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“These days angels are popularly depicted as fluffy-winged, cherubic beings, like little tooth fairies and that does not sound interesting to me. But going back to the bible and reading Revelations, they are nothing like the angels we see in modern lore; they are very complex and often incredibly dark characters.” And thus Castiel was born. . . or should I say. . made? Misha Collins has joined the Supernatural family and he’s stirring up the fans in an unholy way! Sharp and witty, he has a lot to say about his new roll, the impact of the fans and he even braved my favorite 3 questions. Misha, welcome to our world. “A few people have emailed me links to chats where there was a lot of discussion going on and I’m amazed by how in tune the fans are. It’s almost like the show has 4 million editors,” says Misha with a laugh. “It kind of makes me nervous, I didn’t realize people would be going over it with a fine-tooth comb. I’m going to have to be sure that I don’t screw up.” The reality is, he just has to keep on doing what he’s doing and he’ll be fine. Misha’s Castiel is the angel who pulled Dean Winchester out of the depths of hell on the season opener of Supernatural appropriately titled “Lazarus Rising.” But adding an angel to the show wasn’t a slam dunk and Misha had reservations when it came to taking on the role. “I didn’t want to play anything that could be a one-dimensional, feel good, kind of character. But reading the scripts, it became clear very quickly that that was not the direction they were going in and that took my reservations away.” Figuring out how to play this new, complex character was the next hurdle.
OH, THE HUMANITY
“I was kind of dubious about it because, I’ve always thought what I’m doing, in terms of acting, is tapping into some universal human qualities. And then I thought, shoot, he’s not human, so what the hell am I going to be tapping into? But it’s actually been so fun to explore. I find that there’s something very human about my angel in the end. So it worked out.” It’s that bit of humanity has fans completely charmed by the seemingly innocent, yet incredibly powerful being. “Castiel has so much power and potential to do damage that he doesn’t need to flaunt it at all,” says Misha with no hesitation at all. “He’s got so much power that there’s no reason for him to be demonstrative, so I think he comes across as very calm and peaceful in part because he is so powerful.” Misha brings an intriguing mix of qualities to Castiel. With his expressive eyes, unnatural movements and off-beat line reads, he manages to convey a true “not of this earth” quality while still coming across charming and relatable. “Kripke definitely wrote the dialogue very stylized and I completely credit him for that. I’m responding to what he wrote, working with it, but it was his choice. The dialogue has a very biblical, kind of ancient, it feels like it’s from another epoch. I don’t think one could call themselves an angel of the lord and have it come across as contemporary and hip sounding.” The trouble with dialogue like that is that it can come off sounding stilted or campy. Though a few disagree, most fans feel Misha is doing a great job walking the line.
CAMP SUPERNATURAL
“It is a danger, and I think the only way to make it not campy is to play it as real as possible. It’s kind of powerful and moving. . that may sound a little trite but there’s so much information and history and theology going on, I’m getting into it. I’ve been reading Revelations in preparation for the character and it’s fascinating. It’s such a rich story to work with it would be boring to do it in a campy manner.” Misha has spent a good portion of his acting career as the visiting guest star on a number of big TV shows so this is hardly his first rodeo, but still he found something new and refreshing about working on Supernatural. “I’ve done a lot of guest star work and it feels like I’m the new kid in school. They’ve got their own thing going and they know each other so well that I don’t know how I fit in. This did not feel like that on the set of Supernatural. Kim Manners was directing the first episode I did and he’s such an amazing man to work with. The entire production team was very welcoming and Jared and Jensen are both very open and generous guys and it just felt like I fit in right away. It’s a really happy set. Sometimes you get on a set and it’s surly and everyone is sick of each other. [On Supernatural], despite the fact that they’re putting in 15-hour days and working their fingers to the nub, everyone’s happy. And though he’s been warned to be on the lookout, Misha has yet to fall victim to the infamous SPN prank-monster. “I heard that they had a tendency to prank people and I actually feel a little cheated because I have not been pranked yet. Maybe they don’t like me enough or maybe they’re waiting for me to drop my guard.” Could be. Misha has filmed three of at least six episodes that he’ll appear in this season, so there’s still plenty of opportunities to have his trailer TP’d, or his trench coat pockets filled with shaving cream. Actually, he’s had it pretty easy since joining the cast. Nothing but indoor studio filming at normal hours and not a lick of rain in Vancouver.
HOLLYWOOD NORTH
“It’s such a beautiful city and it’s the best time of year. It didn’t rain a single day when I was up there so I have a sort of distorted view. I think by the time November rolls around I’ll be hating it.” A real lover of the outdoors, he’s taking advantage of everything Hollywood North has to offer. “I took two days off to go kayaking in Provincial Park — a chain of 300 uninhabited islands, infested with bald eagles and a big grey whale breaching right next to my kayak. It was scary and amazing. I love the outdoors and adventure in general, which is another neat thing about working in Vancouver, you can do all these neat things in the ferny, mossy woods. It’s good to get a change.”
CHANGE IS GOOD
It’s only been a week and already Misha Collins is firmly ensconced in the Supernatural fandom. LiveJournal communities have been set up to extol the virtues of Castiel (physical and otherwise) and he’s made his way into a number of fan fiction pieces, not all of which could be considered “work safe.” So how does Misha approach the fandom? “With a mix of excitement and fright. I’ve been recognized quite a bit on the street and it’s exciting [but] I can imagine it might get a little tiring, I don’t know, but for now I’m going with mostly exciting and we’ll see about the frightening part later. Everyone seems quite nice; if it was a fanbase that hated me I’d be more frightened.” No need to worry Misha, we’ll handle you just as if you were one of “the boys.”
