While all nine members of the original Serenity crew have quite a few secrets to hide, one character in particular remains more puzzling than the rest. A mere passenger on the ship, Shepherd Book admits to being a man of the cloth, yet his remarkably hazy history and disturbingly adept skills with weaponry don’t quite mesh with the typical description of a man of God. With his solemn countenance and watchful eye, Book is the enigma among the passengers of Mal’s ship. For a man supposedly only pursuing a life of moral and spiritual enlightenment, it’s quite fascinating that the truths of his past seem to be in contrast to the man he aims to be. For veteran actor Ron Glass, the intriguing mysterious surrounding Book and the character’s vast differences from his own personality were a huge incentive in playing the part. In reality, the contemplative Book is a far cry from the exuberant man that is Ron Glass. Warm and generous, with an ever-present laugh that’s very infectious, Glass’ longevity in Hollywood stems from his impressive ability to craft characters that are quite unlike his real self.
    With a resume filled with 30 years’ worth of classic comedic and dramatic roles, Book signified a definite departure into unfamiliar territory for Glass. “I’m not what you would call a science-fiction fan,” the actor laughs, heartily. “It’s not a genre that I got pulled into. I still find myself feeling quite out of my element with the technical parts of a lot of the science fiction stuff. What really grabbed me was this character. I read the script and I fell in love with the character and I’m still in love with this character. I’d like to be this character! I guess really wonderful characters maybe make you feel that way and I feel that way about Book.”
    While Book was an ever-present member of the ragtag Serenity family throughout the series’ episodes, his character’s background was arguably the slowest to be revealed. “The thing most often said about Book or I’m asked about Book is his back story,” the actor admits. “I am just as curious, if not more, than anybody else. Though he was a man of the cloth and the conscience of the ship and what people might think of as a tight, black guy, he was able to bring enough of his past into his present to make him capable of saying things that you didn’t expect. Part of my excitement was wondering ‘What the hell about this guy is going to be revealed today?’ I was really looking forward to investigating and uncovering it and then actualising it.”
    While he wasn’t privy to Book’s entire history, Glass did go to Joss for direction about the boundaries of building the character. “Joss said some fairly simple but direct things that made it easy for me to do. He would allude to things. He would let me know, for example, that Book’s career choices before had led him into contact with the Alliance, but he was not specific about what side Book was going to be on. The interesting thing is, scenes were written in such a way that they kind of lead you in the direction that the writer’s intended, so I felt confident to take the ride of the unfolding.” As to the religious aspects of his character, Glass (a Buddhist) says that Whedon was actually rather specific in what he requested of him. “I was interested in having Book’s view of things to be planted in more Eastern philosophy. I thought it was a wonderful way to incorporate the relationships Book had with Kaylee and Inara, but he was very clear that wasn’t the way he wanted Book to go. He wanted Book to be a fundamentalist, philosophically, because he wanted Inara to be the Eastern philosophical point of view.”
    When the series ended, Book’s past still largely remained unexplored territory, which was a huge disappointment for the actor. Yet Whedon’s promise that the universe they created would not die was enough for the actor to keep up hope. “The reality is tenuous at best until you get the call to set,” he laughs wickedly. “But I certainly believed Joss when he said it wasn’t over. Even with all the different versions of how that’s been attained, it retains some mystery and some curiosity, on my part, as well as excitement. I look forward to seeing how the future will unfold again.”
    Glass says reuniting with his cast to film Serenity was everything he hoped it would be. “It was really exciting to see old friends and that brings up lots of positive memories. I grew very fond of this cast. I just really love them. It is a joyful experience for me always to go and work with these people. But then, you also meet the new kids in school. We worked at Universal Studios and there was a guard there that directed people on and off the lot. He had a special way of doing it with a lot of style. Even though he’s not a classmate, he’s at the new school and that has a kind of specialness too. It was a very positive experience.”
    While Book’s role is no longer traveling with Mal in Serenity, he and his new home, in a remote community called Haven, play a pivotal part in the climax of the film. Glass is circumspect about discussing the details, but he reveals, “Joss gave me a call and said, “This is a good news/bad news call,’ and it went on from there.” Rather cryptically, he adds, “I’ll just say that I’m happy that I made the decisions and choices I made and I look forward to whatever the future holds as far as my involvement in this world holds. Joss has assured me that in his creative mind, Book is a part of his universe. Joss maintains that it’s his goal to keep those nine characters in place.”
    Upon watching the finished film, Glass is clearly impressed with the results. “The thing I came away with is, ‘Wow! What spectacular storytelling.’ That was my overall reaction.” It’s a reaction he hopes the dedicated fans will have too. “Our fans are by far the most vocal and the most present. They show their devotion is so many different ways and very fully. It’s a joy to be around and to be able to respond to it. It feels so genuine and deep. They are so happy to let you know about it, so it’s almost overwhelming in a large group. The only other time you get that kind of response is if you do a sitcom in front of an audience. It’s almost like live theatre and that’s kind of what these fans are like. They are like a theatre audience that has been thoroughly pleased, which is an actor’s dream.”