All 10 Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel Actors Who Appeared In Firefly

Joss Whedon’s Firefly brought back ten actors from Whedon’s other shows, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. From big names like Nathan Fillion and Christina Hendricks, to lesser known actors such as Andy Umberger, each of these performers brought to life beloved characters in multiple Whedon shows. First airing on Fox in 2002, Firefly joined aging juggernauts Buffy and Angel, which had been running for three and five years, respectively.

While some of the actors started on Buffy or Angel and then transitioned to Firefly after making their mark, the inverse was also true. Buffy had recently finished airing season 6, its penultimate season, and Angel would begin airing season 4, its penultimate season, as Firefly began, leaving a short time window for new actors to make the leap between shows. Although this may have changed in light of allegations made against Whedon, the writer/director is well-known for using a stable of loyal actors in multiple projects, a practice that has continued in the present day.

When watching Whedon’s shows and films, affectionately referred to as the Whedonverse by fans and by Whedon himself in a memorable episode of Robert Chicken (itself a show created by Buffy acting alum Seth Green), part of the fun is spotting these returning actors in different roles. Whether playing heroes or villains, starring roles or one-off ancillary parts, it’s undeniable that these actors are a major factor in why Firefly, Buffy, and Angel continue to endure.

Nathan Fillion

While he may be better known now for starring turns on The Rookie and Castle, his portrayal of Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly was undoubtedly Fillion’s breakout role. A pragmatic smuggler with a tragic past and a (deeply buried) heart of gold, Mal captained a diverse and oddball crew.

After seeing Mal jet off into the black in the Firefly series finale, Fillion would make an appearance in Buffy season 7, but this time around, his character wouldn’t be nearly as charming. Playing Caleb, a misogynistic preacher bent on killing Buffy and the Slayers, Fillion imbued his performance with a slight drawl and a chilling physical menace.

Gina Torres

In a similar journey to Fillion, Gina Torres first came into the Whedonverse, and then burst on the to the larger acting scene, by way of Firefly. Portraying fellow Browncoat Zoe Washburne, Gina was the right hand of Captain Mal on Serenity. Just as ready with a quip as she was with her trusted rifle, Torres’ steadfast qualities and unblinking humor made a huge impression.

Almost immediately after the end of Firefly, Torres could be found playing Jasmine on Buffy spinoff Angel. In playing Whedonverse villain, Jasmine, a two-faced goddess preaching world peace, Torres radiated the strength and goodwill that make her a welcome presence on any show. Since then, Torres has turned up everywhere from Hannibal to Westworld, but is most recognizable for her role in Suits.

Adam Baldwin

Adam Baldwin also pulled double-duty on Firefly and Angel. On Firefly, he was yet another member of Fillion’s rugged crew, playing Jayne Cobb, a mercenary with a tenuous grasp of right and wrong. Because of that, he provided a lot of unknowing levity to the show. However, despite his awful moral compass, Jayne proved to be a character on a path to redemption when Firefly was tragically cancelled.

On Angel, Baldwin played Marcus Hamilton, a villain with no redemption. Similar to Fillion’s role in Buffy, Baldwin’s Hamilton was a menacing, tangible manifestation of an evil higher power. While Marcus Hamilton certainly looked different than Jayne Cobb, designer suits versus a hand-knitted hat from his mother, both possessed a distinct humorous amorality that could only be delivered with Baldwin’s signature growl. These fun character touches are perhaps one reason why some fans prefer Angel to Buffy.

Summer Glau

A classical dancer by training, Glau’s first foray in entertainment was playing a prima ballerina on Angel’s season 3, episode 13, “Waiting in the Wings”. Although only a one-off guest role, Glau impressed both with her overt physical dancing and the more subtle heartbreaking aspects of her ghostly character.

This unique blend of strong, graceful motion and the kind of serene, ethereal countenance seen in Angel points to why Whedon cast her as River Tam in Firefly the following year. A psychic puzzle-box of a character at the heart of the show, River would gradually become more human throughout the course of Firefly. In many ways, it feels like a character uniquely crafted for Glau’s talents. River Tam’s journey would continue through a movie and comics, a testament to the character’s popularity.

Christina Hendricks

Instantly recognizable as Joan Holloway on Mad Men and in countless roles since then, one of Christina Hendricks’ earliest roles was on Angel. In season 1, episode 15, “Prodigal”, Hendricks briefly appeared as an unnamed Irish barmaid who was upset with Liam (Angel’s name before he was sired alongside Spike and Drusilla) because he never kept his promises.