Castiel returns on this Thursday’s episode of Supernatural. Tune into The CW at 9:00 for “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester.”
If there is any truth to the old adage that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Consider Misha Collins’ mission accomplished. As Castiel, an Angel sent down from above to aid Sam and Dean in their fight against evil, Misha Collins managed to the impossible. Sweep the fiercely protective Winchester Fangirls off their feet. Which is exactly what I congratulated him on when I had the opportunity to chat with the actor over the phone yesterday.
I believe congratulations are in order. Your appearance on Thursday’s SUPERNATURAL season premiere left quite the impression on the fandom.
Misha Collins: Really? I thought this was par for the course.
Far from it. [Just ask Katie Cassidy and Lauren Cohan]
Well that’s very nice to hear. And I guess it makes it a little nicer knowing that fans aren’t in love with everyone who appears on the show.
Have you taken the time to Google yourself and see for what the fan reaction has been like?
Friends have emailed me links to things but I haven’t really sat down and found the time. But having done a few interviews today, the reaction has seemed positive.
How did you find your way onto SUPERNATURAL?
Originally I auditioned for the role of a demon. I thought I did a great demon, really snarky and nasty. But when I finished reading Eric Kripke [SUPERNATURAL showrunner] said, “Wait, we have somewhat of an enthusiastic fan-base and we’re trying to keep it a secret that we’re introducing an angel on the show. So you’re not a demon, you’re an angel. Can you do it again with more of a quality of innocence and curiosity about how it is these humans behave.” And it was that naiveté about human beings in general that really informed how I play Castiel.
How familiar were you with the show before you were cast?
I’m not a big watcher of television in general, but I had seen a couple of episodes and thought it was really good. Of course now I’ve caught up and am definitely watching the episodes I’m in!
Was it hard joining an established show three seasons in. Having visited the set myself, I know how tight Jared and Jensen are.
It’s not so hard to step into a cast, rather it’s the whole crew. They’re one hundred people who have spent seventy-plus hours a week with each other for the past three years and you’re the new kid at school. Normally it feels a bit tricky but they’ve really made a concerted effort at SUPERNATURAL to really welcome me in a very warm way. It was really much easier than everything I’ve ever done in terms of getting to know everybody and getting comfortable.
I would be lynched by the fandom if I neglected to ask what it’s like to work with Jared and Jensen?
Jared and Jensen are both great to work with, really relaxed and funny on the set. I’ve heard that they’re really into pranks…
That’s what I’ve heard as well. Have you fallen victim to any pranks on set yet?
Nothing yet, which kind of hurts my feelings and has me thinking that they don’t like me!
Or, they’re in the process of planning something really ’special’ for you.
Maybe I should consider a pre-emptive Bush doctrine kind of first strike.
Oh sure, those always go really well! Are you prepared for the fandom’s reaction? Are you ready for random girls to accost you on the street?
A few random girls have already come up to me. The enthusiasm that I’ve been met with is something new and not something I’m really prepared for. So far it’s fun albeit kind of strange. I guess it’s a hazard of being an actor. But actors chase that notoriety and to shun it when it comes would be in bad taste. So I’m going to embrace it.
TV stardom truly is a mixed blessing. I mean, how famous is to famous? Do you really want to make it to the level of ‘FRIENDS’ where you personal life becomes tabloid fodder?
Yeah there is something really nice about anonymity in life, to be able to walk down the street and just be a nobody. But I think because I live in LA, everybody is used to seeing people that they see on television. So actors don’t get accosted that much. Unless you’re Paris Hilton, but she brings it on herself.
Completely agree. But back to your character if I may. How much do you know about Castiel?
All I know is what I’ve made up and what has been in the script. I don’t have much backstory beyond that. I know that this is the first time that angels have come down to earth in 2000 years and that the Army’s of Hell are on the move which is why a higher power has deemed it necessary to send angels to earth to help fight the good fight. Angels have been around for a really long time, they’ve seen it all. They were around during the Spanish Inquisition and watching all of that happen. Not actually present for it but watching from above. They’ve seen all of human society formed for thousands of years so there is a certain knowledge and wisdom that Castiel brings, that Sam and Dean don’t possess.
You had a really intense scene with Dean in Thursday’s premiere. Will Sam be getting equal time with Castiel in future episodes?
You know what. For the first three episodes I only interact with Dean. So much so that I was beginning to think that maybe I was a figment of Dean’s imagination and that Dean was going crazy. But I do interact with Sam as well as another angel in future episodes. But my gut feeling without actually knowing anything is that my primary relationship is going to be with Dean for sometime.
Do you yourself believe in angels?
Good question.
Thanks but I can’t take credit for it. It was actually a reader’s question [Thanks Claudia!]
So this is a plagerized question?
Yes, it’s a Joe Biden question.
[Laughs] I can’t say that I believe in angels but I can’t say that I don’t believe in angels. I’m open to the possibility of their existence although I don’t have any verifiable empirical evidence that they do exist
Great answer! Have you ever considered running for office?
I actually have. I was planning on going into politics before I was an actor. I interned at the White House but became so disillusioned with politics after interning in the White House that I turned to what some might consider an equally nefarious career.
