Biography of Jared Padalecki
Jared Padalecki is an American actor and producer who shot to fame as Sam Winchester, the fearless monster hunter in the hit supernatural series "Supernatural," where he starred for fifteen years alongside his on-screen brother Jensen Ackles.His other notable roles include playing famous American artist Thomas Kinkade in the family drama "Christmas Cottage" and Texas Ranger Cordell Walker in the action series "Walker."
Childhood, Youth, Family
Jared Tristan Padalecki was born in summer 1982 to parents Gerald and Sherri in San Antonio, Texas. His father was a tax accountant, and his mother worked as a teacher.Jared is half Polish on his father's side—his paternal grandparents immigrated to the USA in the mid-20th century. Through his mother, he has Scottish, German, English, and French ancestry.
Jared is the middle child in the family, with an older brother named Jeffrey (now a surgeon) and a younger sister named Megan (who became an architect).
As a kid, he was drawn to sports and American football, but at twelve, he discovered theater and started acting in productions at James Madison High School.
1999 became a turning point for Jared when he won the "Claim to Fame" contest. The seventeen-year-old's prize was a trip to Los Angeles to present an award at the Teen Choice Awards. Hollywood agents spotted the handsome teenager and offered Padalecki representation.
Though Jared had originally planned to become an engineer and was already accepted to the University of Texas at Austin, he decided to take a shot at Hollywood instead.
What many fans don't know is that Padalecki nearly landed the role of Anakin Skywalker in George Lucas's blockbuster "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones." The part ultimately went to Hayden Christensen, and Jared made his film debut with a smaller role as Matt Nelson in the baseball dramedy "A Little Inside." The movie was released in 1999. Soon after, Padalecki played the lead role in the BBC short film "Silent Witness."
"Supernatural" Movie Career
Jared's career took off with the beloved family series "Gilmore Girls," where he played Dean Forester, Rory's (Alexis Bledel) sweet and devoted boyfriend.He also landed the lead role of wealthy but troubled young man Zachary Gray in Disney's 2002 melodrama "A Ring of Endless Light," starring opposite Mischa Barton.
Alongside Jon Bon Jovi and Lindy Booth, he worked in the horror film "Cry Wolf," and with Paris Hilton in the slasher "House of Wax," where he played one of the main characters.
But when filming started, no one imagined the series would become such a massive hit and run for so long. "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke changed the concept several times to best match American urban legends.
When the first episodes hit the airwaves, Jared discovered what real fame felt like: an overwhelming wave of fan love washing over them from every corner of the globe where the series found its audience. In one interview, looking back on the third season finale, Padalecki spilled some behind-the-scenes secrets:
Then Jared recalled how he and Jensen sang the final song:It all depended on the specific scene we were filming. The finale of the third season... In all the seasons – the first, the second, and the third – the final episodes were something spectacular. It had everything – fights, tears, running, and screaming. There was this one scene where Jim Beaver, Jensen Ackles, and I were creeping between houses. During the filming of this scene, we were joking around. The second the camera stopped rolling... we started goofing around, making faces, and being idiots. I joked. Maybe that's not exactly how it went down...
Padalecki and Ackles were the only actors in the TV series who appeared in all episodes and seasons. Jared did many stunts himself and worked as a stuntman for other cast members. Thanks to his athletic build, he took on plenty of action – until he broke his arm and had to sit out the stunt work for a while. Besides the main characters, the audience remembered Misha Collins (angel Castiel), Mark Pellegrino (Lucifer), Genevieve Cortese (Ruby), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester). The final episodes of "Supernatural" aired in 2020. Shooting the massively popular series drained the actors, but Padalecki proved he was more than just a one-trick pony. He successfully transformed into the famous American artist Thomas Kinkade in the biographical drama "Christmas Cottage."I knew the words of this song by heart. I love Bon Jovi. I was thrilled to belt out this song. Perfect, because the script said: They start singing. And a small note: they sing off-key like people who can't carry a tune and are just yelling along to the radio. This suited me perfectly because I don't like singing in public. Since I didn't need to sound good, I was like, 'Perfect!' and just started belting it out. The funny thing is, we knew the song's lyrics very well. One of the assistants grabbed the CD and transcribed the lyrics, but she got them completely wrong. We looked at it and instantly knew something was off, so we decided to just go with what we knew.