Several years later, Hendricks’ prodigious talents were put to better use on Firefly. Hendricks stole the show as Saffron, a con-artist posing as a naif in the fan-favorite episode, “Our Ms. Reynolds”. She would later return for one other episode, “Trash”, wherein Saffron would involve Mal in yet another scheme, this one memorably leaving him naked in the desert.

Jonathan M. Woodward

The first three-peat of the list, Jonathan M. Woodward appeared sequentially as a villainous guest star on Firefly, Buffy, and Angel all within the span of two years. First cast as Tracey Smith, a soldier on the run who briefly steals the heart of Mal’s engineer, Woodward impressed not just with his instant chemistry, but also with how charming he remained even after he went bad.

Woodward followed this up with a portrayal of philosophical vampire Holden Webster, enlivening Buffy’s season 7 standout episode, “Conversations With Dead People. Finally, as nerdy scientist Knox, Woodward’s cheery smile and laugh remained even as his betrayal shook the foundation of Angel, both in-universe and out. Despite Woodward’s obvious aptitude for playing duplicitous but eminently likable villains, he unfortunately joins a group of actors not seen outside the Whedonverse.

Carlos Jacott

Another hat trick, Carlos Jacott is a little trickier to spot as he appeared under monster prosthetics. In both Buffy season 3 and Angel season 1, Jacott played affable do-gooders who later turned out to be evil monsters in disguise.

Firefly, which premiered a couple years after his work in Angel, provided a similar but subtly different role for Jacott. Cast in the stellar Firefly pilot as Lawrence Dobson, an undercover agent of the Alliance, Jacott again played a do-gooder with a dark secret. But while his shocking actions at the end of the pilot made him a monster, Firefly made it clear that, this time, Jacott’s brand of evil was all too human.

Andy Umberger

While he appeared on all three shows, Andy Umberger’s largest contribution was the long-running role of D’Hoffryn on Buffy. First appearing as an ostensible monster-of-the-week baddie in season 3’s episode, “Dopplegangland”, D’Hoffryn would recur many times throughout Buffy‘s run. A powerful demon in charge of managing vengeance, D’Hoffryn was later shown to have an almost-paternal rapport with vengeance demon Anya.

In addition to his larger role on Buffy, Umberger popped up in Angel season 1 as a villainous surgeon able to sever and reattach his body parts at will, and as the unnamed captain of the Alliance cruiser in the pilot episode of Firefly.

Bob Fimiani

Although he stuck to small roles, Bob Fimiani can also claim to have appeared on all three of Whedon’s original shows. On Buffy, Fimiani had a few lines as Mr. Ward, a top level government official for The Initiative. For Angel, the actor can be spotted twice – once as a nameless groundskeeper in a flashback (“The Prodigal”) and once as a helpful codger demon (“Heartthrob”).Finally, Fimiani also helps fill out the cast of Firefly in “Our Mrs. Reynolds” as he takes on the role of a village elder who helps marry Mal and Saffron. Eagle-eyed fans might realize this means that Fimiani coincidentally worked with a mostly-unknown-at-the-time Christina Hendricks twice across two shows (“The Prodigal” on Angel and “Our Mrs. Reynold’s” on Firefly).

Jeff Ricketts

Jeff Rickets, who has has also popped up in features like Holes and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, is yet another three-peater, though of a slightly different variety. Rickets played the same character, Weatherby, a fanatical member of Buffy’s watchers council set on capturing rogue Slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), across both Buffy and Angel.

In addition to his part as Weatherby, Rickets also appeared on Firefly as one of the creepy Hand’s of Blue men who were after River Tam. While it’s something of a dubious honor to be cast multiple times as an unquestioning zealot, Rickets is nevertheless an important component of the Whedonverse.

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While each of the ten actors appearing across multiple shows are unique, there are some commonalities in their performances. While many had small parts before Firefly, Buffy, or Angel, the Whedonverse provided almost all of them multiple opportunities to showcase their talents on a larger stage than before. Additionally, for many of the actors, multiple roles allowed them to showcase a range of acting, an opportunity that can be hard to find in Hollywood.

However, there are also many differences between the actors. For some, their time in the spotlight was shorter, whereas for others like Nathan Fillion and Christina Hendricks, their roles were stepping stones to more work in front of the camera. Regardless of where the cast of Firefly is now, their performances across Firefly, Buffy, and Angel have certainly stood the test of time.

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