So true. I mean are Hollywood and Washington really that dissimilar?
I think that they are birds of a feather.
I guess it’s a good thing SUPERNATURAL shoots in Vancouver then
Vancouver is a beautiful city. I had a couple of days off and spent them Kayaking and whale watching. Plus the entire time I’ve been up here it hasn’t rained once. It’s been very positive.
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat this afternoon.
It was my pleasure, thank you.
The newest cast member of the smash-hit CW series talks about his new role, working with Jared and Jensen and yet another angel down the road
When the fourth season of the immensely-popular series Supernatural hit the CW airwaves last Thursday, viewers were treated to a demonic/angellic new character, that turned out to be more the latter than the former. This new character is Castiel, an angel who was the one who pulled Dean out of hell and was sent down by the Lord to aid in the adventures of Dean and Sam Winchester. The actor who portrays this intriguiing new character is Misha Collins and I just recently had a chance to talk to the latest Supernatural cast member over the phone. Here's what he had to say.
You played a pivotal role in the season premiere last week. How did you originally come across this role of Castiel?
Misha Collins: I came across it when my agent sent me an audition for a demon on Supernatural earlier this summer. I had an episode of Supernatural Tivoed and I watched it and I saw a demon and I saw that he was kind of snarky and nasty, as we would expect a demon to be. So, I went in and I auditioned for (creator) Eric Kripke and I gave him a very nasty and snarky performance (Laughs). He said 'Great work, except, we are trying to hide from the fans that we're introducing an angel to the show, so we sent out the audition material as a demon, so it's actually an angel.' So he gave me a couple of adujustments to try to make me a little bit less snarky and more angellic and, evidently he liked me because I got the part.
So you hadn't followed the show previously before signing on?
Misha Collins: I had seen the show previously, but I had not been an avid follower of the show. I thought it was good, but I'm not a very good television watcher. I'm not very good at keeping up with the show. It seems like Supernatural is one of those shows where it's much better if you watch it all.
Since he says he's been sent from the Lord, would it be safe to assume that the Lord has been keeping tabs on Dean and Sam then, and sent you down to help them along?
Misha Collins Yes, definitely. Yeah, God is definitely keeping tabs on Sam and Dean, which is probably a lot of pressure, if you think about it. You know, if God is watching your every move, you should probably straighten up your act a little bit.
You said that Eric (Kripke) gave you some adjustments to your character, but what kinds of things do you do to get into the character of Castiel?
Misha Collins: Well, one of the things that I've done is I have been reading Revelations. Have you ever read Revalations?
A long time ago.
Misha Collins: Yeah. It's amazing, rich material that is full of stories about angels and angels being sent down to Earth to wipe out a third of the population. I mean, there are angels that come down and wipe out a third of the population and then another angel will come down and wipe out a third of all the animals living in the sea and another angel will come down and wipe out all the vegetation on the land. They are some vengeful individules, in Revelations, the angels. In reading that, I was kind of surprised. There is a lot of destructive capacity in an angel's being. Kripke gave me a couple of things to work with right in that audition and one was that the angels haven't actually come down to Earth for 2000 years. They've been watching from a great distance, but now this is the first time they're really getting up close in 2000 years. When I'm talking to Dean, I'm observing these qualities that are somewhat alien to me. There's a curiosity and an inquisitiveness that Castiel has and also a real peacefulness and a real calm and wisdom and knowledge that goes along with being a very ancient being. If you spend your whole life in heaven, I would think that it makes you pretty peaceful, so that's a lot of what I've drawn on. My younger brother, this is going to sound kind of weird, but there's something quite angellic about him. He has this way of, very calmly, just staring into someone's eyes and it kind of feels like he can get into your soul. It's a little weird and really kind of amazing so I did kind of base my character on my younger brother.
Oh, wow. That's interesting. So, we don't really get a whole lot about Castiel in the first episode. He's an angel and he doesn't doesn't really affect mortals too well, with their eyes if they look at him.
Misha Collins: Right.
Is there anything that you can tell us that we might see from him down the road in the season?
Misha Collins: Yeah, I guess I can tell you that I'm not going to be the only angel on the show. Muriel is another angel that is going to come down as well. Muriel, he's a much more militant angel and one who is much more eager to stamp out the human communities. Yeah, he's the vengeful, smiting type. Also, my character is somewhat conflicted and not quite as sure of himself as maybe he initially was presented.
So do you and Muriel cancel each other out, or play the balancing of the forces?
Misha Collins: Yeah, well there's a conflict between Muriel and I.
I've interviewed Jared (Padalecki) before and both he and Jensen (Ackles) seem like they'd be a riot to work with on this series. How have they both been to work with and how did they embrace you coming into the show?
Misha Collins: They're great to work with. They both have unusually good timing with humor, so there's a lot of sarcasm and witty quips being bantered about on the set, which, I'll tell you, makes working a hell of a lot better. They're not primadonnas... well, if they are primadonnas, they haven't shown me that side yet. They seem like very cool, very fun, very energetic, hard-working guys. They put in long hours on that show, they really do. I've been on shows where the star of the show is like rolling their eyes the whole time and totally frustrated that it's taking a long time and bored out of their minds and spend the whole time on set texting their boyfriend on their Blackberry and just had such a really bad tone for the set. Jared and Jensen, and (director) Kim Manners and the other directors working on the show, they're all really good people to work with, which is unusual and very gratifying and makes it a much better experience than it could be.
