dramedy Chuck in 2007, and he appeared in every episode of the five-season, 91-episode run of the show.
Baldwin would also score a major part as Admiral Mike Slattery in the TNT television series The Last Ship.
In addition, Baldwin provided voices for many video game characters, such as Green Lantern Hal Jordan in Injustice: Gods Among Us and Infinite Crisis and Kal’Reegar from the Mass Effect series.
On board the Serenity, Alan Tudyk portrayed the young pilot Hoban “Wash” Washburne. Wash wasn’t always the most optimistic of the crew members, but his superior piloting talents kept them out of danger quite a few times during the series and movie. He was also a passionately devoted husband to Gina Torres’ Zo.
Tudyk had a long and successful career after Firefly, but you might not have noticed.
Beyond Firefly, he played a great deal of voice roles in shows including Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice, Robot Chicken, American Dad!, Family Guy, Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, The Tick, Harley Quinn, and a plethora of others.
Alistair Krei from Big Hero 6, King Candy from the highly acclaimed Wreck-It Ralph, and the witty, sarcastic droid K-2SO from Rogue One are just a few of the well-known figures to which Tudyk contributed his voice on the big screen.
Additionally, he provided the voices for numerous side characters and animal friends, such Pico the toucan from Encanto and Hei Hei the Rooster from Moana.
While he has a large body of voice acting work, he has also appeared in several TV shows, including guest and recurring appearances on Arrested Development, V, Dollhouse, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Santa Clarita Diet, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
He is still active now in Hollywood. He currently plays the lead in the third season of the Syfy series Resident Alien.
In two Firefly episodes, Christina Hendricks played the con artist Saffron.
Despite the fact that she wasn’t truly a member of the main cast, she was recognized for her work in 2006 with a Syfy Genre Award for Best Special Guest/Television for her recurring appearance on Firefly.
Hendricks’ career really took off after the program ended, and the Syfy Genre Award wouldn’t be her last.
Hendricks’ most recognizable part to date as Joan Harris on AMC’s famous drama series Mad Men was given to her in 2007.
Hendricks appears in every one of the 92 episodes of the show between 2007 and 2015.
She would receive six Primetime Emmy Award nods for her portrayal, as well as nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
After Mad Men, Hendricks would continue to be successful by appearing opposite Mae Whitman and Retta in the NBC sitcom Good Girls.
The program had four successful seasons before it was cancelled in 2021.
Hendricks is still working in Hollywood right now.
Zo Washburne, a former Browncoat trooper who was on board the Serenity alongside Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his right hand lady, was portrayed by Gina Torres.
Although she and her husband, Hoban “Wash” Washburne played by Alan Tudyk, have a strong connection, their disagreements about her devotion to the Captain arise periodically throughout the course of the show.
Prior to Firefly, Torres had a remarkable career that included recurring parts and guest spots on series including Alias, Any Day Now, Angel, and 24.
She also loved playing the lead in sci-fi series Cleopatra 2525 and ABC soap opera One Life to Live.
After Serenity and Firefly, things got even better. In 2006, Torres won a starring part in the Fox drama series Standoff, and in 2010, he appeared in the ABC Family drama series Huge.
But in 2011, she would land her most significant job since Firefly when she was chosen to play Jessica Pearson on the USA Network legal drama Suits.
Torres played Pearson in 94 episodes in total, and Pearson inspired a spin-off series that ran on the USA Network for one season with 19 episodes.
Today, Torres is still involved in Hollywood.
In Serenity, Jewel Staite portrayed Kaylee Frye, the perpetually upbeat and seemingly innocent mechanic.
Captain Mal and the crew were fiercely protective of Kaylee during each misadventure over the course of the series. Captain Mal was renowned for her undeniable skill at maintaining the machine room of a starship and her starry eyes for the bumbling Dr. Simon Tam.
After leaving Firefly, Staite was cast in a major part in the sci-fi show Stargate Atlantis, where he starred in 33 episodes.
In series like The L.A. Complex, The Killing, and Family Law, she would also score lead roles.
On the television series Firefly, Ron Glass portrayed the kind-hearted Shepherd Derrial Book, a figure who teams up with Captain Mal and his motley crew of rapscallions in an effort to instill faith in the crew.
