Forget ‘The Rookie,' Nathan Fillion's 4-Season Sitcom Is His Most Overlooked Role

Published Sep 12, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT

Taylor Vollman is a contributor at Collider. She has long quipped, “T.V. is my name, TV is my game.” Fortuitous initials aside, at the heart of a tired joke is a simple truth — she has a lifelong passion for television. And along with it, an affinity for movies, music and pop culture. 

In a childhood time capsule, she had listed Friends, PB&J Otter, and Days of Our Lives among her favorite shows. But her tastes have not narrowed with age. Her viewing habits span TV Land classics, network hits, buzzy reality shows and streamer critical darlings. 

Hoping to merge this passion with her love of writing, Taylor earned a bachelor’s in media arts and design with a minor in film studies from James Madison University. After working in marketing for years, she wanted to sharpen her skills and went on to graduate with a master’s in journalism from Georgetown University. Taylor has since pursued entertainment writing and reporting. 

Nathan Fillion has built a dedicated fanbase thanks to his long-running procedurals, cult classic sci-fi roles, and appearances in comic book adaptations. But the 55-year-old actually got his start in a largely forgotten sitcom. He starred as Johnny Donnelly in Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place, an ABC series running from 1998 to 2001.

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place was created by Danny Jacobson, Rick Wiener, and Kenny Schwartz. They had previously worked together on Mad About You. The series’ title is pretty explanatory, following a trio of twenty-something friends in Boston. Roommates Michael “Berg” Bergen (Ryan Reynolds) and Pete Dunville (Richard Ruccolo) work together at a pizza parlor, often joined by their female neighbor and friend Sharon Carter (Traylor Howard).

Fillion Was Introduced in Season 2 As a Love Interest for Howard’s Character

Image via ABC

Fillion was introduced in Season 2 as a love interest for Howard’s Sharon. Despite love triangles and issues with jealousy, their relationship progresses quickly and they get married in the finale of Season 3. Johnny first appeared as a repairman, fixing the jukebox at the show’s titular “pizza place,” Beacon Street Pizza. He had some career woes throughout the series, eventually deciding to pursue firefighting. Coincidentally, he buys a house in Season 4 in need of major renovations but it ends up burning down.

The addition of Johnny helped balance out the cast. He was more laid back than the anxious Pete and more mature than Berg, who was imbued with Reynold’s signature crass and instigating persona. Suzanne Cryer also joined the cast in Season 2 as Ashley Walker, a love interest for both Berg and Pete.

Still, Fillion looks back on his own performance in a harsh light. He admitted to Inverse that he felt he failed the role. “My first half-season? I did a great job. My second season? Spectacular. My last season was the worst. I failed because I was trying to be funny rather than just being honest. It was a hard lesson to learn,” he told the publication. The Canadian actor clarified, “I’m not going to say [the show was] a failure. Just to my learning experience, I slipped a bit.”

ABC Canceled ‘Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place’ After 4 Seasons

Image via Netflix

ABC canceled the series after its fourth season, ending on a cliffhanger. The series shortened its title to just Two Guys and a Girl in Season 3, abandoning its once titular setting. It faced a death sentence when it was moved from its typical Wednesday time slot to Fridays for Season 4. In what ended up being its series finale, “The Internet Episode,” fans voted online to determine if Sharon, Ashley or Berg’s girlfriend Irene (Jillian Bach) were pregnant. In the final moments, Ashley and Pete discovered they were expecting.

Fillion has largely stayed away from sitcoms, aside from some guest appearances like his memorable arcs on Modern Family and Santa Clarita Diet. He played Rainer Shine in Modern Family, an aptly named weatherman in an age-gap relationship with Haley Dunphy (Sarah Hyland). Fillion also played an undead talking head in Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant’s zombie sitcom, Santa Clarita Diet.

Fillion Brings a Comedic Sensibility to Other Genres

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Fillion has carried a comedic sensibility throughout his many roles, often collaborating with James Gunn who is known for balancing humor and high-stakes situations. He currently plays Guy Gardner in various DCU projects, admitting to ScreenRant that the character is “too much.” He has maintained friendships with some of his Two Guys and a Girl co-stars, including Reynolds. Fillion even appeared as the Headpool variant in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Returning to ABC, Fillion went on to star in the dramedy procedural Castle for eight seasons. He played the titular Richard Castle, a mystery novelist who teamed up with detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) to solve crimes in New York City. Even in his current role as John Nolan on The Rookie, playing a Los Angeles police officer who becomes a rookie in his 40s, he maintains a jovial rapport with the other characters. Crossover fans will notice Johnny and Officer Nolan's shared handiness. Nolan is a former contractor who is constantly being recruited for home improvement projects by his coworkers and friends.

Despite Fillion’s continued success, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place has disappeared from public discourse. It hasn’t maintained the same fandom as other shows of that era, like Friends or Will & Grace. It isn’t even available on any major streaming service. But still, the aftershocks of that role can be felt throughout his more than 30-year career. He channels the over-the-top quality of Berg in roles like Guy Gardner in Superman, slipping into the sitcom dynamics in guest appearances, or just maintaining a lightness to his crime-solving ways in procedurals. Johnny Donnelly isn’t a career-defining role, but it is a solid performance and an important stepping stone.

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  Traylor Howard

  Sharon Carter

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  Michael 'Berg' Bergen

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  Richard Ruccolo

  Peter Dunville

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  Suzanne Cryer

  Ashley Walker