Nathan Fillion is enjoying the best of two worlds. He’s the engaging and sexy star of Castle, the hit ABC series about a crime novelist who helps the NYPD solve its toughest cases. And he’s a cult legend, thanks to his starring role in the 2002 TV series Firefly, which died a quick death but, thanks to fan pressure, was resurrected as the 2005 film Serenity.

The 42-year-old Alberta native, who has a gift for light comedy, has also been a reliable presence in such well-received indie movies as Slither and Waitress. And in Much Ado About Nothing, director Joss Whedon’s engaging contemporary version of the Shakespeare play, Fillion is a hoot in the cameo role of Dogberry, a pompous night constable. (Fillion also voices a character in Monsters University, opening Friday.)

Lewis Beale caught up with the actor by phone from Los Angeles.

How long has it been since you performed in a Shakespeare play?

I did Shakespeare in high school, and then I did it when we would go to Joss’s house for a Shakespeare brunch. He would cast a play, and we would sit in his backyard with a brunch and read Shakespeare, and he said “One day, we’re gonna film one of these.”

You’re a pretty big guy physically, but you seem to have a really light comic touch in most of the things you do. How did you achieve that?

That’s something I’ve learned over the years. It’s difficult to make someone laugh, and there’s no way to do it without being viewed as you’re trying too hard. I’ve found it’s easier to make someone laugh at you. Don’t try to be funny, say things as if they’re true, even if it makes you look stupid. You don’t know you look stupid. [Read the full interview]