Prior to Firefly, Glass had a lengthy list of film credits to his name, but after the show and movie ended, things for the good Shepherd Book seemed to stall.
A Rugrats spin-off series on Nickelodeon called All Grown Up! would provide Glass a recurring role in which he would voice Randy Carmichael, the father of Susie, Alyssa, Edwin, and Buster.
The TV shows Shark, CSI: NY, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation all featured Glass as a guest actor.
Unfortunately, a respiratory failure caused Glass’s death in 2016; Age-wise, he was 71.
Unfortunately, after Firefly, the excellent doctor had little luck.
Sean Maher briefly took a break from acting after playing Dr. Simon Tam on Firefly before making a few appearances in other TV episodes, including those of Drop Dead Diva, The Mentalist, Human Target, and Warehouse 13.
Maher was cast as a member of the NBC historical drama The Playboy Club in 2011, however the show was canceled after only three episodes due to dismal ratings.
In an ironic twist, he played a secret gay man in the show and came out as gay that same year.
He worked with Joss Whedon again in 2012 to portray Don John in Much Ado About Nothing.
In a number of animated Batman movies, Maher would also provide the voice of Dick Grayson, the superhero Nightwing’s real identity.
Maher is still an actress now and enjoys making sporadic cameos. He enjoys spending time at home with his husband Paul and their two children when he is not acting.
On Firefly, Summer Glau portrayed River Tam, Simon’s sister. She is introduced to the Serenity crew and viewers as someone who has gone through enormous anguish at the hands of the treacherous Alliance, leaving her in a child-like state despite her inherent power and martial arts proficiency, while Simon hails her as a genius.
She played Cameron on the Fox science fiction series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in her first major role following Firefly.
In a manner reminiscent of Schwarzenegger in several Terminator movies, Cameron played by Glau returns from the future to save Sarah and John Connor shortly after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
There were two seasons and 31 episodes of the show. In each, Glau’s persona made an appearance.
Following Firefly, Glau was cast in a variety of recurring parts on TV programs including The 4400, The Unit, The Cape, and Arrow.
The Serenity’s prestigious Companion Inara Serra, played by Morena Baccarin, was involved in a classic “will they, won’t they” romance with Captain Mal Reynolds.
Despite their underlying attraction, she and Nathan Fillion’s character on the program never take action to express their love for one another.
Following Firefly, Baccarin was cast as a main character in a number of TV series, including V, Homeland, and Gotham.
She additionally had guest and regular appearances in a number of television programs, such as The Mentalist, The Flash, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and others.
Baccarin’s biggest break would come in 2016, when she was cast as Vanessa Carlysle alongside Ryan Reynolds and T.J. Miller in the critically acclaimed antihero movie Deadpool.
Despite having a $58 million budget, the movie grossed $782 million at the box office.
In the 2018 sequel Deadpool 2, Baccarin would reprise her role, and she is expected to make an appearance in the franchise’s third film.
It stands to reason that the star of Firefly would take the top spot in our ranking. Nathan Fillion gained notoriety for playing the fearless and charming Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds. He later amassed a long list of noteworthy acting roles, including Richard Castle on the eight-season ABC detective thriller Castle.
However, after Firefly, he had success in other areas as well, including his lead role on Castle.
Along with numerous other TV shows, Fillion has made appearances on Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, Santa Clarita Diet, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Resident Alien.
The fifth season of the ABC crime thriller The Rookie, in which Fillion now plays John Nolan, is set to begin in September 2022. Fillion is one of the show’s executive producers as well.
Fillion has appeared in a number of movies, usually as a voice actor, in addition to his success on television. These movies include Much Ado About Nothing, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Cars 3, The Suicide Squad, and other DC animated movies where he voiced the Green Lantern Hal Jordan.
Fillion also made appearances in a variety of online productions, most notably as Captain Hammer in Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and Nathan Drake in the Uncharted Live Action Fan Film, a role that would subsequently be recreated by Tom Holland in a Hollywood adaptation.
Overall, Nathan Fillion is a B-list superstar who holds the title of “most successful” former Firefly cast member thanks to his diverse and broad resume