Before she was Paramedic Captain Tommy Vega on 9-1-1: Lone Star or managing partner Jessica Pearson on all seven seasons of Suits, Gina Torres portrayed Zoë Washburn on the Fox sci-fi series Firefly. Although only lasting one season, the series has received strong fan support, put up strong home video sales, and won an Emmy in 2003. Nearly two decades later, Torres is speaking out about what her initial thoughts were on the short-lived drama.
With Firefly currently available to stream on Hulu, fans new and old are discovering and rediscovering the series. Gina Torres spoke to Newsweek about how it holds up as a fan favorite all these years later, and how it’s resonated with people over that period. Said Torres,
That's not something you can predict. You hope that it has a life, not 20 years later but while you're actually doing it. The fact that it resonated, not even so much immediately, but it was like ripples on a pond and now it's become generational. That's an extraordinary thing and really is a testament to good storytelling, good characters and hitting on our basic need for family and belonging and wanting to feel safe.
Created by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear, Firefly was set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, and follows the crew of Serenity: a “Firefly-class” spaceship. Besides Gina Torres, the series stars an ensemble cast including Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Jewel Staite and Sean Maher. The sci-fi series lasted for a single, 14-episode season from 2002-2003. However, a film, titled Serenity, came out in 2005 that was a continuation of the series and took place after the events of the finale.
The Firefly alum revealed earlier this year how the series brought her to other Fox drama, 9-1-1: Lone Star, as co-creator of the on-going hit Tim Minear wrote and directed multiple episodes of the sci-fi series (not to mention was an executive producer). Gina Torres has also recalled one of her favorite scenes, which was a pretty epic moment for Zoë, and has relished the opportunity to work with other Firefly alums, which occurred when she reunited with Nathan Fillion on Castle.
As mentoned, Gina Torres is currently starring on 9-1-1: Lone Star. The show is on hiatus for another few weeks but then it will return on April 19 to finish off Season 2. Given her continued relationship with Firefly's Tim Minear, who knows if there will be a reunion sometime in the future, like how there’s been reunions on Nathan Fillion’s ABC cop drama, The Rookie. Only time will tell – but even when she is saving lives as Captain Vega, Torres will always be Zoë Washburn. Hopefully it won’t be long until she’s reunited with some former co-stars!
