Milly Gaines
In the Netflix comedy-horror series Santa Clarita Diet, Gary West is a realtor and the first murder victim of Sheila Hammond, a zombie. Played by Nathan Fillion, Gary is introduced in the pilot episode as a co-worker of Sheila and her husband Joel, who is also a realtor. After Sheila begins exhibiting symptoms of being undead, including a craving for human flesh, Gary attempts to seduce her, leading to her attacking and eating parts of him. Joel and Sheila then dispose of Gary's body in the desert, but later have to exhume him when the plot of land where they buried him is set to be developed. They discover that Gary has become undead as well, and they keep his talking severed head in their basement, later storing it in their unit, as it is the only one Joel can confide in about the zombie business.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Show Type | American comedy horror television series |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Streaming Service | Netflix |
| Starring | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant |
| No. of Seasons | 3 |
| Gary's Actor (Season 1-2) | Nathan Fillion |
| Gary's Actor (Season 3) | Alan Tudyk |
| Gary's Character | A realtor, another realtor and Sheila and Joel's co-worker/competitor in the business |
| Gary's Fate | Eaten by Sheila Hammond, but later becomes undead as Sheila did not kill his brain |
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What You'll Learn
Gary's character is recast in season 3
Gary's character in Santa Clarita Diet underwent a recast in season 3, with Nathan Fillion being replaced by Alan Tudyk. Showrunner Victor Fresco explained that they were unable to get Fillion back due to his commitments to The Rookie on ABC. As Gary is just a decapitated head, the showrunners decided to recast the role rather than write the character out.
Fillion's portrayal of Gary West in the first two seasons of the Netflix zombie comedy series received positive reviews. Fillion played a scumbag realtor who attempts to blackmail and seduce Sheila Hammond (played by Drew Barrymore) before she kills and eats parts of him. Despite his death in the first season, Gary returns in season 2 as an undead, talking, rotting, severed head.
Alan Tudyk, who took over the role of Gary in season 3, is known for his roles in movies such as DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story and A Knight's Tale. The recasting of Gary is particularly ironic for fans of Nathan Fillion. Fillion played Mal Reynolds in Joss Whedon's Firefly television series, while Tudyk played Wash, the pilot on Mal's Serenity spaceship.
Santa Clarita Diet season 3 also saw the departure of Zach Knighton and Natalie Morales, who played key characters in the series. Knighton's character, the Knight of Serbia, was transitioned to Ethan Suplee, while Morales, who played Sheriff Anne Garcia, appeared in three episodes of the season.
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Nathan Fillion's departure
Nathan Fillion played the role of Gary West, a realtor, and Joel and Sheila's co-worker/competitor in the Netflix comedy horror series Santa Clarita Diet. In the pilot episode, Sheila, who has recently turned into a zombie, eats Gary alive after he aggressively tries to seduce her. However, since Joel does not destroy Gary's brain, he returns in season 2 as a zombie head, providing Joel with companionship and advice.
Fillion's departure from the main cast of the show occurred ahead of season 3, when his character was recast and portrayed by Alan Tudyk. Fillion's absence from the show was likely due to scheduling conflicts, as the actor had joined the cast of another Netflix series, A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Fillion's portrayal of Gary as a talking, rotting, severed head added a unique and comedic element to the show. His character's unexpected return and friendship with Joel provided a source of humour and zaniness that was well-received by both the cast and audience. Despite his departure, Fillion expressed enthusiasm for a potential Gary spin-off, jokingly suggesting titles such as "Quit While You're a Head" and "What's That in the Road, a Head?".
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Alan Tudyk's involvement
Alan Tudyk portrays Gary West, a minor character in the third season of the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. Gary is a realtor and the co-worker/competitor of Sheila and Joel Hammond, the series' protagonists. In the first season, Nathan Fillion played the character of Gary, a scumbag realtor who aggressively attempts to seduce Sheila, who is recently undead. Despite her protests, he continues to assault her, which is when she decides he will be her next meal.
In the second season, the Hammonds keep Gary's talking, rotting, severed head alive in their basement, where he doles out wisdom while perched inside a vase. The decision to bring the character back from the dead was one of the things that excited the cast and production team the most for season two.
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Gary's fate in season 3
In Season 3 of Netflix's horror-comedy series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Gary's fate takes an interesting turn. After being killed and partially eaten by Sheila Hammond in the previous seasons, Gary's disembodied head remains alive and well, now played by Alan Tudyk, who takes over the role from Nathan Fillion.
In Season 3, Gary has come to terms with his unusual predicament and has even grown more comfortable with his new life. He remains a good friend of Joel, who can confide in Gary about his own challenges, given that his wife, Sheila, has also turned into a zombie. Gary, having undergone a change himself, is now a sensitive character, a stark contrast to his previous persona as a man who attacked Sheila.
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, addressed the recasting of Gary, explaining that they ""couldn't get Nathan back," so they chose to recast the character rather than eliminate him. Fresco also hinted at the possibility of Gary's physical deterioration, allowing for the introduction of a new actor to portray the role.
In terms of plotlines, Gary plays a pivotal role in Season 3. He bites Ron, an asylum inmate, turning him into a zombie as well. Additionally, Gary requests that Joel and Sheila give the deed to his house in Michigan to his niece, Kayla, before they consider ending his undead existence.
While the show has not been renewed for a fourth season, the fate of Gary is left open-ended, leaving fans curious about the potential future storylines for this beloved character.
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The challenge of playing a disembodied head
Playing a disembodied head on a hit TV show is not your typical acting challenge, but that's exactly what actor Alan Tudyk signed up for when he joined the cast of the Netflix zombie comedy *Santa Clarita Diet* in season 3. Tudyk took over the role of Gary West from Nathan Fillion, who played the character in seasons 1 and 2.
In the show, Gary is a realtor and the Hammonds' co-worker/competitor. After being eaten alive by Sheila Hammond (played by Drew Barrymore), he becomes undead, and the Hammonds keep his head in a vase in their basement.
Playing a disembodied head presented unique challenges for Tudyk. For one, he had to sit through long hours of hair and makeup to get his head completely stabilized for filming. Additionally, as showrunner Victor Fresco explained, it was difficult for Tudyk to emote without moving his head: "It's very hard for an actor to work because you don't realize how much you move your head. It's very hard for an actor to emote without moving their head."
Despite the challenges, Tudyk's talent and humour shone through, and he was a joy to work with, according to Fresco. The decision to bring back the character of Gary, even with a new actor, added a layer of zaniness to the show and was one of the things that excited both the cast and production team the most for season 2.
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Frequently asked questions
For the first two seasons, Gary West was played by Nathan Fillion. In season 3, Fillion was replaced by Alan Tudyk.
Gary West is a realtor and the co-worker/competitor of Sheila and Joel Hammond. In the pilot episode, Sheila, who has recently become undead, kills and eats parts of Gary. In season 2, the location where the Hammonds had dumped Gary's body is about to be turned into a building plot, so they have to exhume him. They discover that Gary is still alive because Sheila did not kill his brain, and they decide to keep his head in their basement.
The actor who played Gary in the first two seasons, Nathan Fillion, was replaced by Alan Tudyk in season 3 because, according to showrunner Victor Fresco, "We couldn’t get Nathan back, so our choices were get rid of that character or recast, and we just loved that character".
