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The Rookie star Nathan Fillion reveals jaw-dropping career before becoming an actor 

We never knew this about Nathan Fillion!

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Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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Nathan Fillion has previously opened up about how he was trained in another profession before becoming an actor - and we’re very impressed! While the actor has played a writer, a spaceship captain and a police officer over the years, did you know that he was actually an expert at something completely different?

Chatting to Movieweb back in 2009, The Rookie actor revealed that he is actually a trained teacher, explaining: "I always wanted to be an actor, but in Edmonton, Alberta, that's not a success-oriented career. So I said, 'I'll get my (teaching) degree and then I'll see what happens, but I'll always have that to fall back on.' So if anybody were to look at me and say, 'Oh, you're an actor,' I could always say, 'Hey man, I'm a teacher!'" 

WATCH: The Rookie star Nathan Fillion inundated with fan messages after falling ill

He has since joked about an exam paper where the question for based on his hit TV show Castle, writing: "I studied to be a teacher. This is how I would’ve done it." Fans were delighted, with one writing: "I would have killed to have you as a teacher," while another person added: "If you would become a teacher, we would have you greatly missed as an actor." 

MORE: Why was The Rookie star Nathan Fillion's hit show canceled?

MORE: See the cast of The Rookie and their real-life families

rookie nathan© Photo: Getty Images

Can you believe Nathan was a teacher?

The star has had an incredibly successful acting career but recently opened up to fans about a setback after being unable to attend a fan convention due to illness. Alongside the video, he wrote in the caption: "Ladies and gentlemen of the greater Oregon area. Although I was very much looking forward to seeing you all this weekend, I have fallen ill and will not be able to attend the Convention in Portland. I am crestfallen. I am heartbroken. I am also full of snot and have a fever. Next time!"

Referring to his illness, he went on to say: "Trust me, you don't want any of this," before inhaling through his nose with a strained sniff.  

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