by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

Stand back everyone, nothing here to see. Just an interview with Nathan Fillion, and he’s discussing Unfortunate Events with me. [Editor’s Note: I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself].

The second season of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is now available on Netflix for your viewing pleasure, and we are pleased to share our new interview with Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle). Fillion discussed his new role as “Jacques Snicket” in the series, his character’s dashing facial hair, and more. 

Be warned. This interview includes minor spoilers for Season Two. Look away…

CO: So I understand that there are a lot of unfortunate events that happen in this show?

NF: You know what? So your buddy is going to be on this TV show, and it’s going to be visually beautiful and cinematic and incredible. You go, “I better tune in to this thing and check it out.” Then I go, “Wow man…kids are watching this?” Cause…this is dark. It’s super dark. Everybody’s dying all the time. If there’s a ray of hope, it gets extinguished in a terrible way. And then in Season Two, guys, it’s going to get really dark. Don’t forget, it’s for kids. But honestly, I kind of love that about it. First of all, I know that it’s a show that caters to kids, but they don’t pander to kids. It’s eloquent. They use big words. They’ve got incredible rhythms in their stories. It’s beautiful and it’s amazing and it’s really, really dark. It’s kind of an introduction to sometimes… life sucks.

CO: But you are there to rescue everyone.

NF: That’s my job. That’s my job basically. If you have to be pigeonholed, heroic is the way to go.

CO: So you’re ok with it?

NF: So far, so good, bro.

CO: Can you talk about joining the Lemony Snicket universe and the role of the brother (Jacques Snicket)?

NF: So Lemony Snicket, he’s telling us this story right? He’s running through an oral history. Early on in the timeline, Jacques Snicket hasn’t been party to as many unfortunate events. Jacques is still a relatively hopeful guy. He wants to do what’s right. He’s a good man. He’s that knight in shining armor kind of guy. Back when that was a thing in the 50’s, right and wrong was very clear cut. You’re either good or you’re bad.

CO: Did you actually grow out the mustache?

NF: (Laughs) I can’t grow a mustache…and here’s why. You see this mustache (gestures at Matt’s face), this is really nice. It starts at the top, and it goes all the way to the lip and fills in really quite nicely [Editor’s Note: We can confirm Matt Sernaker does in fact have a nicely filled in, slightly ginger beard]. I don’t get anything in the middle and mine stops shy of the lip, so if I start to grow it in it goes above my lip, and then the mustache doesn’t connect to the chin and then it goes straight across. It’s called a Summer Beard, because some are over here, and some are over there. AND it’s grayer than I would like it to be. So….no. We went with a glue-on.

CO: It was a very impressive mustache regardless.

NF: Thank you. They were meticulous about it too. They were super serious about it.

CO: Was it tough acting with the mustache?

NF: It’s tough hanging out with guys like Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Rue, and Tony Hale, because you can’t laugh with that stuff on you. (Imitates laughing with the fake moustache). And then you go “guys, stop it!” Laughing without smiling face. You have to tighten up your lip so you don’t stretch the glue or sweat through it. Good question.

CO: Thank you.

This show has a very unique tone, color palette, and aesthetic. Was there anything that surprised you about this particular universe while you were filming?

NF: It took a second to find the voice that wasn’t a caricature or a stereotype, that you could put some honesty into. You’ve got this heightened reality, but you need some believability in there. You need something to ground it in. It was tougher than I thought it was going to be. I started with a Patrick Warburton impression, being his brother and all that…It didn’t work out. But my “Patrick Warburton” is amazing.

CO: Could you give us some?

NF: Here’s the secret: When you’re ding Patrick Warburton, you’ve got to start big, and then kind of trail off in the middle. (Repeats the same line with more emphasis) [Editor’s Note: he really does do a great Patrick Warburton impression]. Like you ran out of breath before the end of the sentence.

CO: There was a great moment at the end of your first appearance in the second episode where you’re in the cab and you start whistling, and then he (Patrick) starts whistling along.

NF: That’s our first scene that we filmed and I was trying not to cry because it was tugging at the brother story heart strings for me. Me and my brother are like besties. That scene made me cry being in it.

CO: That scene was phenomenal to watch and I felt like it was one of the most iconic moments that we’ve seen so far in the first batch of episodes. It resonates.

NF: Thank you for that. I’m glad you noticed that, because oh my God, that was a strong scene. Patrick is an amazing actor. He does amazing things. I think we underestimate him because he’s played so many larger-than-life characters, but he’s a real actor who can ground his work in reality and does just so.

…

Special thanks to Nathan Fillion and Netflix for arranging this interview.

Make sure you don’t tune in (seriously, look away) to the new season of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix, but stay tuned to ComicsOnline.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, iTunes for more WonderCon 2019 coverage, along with everything geek pop culture!