Next up was the starring role of Clay Miller in the horror flick "Friday the 13th," which Jared described as "unreal cool!" Padalecki continued to surprise fans. Right after wrapping "Supernatural," news broke that he'd landed the lead in a "Walker, Texas Ranger" reboot – the original series where the hero who took down bad guys left and right was played by Chuck Norris.
Jared's version of Cordell Walker is a different beast, but he's already captured viewers' hearts. The actor, who is also a producer, mentioned the following about his character:
In the original, he was a lawman who played by his own rules and just delivered knockout punches left and right, but obviously we can't do that now – it would be ridiculously tone-deaf. We don't want viewers to know if Walker is a conservative or a liberal, a Republican or a Democrat. In this version of 'Walker,' we play with a gray area: this show isn't about some martial arts master punching people in the face; it's about a principled Texan who says, 'Hey, I need to hear the whole story before I make any decisions.' This version is less about what comes through someone's fists and feet, and more about what's going through their head and heart.
Jared Padalecki's Personal Life
The actor's attractiveness was never in doubt. Standing nearly six and a half feet tall with an athletic build and charming smile, he's always been a hit with women and openly admitted he was lucky to consistently date "pretty girls he liked."One of these girls was actress Alexis Bledel, with whom Padalecki starred in "Gilmore Girls." Their brief romance was revealed in 2016 by casting director Mara Casey: "We even joked among ourselves that we cast all of Alexis's real-life boyfriends in the show." The actors kept their relationship under wraps, leading fans to believe Bledel was romantically involved with co-star Milo Ventimiglia, though the charming blonde clearly caught more than one eye.
In the mid-2000s, Jared was in a romantic relationship with actress Sandra McCoy, whom "Supernatural" fans might remember as a demon. Word was they were already engaged when filming began, but the couple unexpectedly called it quits in spring 2008.
Earlier, they starred together in the horror films "Cry Wolf" and "Lone Wolf." Some outlets also claimed the supernatural heartthrob had a fling with Paris Hilton while shooting "House of Wax."
Eventually, "Supernatural" worked its magic, bringing Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese – the actress who played demon Ruby – together on set. The actor surprised himself by falling so deeply in love that after two years of courtship, he took his beloved to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and proposed in front of Jules Bastien-Lepage's "Joan of Arc" painting.
In 2012, their first child, Thomas Colton, was born, followed by Austin Shepherd a year later. Four years later, the family welcomed a daughter, Odette Elliott.
Padalecki built a villa in Austin for his growing family, with Jensen Ackles's family as their neighbors. Jared's home features Texas-style design with dark oak interiors. The actor also has his own study, where he reads and plays the guitar.
Jared Padalecki Now
In late 2023, news broke that The CW had canceled several series, including the prequel "Walker: Independence," where Padalecki starred in the lead role. Network representatives explained the decision in their statement:Padalecki stated that he is actively searching for a new platform for the series. "Independence" is set in the early 19th century, with the main character played by actress Katherine McNamara – widow Abby Walker, who tries to start a new life in Texas.As we reimagine what the new CW will be, we had to make some tough decisions. We thank our partners from Warner Bros., as well as the actors and creative teams of 'Kung Fu' and 'The Winchesters' for all their hard work, creativity, and dedication.
As for the original "Walker," The CW announced its renewal for a fourth season. The new part of the series will consist of thirteen episodes.
Interesting Facts
- Jared admits that he is obsessed with collecting watches. He loves both receiving them as gifts and giving them as presents:
I prefer analog watches. They give me the feeling that I have a piece of history on my wrist. It's like a personal talisman that helps you center yourself. You can look down, and that moment is yours. You're not caught up in this chaotic world. You're not staring at your phone, iPad, computer, or TV. It's a moment when you're truly alone with yourself, when you look at your hand and check the time.
- Padalecki values history and tradition. He surrounds himself with antique items, such as old maps of Texas and authentic 19th-century currency. The actor says these items give him a sense of peace. In his ranch yard, Jared has placed a large steel bull where he practices his lassoing skills. According to Padalecki, each antique piece both calms and energizes him.
- Remembering the filming of "Supernatural," Padalecki noted that his favorite stunt scene was the fight in the episode "Skin" from the first season, where his character Sam fought with a shapeshifter Dean. For this episode, the actors learned proper fight techniques through special training:
We filmed it from morning until evening. Hit here, break that, smash this... We were just pretend fighting, but we walked around like we could take on anyone. It was a blast. We had a lot of fun. Filming was fun, and the stunts were very interesting.