I read that you are on for the remainder of this season. Is this kind of like a recurring role or are they talking about a series regular, at some point, for this character?
Misha Collins: I don't know whether they're talking series regular for my character, but that's a good idea. You should maybe recommend that to them.
Absolutely. So can you give us a glimpse of how much you'll be in this season? Will you be in every episode?
Misha Collins: No, I'm not in every episode. It seems to me that the show kind of does this little dance between episodes that are pretty well self-contained. There are episodes where Jared and Jensen take on a particular thing that, within that episode, it's a pretty contained arc and you don't really need to know a whole lot of backstory in order for it to make sense. Then there are episodes that are continuing a broader, more epic storyling and it seems that I'm not so much in those self-contained episodes but in the episodes that are carrying that through-arc. So far, I've been in a little over half of the episodes we've shot.
You've appeared in some very high-profile series' in your career like 24, ER and many others. How has your experience on Supernatural been similar or different to those kinds of shows?
Misha Collins: Well, like I said, I think some of those shows have been less welcoming and less easy to fit into as the new kid at school coming to join a show. Some episodic television - 24 and ER are not examples of that - but there are some episodic television shows that are pretty formulaic and it feels like the series regulars are doing the same thing every episode and you can just feel their boredom. Supernatural is not one of those shows. Supernatural feels like there's always something new happening and the actors and the crew all have interesting things to work on so there's a level of commitment, artistic commitment and excitement on the set that is nice to be around and is a lot better than a lot of other shows that I've been on. It's a happy cast and crew, too. A lot of times there's a surliness that goes on behind the scenes that's not present on Supernatural, which is really great. Aside from that, it's shot in Vancouver and I've been shooting up in Vancouver in summer and early fall, which is pretty much the nicest place to be in summer and early fall, so that also. Maybe talk to me again in February and we'll see how upbeat I am about it.
I know it's only been a few days since the season premiere, but have you been noticed anywhere as Castiel yet?
Misha Collins: Yes, I have.
You have? Already?
Misha Collins: Yeah. I'm building a garden at my house and I was at a local nursery yesterday and two women who were buying palm trees came up to me and said, 'Are you the new angel?' They were really enthusiastic, incredibly sweet and I was kind of taken aback, but I was also kind of thrilled.
I know the show is immensely popular, but I know it has only been a few days so I was kind of curious to see if it happened already.
Misha Collins: Yeah, and I haven't actually been out much in the last couple of days, so yeah, I don't know. I feel like, in talking to you and talking to a couple of other people I've had interviews with, it sounds like there's a big reaction and a lot of people know about my character, which is kind of a surprise to me. I didn't realize that was happening, so, cool. I love it.
So I don't see any future projects listed for you. Is there anything that you're eyeing up, post-Supernatural
Misha Collins: There's an episode of Nip/Tuck that is coming up that I've shot. I think that there's another independent feature that hasn't been released yet, that I've shot as well, but yeah, Nip/Tuck is coming up and that's very (Laughs) a very different role. It's a decidingly un-PG role and very much not the behavior of an angel I will be exhibiting in Nip/Tuck. I have another role, I mean, it's a movie that's available at Blockbuster that I did not too long ago called Karla, where I'm portraying a real-life serial killer, which is also not like an angel.
Finally, you've worked in some huge network TV shows, and with Mad Men making history last week, it seems that the momentum is starting to shift to these smaller networks. Do you think that Supernatural is one of those shows that can push the momentum forward in the future?
Misha Collins: Well, (the CW) is definitely not one of the Big 3. Yeah, I think that the bigger networks are definitely seeing their market share dwindle because of networks like CW and Fox and F/X and all of the smaller cable networks, HBO and Showtime, they're all doing more innovative stuff. I think that this show is actually pushing the envelope a little bit for broadcast television, definitely. It's got a different feel, a darkness that you don't see in a lot of broadcast TV. Heroes, or something like that, seems a little more campy to me. This feels gritty and captivating and I think that they're doing great work on the show. I'm really happy with it.
Well, that's about all I have for you. Thanks so much for your time today, Misha, and I'm looking forward to see what you have coming up in this season.
Misha Collins: Thank you for your time.
Supernatural’s Bobby Singer has seen his fair share of demons, monsters and just plain crazy things, but in tomorrow's season premiere, he’ll be thrown a major loop when Dean -- who was sent to Hell four months ago -- shows up at his front door. In anticipation of the momentous event, KTV's intern extraordinaire and resident Supernatural expert, Marisa Roffman, sat down with Jim Beaver, who portrays Bobby, to talk about what we can expect in the upcoming year...
What can you tell me about the season premiere?
Dean comes back, which really isn’t what I -- as in, me, Jim -- was expecting. I thought he might be gone for a little bit and Sam and Bobby might try to figure things out. But Dean comes back [in the beginning of the first episode] and things are all different. He brings some secrets back with him, not just secrets [he's keeping] from the audience, but also from Sam and Bobby. There’s something going on that only Dean knows about. I think it’s going to be pretty surprising for the audience. I think they’re going to go, oh wow, that’s a great turn for the story. I’m being a little vague, but I want to keep my job!
And that’s what we want, too. Are we going to see flashbacks of how Sam and Bobby dealt with life while Dean was in Hell?
