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Malcolm
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Information About

Malcolm Reynolds




  Name Malcolm Reynolds
  Gender Male
  Homeworld Shadow
  Occupation Captain of '' Serenity ''
  Relatives Mother (Name unknown)
  Portrayed Nathan Fillion


Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is a Fictional Character leading the ensemble in the Science Fiction television series ''Firefly'' , played by actor Nathan Fillion . In the series, Reynolds is the captain of the Firefly-class spaceship '' Serenity ''. The character was named #18 in '' TV Guide '''s "Greatest Sci-fi legends" list in 2004.


PRODUCTION DETAILS


Conceived by Joss Whedon , the character Malcolm Reynolds was the only definite character he had in mind when formulating the ensemble cast. He wanted a hero, but not a hero in the classic sense; someone that is "everything that a hero is not."Whedon, ''Serenity: The Official Visual Companion'', 11

In the proposed pilot, Mal was much darker and considerably more closed-off. FOX network executives objected, and asked that Mal be 'lightened up'. For the second episode ("The Train Job"), Whedon created a more "jolly" Mal Reynolds.Whedon, ''Train Job: Director's Commentary'', Track 1


Casting


Whedon approached Nathan Fillion to play the lead and after explaining the premise and showing Fillion the treatment for the pilot, Fillion was eager for the role.1 Fillion was called back several times to read for the part before he was cast. He noted that "It was really thrilling. It was my first lead and I was pretty nervous, but I really wanted that part and I wanted to tell those stories."Whedon, ''Firefly Companion, Vol 1'', 26


Costume design


Los Angeles prop shop Applied Effects was approached by Randy Erikson to create Mal's main gun, and gave them a week and a half. Erikson provided a foamcore conceptual mockup and the base guns, one of which was a five-shot .38 Caliber Taurus Model 85 revolver. Erikson researched American Civil War -era revolvers for inspiration and the final mockup had a brass or bronze look, with the revolver a little elongated. The biggest challenge was masking the shape of the original revolver and still keeping it operable.Whedon, ''Firefly Companion, Vol 1'', 79-80

GBB Custom Gunleather was tasked with creating Mal's gun holster, which was made out of oak-tanned carving leatherWhedon, ''Firefly Companion, Vol 1'', 81 The character's coat, relic of his time as a Browncoat , was a collaboration between Firefly costume designer Shawna Trpcic and Jonathan A. Logan, a leather artist. Trpcic sketched her idea and a cloth mockup was created before the final was made with domestic-farmed deerskin. The cuffs are actually the sleeves folded back, evoking the style of Oriental robes with their silk linings. Three coats were made for the character, one called "Number 1" coat and another called "The Hero" coat. The Number 1 coat's bullet hole is drawn in, while The Hero version has a detailed cut and sewn repair.Whedon, ''Firefly Companion, Vol 1'', 83


CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY