Have you ever loved an actor that couldn't seem to find his big break?  That's how I have felt for years about Nathan Fillion. 

Nathan Fillion and Keri Russell in Waitress - image credit: IMDB

Nathan Fillion is fantastic.  All Joss Whedon nerds know him, of course, as Captain Mal in Firefly and Serenity where he was at once charmingly gruff and able to deliver a perfect one-liner.  Fillion is a true leading man - handsome and strong while funny and vulnerable.  Although Firefly never really made it out of cult status, I've always felt that Fillion, himself, would.  How could people not love this guy? 

I thought that his big break might come with Drive, which was promptly canceled after two or three episodes. (What more could we expect from the Fox Network?)  I began to accept that Nathan might never really make it.

Then I saw a little movie called Waitress, which made a huge splash at Sundance this year.  The story behind Waitress is a sad one.  The writer, director, and co-star, Adrienne Shelly, was killed senselessly last year before she ever got the chance to see her movie achieve the critical and popular success it has. 

Waitress is an adorable, quirky movie in which Keri Russell stars as Jenna, a depressed, Southern waitress in a terrible relationship who makes delicious pies inspired by the people and events in her life (i.e. "I Hate My Husband" pie).  When Jenna finds herself pregnant, she is not excited about it and ends up falling for her awkward OB-GYN, played by Nathan Fillion.  Nathan is absolutely lovely in this movie, proving his chops at romantic comedy. 

Now I am reading that Nathan may join the cast of Desperate Housewives next season (a show I still kind of love, though I do not admit this to many people).  Perhaps Nathan is finally getting the recognition he deserves!  I just hope that he does not get stuck in a storyline where he is forced to moon over Susan as she trips over everything in sight.

Who are some actors you love that never really were able to break out?