If we are, it’s going to be real special effects because I don’t remember shooting any! I think we won’t actually have flashbacks, but we will get a sense of how that dark period affected Sam and Bobby just from things that are said.
Did the Sam and Bobby relationship change while Dean was gone?
It changed for the worse for a while. But it doesn’t take too long for them to get back on their feet. It was really hard for Sam [when Dean went to Hell]. I mean, it was really hard for Bobby, but it was particularly hard for Sam, feeling like he failed Dean. So there was some separation between him and Bobby while Sam sort of sorted things out. But there’s nothing like your brother coming back from Hell to cheer you up. Things get back on a fairly even keel, considering there are some story twists. There’s no long lasting damage.
That’s good to hear because he has a good relationship with Sam and Dean for the most part.
Yeah. It’s dramatically good for the show and I’m not just trumping my own participation. You’ve got these two brothers who have a strong relationship but can occasionally use either a wise or a cynical viewpoint. And Bobby’s there to provide it.
I was told that you're the first person Dean comes to after he’s resurrected from Hell.
Yes, Dean shows up and kind of gives me a jolt. When somebody knocks at your door, you’re not expecting someone who went to Hell the last time you saw them. It’s an interesting reunion, but it's not an expected one.
Are you going to be helping Sam and Dean figure out why Dean was released from Hell?
I think that’s going to be one of the big questions. We get some hints early on as to why he’s back, but I don’t think they’re going to be exactly what the audience expects, which I think will be delicious. The question of why he’s back and what the ramifications of his return are will be essential to the whole season. That will be fun to find out. I don’t know yet. The actors are often the last to know.
I hear Bobby doesn’t have it easy in the first couple episodes…
I get attacked by something. Yeah, I’m not sure how to describe it. I’m a lot of help, aren’t I?
Can you say how many episodes you’ve done this season?
We just finished episode six which was my third one. So I took a little break with three, four and five. But I'm back for six and I have no idea what’s coming up after that. But I certainly don’t expect them to get rid of Bobby any time soon. I’m so delighted to do the show, I welcome every single opportunity. I can’t answer for certain if I’ll be back for more, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Are you heavily involved in the episodes you're in?
Well, I’m there. I don’t know if [my role is] bigger, but I guess it is. The first few episodes are really exciting and we had a lot of fun shooting them.
Are you aware of how much the fans love you?
[Laughs] Yeah, what’s that about?
Bobby is just awesome in the eyes of the fans. And he’s also like a surrogate father to the brothers, especially since their own dad is no longer among the living. He’s a great sounding board and gives words of wisdom and all that fun stuff that the Winchester brothers need.
It’s kind of like real life.
Is your relationship with Jared and Jensen like that?
I love those two guys. They’re a joy to go to work with. I always get a big hug from them whenever I show up for an episode... and then it takes me about three days for my ribs to stop hurting. Really strong men. I gotta start working out.
And I’ve heard they’re notorious pranksters on set. Do you fall victim to them?
Not very often. I think I’m not as fun to pull pranks on because I’m pretty determined to not let them get my goat. I think it’s disappointing to them, but I’ve certainly been witness to a lot. Most of it is not terribly organized or intricate, but there’s a lot of horseplay on the set. There’s always somebody whose day it is to [be the target]. But it’s mainly Jared. Jensen’s very good at participating and appreciating, but Jared’s the real prankster. [Laughs] He belongs in a kindergarten.
It sounds like you have a lot of fun on the set.
There’s an element of fun that runs through the entire company, it’s not just Jared and Jensen. There’s a lot of banter and pranks and fun with the camera crew and the grips and everyone. We all work very hard and we all take our jobs seriously, but it’s a company that from top to bottom really seems to understand that if it ain't fun, it ain’t worth doing. We have a blast.
On Thursday, September 18th, The CW's cult hit series Supernatural returns for its fourth crazy season premiere. And this year promises to present one of the most exciting episode runs in the entire history of the show. When last we saw our beloved demon hunters, Dean's contract was up and he was sent soaring deep into the bowels of Hell. In the season four opener, Sam and demon hunter/mentor Bobby Singer will hook up with a TV psychic to try and track down Dean, attempting to save him from his horrible fate. To celebrate the upcoming season, we tracked down Bobby Singer (aka Jim Beaver) to talk exclusively with him about what we can expect to see over the course of the next few months. Here is our very scoopernatural Supernatural interview with the man:
For the uninitiated, can you give us a little bit of background on your character, Bobby Singer?
Jim Beaver: Yeah. Bobby Singer is a Hunter. He is someone that hunts down and kills demons. He was a friend of John Winchester for many years. He is now a sort of surrogate father and uncle-type figure to John's two sons, Sam and Dean. That's it in a nutshell.
I just saw a clip from the upcoming season four premier. Dean returns to your house, alive. And you try to stab him with a silver blade. Can you extrapolate a little bit more on that scene, and how it continues to play out through this particular episode?
Jim Beaver: If you are a professional demon hunter, and a dead guy shows up at your front door, you don't take it for granted that everything is okay. That's what happens with Dean when he shows up at Bobby's front door. Bobby is very suspicious. Well...Suspicious isn't the word. He knows that this can't possibly be Dean. And he will take all the necessary steps to eliminate whoever this is. Bobby certainly has a surprise coming for him.
How does this play into the rest of the season? I know that Bobby and Sam team up with a psychic to find the real Dean. How does that run through the rest of the series?
Jim Beaver: That's kind of hard to say. I am not privy to what happens in the episodes I am not in. Nor the rest of the season from the point we are at now. I can't say what Eric Kripke has in mind. I don't recall the psychic trying to contact Dean. It may look that way in the clips you've seen. But that is another problem entirely. There may be some misdirection there. Our Psychic Network friend wasn't there to contact Dean.
Do you think Bobby Singer is going to venture into Hell this season?
Jim Beaver: I don't know. They haven't said one word about that. I'm sort of hoping not. Just because Dean comes back, doesn't mean everybody gets to. I have no idea if I will go to Hell or not. I have done three episodes out of the six that were shot for this season. We just finished. Beyond those three, I don't know what happens. Speculating is something a cross-town bus can do as well as I can. I don't know any of the secrets until they allow me to shoot them.
Are you going to be sticking around for the entire season? Or do you even know that much?
Jim Beaver: I don't know that much. I don't know anything. I'd presume that Bobby will be around in some sense for the entire season. He drops in when the boys need him. And they manage on their own when they don't. The producers will call me up a couple of weeks ahead of time, and they will tell me they have an episode for me. But until then, there is no sense of how many episodes I will be in. When the season starts, I don't know if I will be in nine episodes, or twelve. Or just the three. It all comes as it shows up.
What sorts of things can we expect to see out of Bobby Singer in the three episodes that you've already shot this season? What sort of storylines are you involved with?
Jim Beaver: I think we continue the traditional layout of the past seasons. We do a few episodes of the long-standing story arc, which deals with what is really going on with the Winchester brothers. And how their lives are shaped. And where their lives are going. That will be counterpoised to the individual adventures that they have. We have already shot a little bit of both. There is always a threat that comes from their ongoing lives. The one we just finished, episode six, is an individual adventure rather than an advancement of the mythology of the Winchester family. But still, there is always a touch of that. There are some revelations, or near revelations, that have occurred involving the brothers and what is really going on with them. Those will be quite tantalizing to the audience. So far, it has been a mixed bag. The first two episodes of the new season I was present for. In large part, they are explorations of Dean's return. And what that means to the show. What steps the hunters ought to take. There will always be a lot of variety on the show. I think Eric doesn't like to get stuck in one particular rut. He likes to mix up the styles of the storylines. I know there is going to be some real stylistic adventures this season. We have some episodes that will be completely different from any other episode in the entire run of the show. Especially in terms of their look and their approach. That is going to be fun. Well, it will be fun to watch. I wasn't really involved in those.
Do you have a particular moment that you are really excited for the fans of the show to see this season?
Jim Beaver: I think the opening few scenes of the first episodes are going to hit the fans hard, both in terms of excitement and in terms of emotion. I am really looking forward to hearing what the fan response is. Especially to the things that happen in the first part of the first episode. I will be pretty excited to see if the fans feel the same way about it that I do. I can't imagine they wont.
Your character is very well versed in the occult. Is that something you had to study up on when you came onto this show?
Jim Beaver: (Laughs) No, that is what writers are for. I let them tell me what to say and do. If I were playing an archeologist or a gold miner, I might do a little digging into that. But most of this stuff is so far outside my own area of expertise. But it is certainly right up Eric Kripke's alley. So I let him handle the research. He is much better at it than I would be.
I guess that also goes into your look. Did you have a hand in creating this iconic look for your character, with the trucker hats and the sleeveless flannels?
Jim Beaver: No, not really. Though, I am glad about the trucker hat. It means I don't have to spend much time in the hair stylist's chair. I wear baseball caps all the time in real life, anyway. So, I was happy about that. But I didn't suggest it. Again, I figure that the professionals whose job it is to come up with that stuff are better at it than I would be. I have sat with Eric, and talked about his vision. It is not really my job to impose my own vision. This is Eric's show. For the most part, I am happy to wear whatever they tell me to wear. For the most part. Yesterday was the first time I ever asked if I could wear something different than what they laid out for me. It was simply a matter of the scene. Bobby had just taken a shower and gotten cleaned up. Why would he put on a dirtier hat than he had on before? But that is a pretty small thing. These guys usually know what they are doing, and I let them do it.
You've been involved in series television since about the mid-70s. How has that changed compared to what is going on with series television at this current moment in time? And also, you act as a mentor in the show. Does that sort of bleed into real life, with you teaching Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles little tricks of the trade here and there?
Jim Beaver: To answer your second question first, there isn't much I can teach Jared and Jensen. I wouldn't really try. They are very good at what they do. In some ways, they are better than I am. Because they are here for everyday of the shoot. They are very good at technical things. I've probably learned more from them then they have from me. I'd be flattered if they picked up any tricks from me. But I don't think they need to learn anything from me. Except respect for their elders. I would say that series television has changed a lot since I first stuck my toe in the water a few years back. Fun genre shows like Supernatural tend to treat their audiences more seriously. They presume more intelligence. A lot of the stuff I did while breaking into the business seemed sort of inane compared to what we have now. I'm not just talking about the really deep shows. Even the fun, entertainment shows seem more intelligently put together. They are certainly aimed at a smarter audience. I think that is the biggest change I have seen. But that presents some challenges. I think the audience's attention span has diminished somewhat over time. There is a battle, because there are so many options for an audience. It's too easy to sit there with your remote. When I started in television, you had to get out of your chair and walk over to the TV to change a channel. That alone has made a big difference. You have to really engage your audience.
Looking at your resume, I noticed that a lot of your characters have been named after producers or other key crewmembers behind the scenes. Is that coincidental, or is there something more to that.
Jim Beaver: Hmm? Bobby Singer is the only one I can think of. That started out as a joke and sort of stuck. In the first episode I was in, Bobby was just named Bobby. But someone in the art department hung a sign over the wrecking yard that said Singer Automotive, just to make that connection between our producers Robert Singer. And that kind of took. But I don't think anybody writing the show started out intending to call him Bobby Singer. On Deadwood, I played a character that was named after a producer I knew of. But it was not someone I worked for. And that was by my request. The character had been named Ellsworth. By the end of the second season, they decided to give him a first name. I asked that he be called Whitney, because Whitney Ellsworth was a producer on a show I was a fan of (Adventures of Superman). It just seemed like a good name for the character. So that wasn't a coincidence. That was my choice. I can't think of any other examples.
And with that, Mr. Beaver was pulled from the interview. Be sure to catch the fourth season premiere of Supernatural airing at 9 pm only on The CW. You don't want to miss it!
Jim Beaver’s been a television staple for the last thirty years. He’s had recurring roles on such shows as Deadwood, John from Cincinnati, Big Love, Days of Our Lives and 3rd Rock from the Sun and has made guest appearances on Monk, CSI, The West Wing and The X-Files, just to name a few. But even with more than 100 roles to his credit, Jim has never before achieved the kind of infamy that he’s received since he took on the role of Bobby Singer, the surly but affectionate father figure to Sam and Dean Winchester on Supernatural. When we last saw our intrepid heroes, Bobby was aiding the boys in the fight against the all-powerful demon Lilith. But despite some clever distractions (holy water in the sprinkler system) Bobby and Sam were unable to save Dean from being dragged into the pit by the hell hounds. But don’t worry Ackles fans, this is Supernatural where the dead don’t stay dead.
It’s an emotional reunion when Season Four begins this Thursday and I asked Jim Beaver about the mood on the set. “We have a lot of fun, even with the emotional scenes and that’s not to say we don’t take them seriously,” says Beaver. “I remember when Jensen was doing the scene where he’s talking to Sam’s dead body, he kinda wanted some quiet time and we respected that. I think Jared and Jensen and I are similar actors in that we play right into whatever the scene calls for at the moment, but we’re pretty good at separating our lives once they call cut.” And once they do call cut? “We joke and laugh a lot. We had a long day shooting yesterday, there wasn’t anything particularly unusual about the scene, but for me, it was just a wonderful day hanging out with Jared and Jensen. That really encapsulates it; Jared and Jensen are two of the most fun guys I’ve ever worked with.” So that would be the best thing about working on Supernatural. So what’s the worst? “The worst thing is pretending you’re cold when it’s really hot and you’re hot when it’s really cold. I’ve played so many scenes in this show where we’re supposed to be in Louisiana or some place in the springtime and we were just freezing. Yesterday we were playing some place pretty cool and we were sweating like a pig.” I asked Jim to describe his two co-stars in two sentences. Jared came easy. “Jared Padalecki is the world’s tallest rascal. He’s irreverent, full of jokes, full of fun and really, really good at what he does.” Jensen took a bit more thought. “Jensen’s not as wild as Jared, but he’s just as funny and he’s really deeply devoted to what he does for a living. He’s a sweet guy, which is something coming from a guy like me.” When asked how the boys would answer the same question about him, Jim blew it off modestly and replied, “Oh, they’d make up some phony baloney stuff about how nice I am.” Some how I suspect that wouldn’t be “phony baloney” at all.
September 11, 2008 - Supernatural returns next week, picking up from one hell of a season finale – if you'll forgive the pun. Yes, when last we saw the Winchester Brothers, Dean (Jensen Ackles) was killed and sent to hell, as his brother Sam (Jared Padalecki) looked on in horror. It's no secret that Ackles is still a series regular this year, but of course there are many questions about how exactly Dean can still be on the show.
Last week, I paid a visit to Supernatural's set in Vancouver. At a real life former mental institution (posing as a retirement home for the series), Sam and Dean were once again on a mission, in scenes that will occur in episode 6 of this season.
During a break from filming, Jared Padalecki sat down outside with me, with the Winchesters' iconic Chevy Impala parked a few feet away from us. We talked about what's to come in Season 4 of Supernatural, how Sam has changed through the years and the fascinating turns Sam and Dean's story are taking.
IGN TV: This is a pretty gutsy show. In Season 3, all year you're trying to save Dean, and in the end, you don't save him.
Jared Padalecki: I love it. I was just talking to Jim Beaver ["Bobby"] about that today. This is gonna surprise a lot of people, but I just finally, today, watched the finale of Season 3. I read it and I acted in it, so I knew what happened. I'd done my ADR, so I'd seen some of it, but I hadn't seen the whole episode until today. And I was talking to Jim, and I was like, "Man, it was a good episode! Cool shots and the tension…" And he brought up, "Yeah, and I loved that they killed him." I said, "I do too!" The whole sequence where the bells starts ringing, and you think "What does that mean? Does that mean… they're going to kill him?" I remember when I read it, I was going, "Aw, this is bad ass! I can't believe they're gonna do that!" I love that about the show. I've died. Jensen's died. Our dad died. And other than Jim Beaver, essentially all of our favorite guest stars have died. It's like, [Executive Producer Eric] Kripke don't F around! Love 'em, kill 'em! That's how you know you've made it. They say if you have a Weird Al song written about you, you know you've made it. But you know you've made it on Supernatural when you die. It's like, "Cool, I'm in!"
IGN: So the question now, of course, is how does Season 4 pick up from that?
Padalecki: From episode 1, Dean's back. And there's a whole period where I don't believe it's him. I think it's a demon inheriting his body or a remnant or something, and Bobby Singer freaks out. We finally figure out it's him and we're like, "How did you get back? I tried everything for four months." But one of the things I loved that's gonna happen this season, is we're going to go back and we're going to see Dean in hell and see what happened in those four months. We're going to go back and see Sam on Earth and him burying his brother and trying and trying [to save him], with everything – making deals with demons -- Doing everything he possibly can to save his brother and none of it works.
So there's a really interesting way that Dean gets out of hell that we don't know about just yet. We're only six episodes in, so we'll find out I think right in the meat of the episodes, between episodes nine and fifteen probably – right in the middle. I'm really excited about going back and the characters are different now. Obviously, Dean's been in hell and Sam's been without Dean, so I had to become a badass on my own. There's a scene in the first episode where Sam's like, "Dean, I think we should do it this way," and Dean's like, "Well, the older brother's back. The smarter brother. So we're going to do it my way." And Sam kind of takes offense. He's like, "Dude, I've been here on my own, for four months and I've been doing well." They're both more individual now and they're both holding secrets from each other, so I think it's going to be neat to see that play out.
IGN: Sam's gotten a bit darker and more intense as the show has progressed, especially last season, as he tried to save Dean. Has it been fun for you to take him on this path?
Padalecki: Absolutely. And I love the darker side of Sam. From the pilot, obviously, he was a college boy in his Abercrombie sweatshirt and blue jeans and Converse sneakers. Pretty cookie-cutter. And we've seen him go dark and one of my favorite things to do as an actor was I did an episode called "Born Under a Bad Sign" where I get possessed by a demon. And I got to play that kind of dark, fun, badass character and I loved it. So I was really hoping to see some darker sides of Sam, and the shoot first, ask questions later side of Sam. And I've gotten the chance to do that a couple of times this season, so I can't wait to see how far dark and how deep we go with it.
IGN: Your show has a nice sense of humor, sometimes with the little things like the aliases you use. I see in this script you call yourselves Agents Tyler and Perry. Is it nice to have those lighter moments in there?
Padalecki: It is, it is. There have been a couple of cool episodes where we're usually rock stars. I think we've been Page and Plant and Agents Young and Young. I think we were even Jagger and Richards one time. So a lot of cool shout outs. That's cool, being a classic rock fan. But also, there was one episode where we were reading the places and they were Ogdenville and North Haverbrook, which is from a Simpsons episode where they were doing the Monorail. And I was reading it at a table read and I was like, "Simpsons!" I yelled it and kind of made an ass of myself. It's really cool to see the writers' kind of weird, crazy sense of humor, wired in and out of the scripts.
IGN: Do you try and find out what's to come on the show ahead of time?
Padalecki: I love knowing what's ahead. I love getting the scripts as soon as possible, not because I need to memorize them way ahead of time – I'm usually so busy memorizing what I'm doing that day, that I can't really work on that ahead of time. I just like to know what's coming up in the future. Especially if there's something like… The best example I can think of is I had to do a sex scene in the second season and I found out two or three episodes ahead of time, and I thought, "Aw, s**t!" I think this was right after eating a big old steak and some cheesecake. [Laughs] I'm like, "I'm gonna read the next script," and it says, "Sam is naked," and I go, "Come on! You could have told me this a month ago, so I could have started working out or something." But if I have a big monologue coming up or a big scene coming up, I like to know and just get it in the back of my head.
But conversely, I think Eric is the kind of writer and creator that likes to be able to change things up – to watch the dailies and the episodes and take a cue from it and go, "Ooh, I like that," and then put it in this next script. I think he has a master plan, but he likes to keep it flexible. So we don't know a whole lot. We're shooting episode 6 right now and I just got the script yesterday for episode 7 and we're going to start that next week. So it's not like I'm figuring out what we're going to be shooting in a month. I have no idea, and maybe they don't either. I wish I could know a little bit more ahead of time. I think I do my best work when I have the most time to prepare, so it's a little frustrating, but that's episodic television. You're making a 42 minute movie every eight days, so the writers are hauling ass, we're hauling ass, post-production is hauling ass… It's just one of the necessary evils.
IGN: You mentioned a sex scene, but in general, neither of the Winchester boys have very good luck with relationships.
Padalecki: [Laughs] Yeah. He had one in Season 1, I had one in Season 2 and we kind of got rid of it after that. We don't have much luck with women. Sam especially - his mom burning on the ceiling; his girlfriend burning on the ceiling. He's kind of S.O.L. when it comes to relationships, but I guess that's one of the themes of the show. Sometimes you have to make some s**tty sacrifices to do the right thing.
IGN: We're sitting a few feet from the Chevy Impala, so I have to ask if you guys ever find yourself sitting inside it, making Dukes of Hazzard references.
Padalecki: Oh, for sure! When no one's looking, we've been known to do some donuts around parking lots and some power slides and peel outs and stuff like that. I haven't yet jumped through the window. But it's a character on its own, just like the General Lee was. It's been pleasant to