Biography of Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles is an American actor, director, singer, and producer. He gained widespread fame for his role as Dean Winchester, a member of a fearless family of hunters fighting all kinds of supernatural beings, in the television series "Supernatural." He starred in this show for fifteen years. His filmography also includes the role of Eric Brady in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives," the character Alec in the drama "Dark Angel," the antihero Soldier Boy in the sci-fi action series "The Boys," and the part of Boaz "Baz" Priestly in the drama "Ten Inch Hero."
Childhood, Adolescence, Family
Jensen Ross Ackles was born in the spring of 1978 to actor and radio host Alan Roger Ackles and Donna Joan Shaffer in the Texas city of Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. The future star's ancestors were English, German, and Scottish.Jensen is the middle child in the family; he has an older brother Joshua and a younger sister Mackenzie, who also became actors later on.
From the age of two, the handsome boy worked as a model, appearing in photo advertisements. By the age of four, he began to appear in television commercials. He could be seen in commercials for brands like Nabisco, RadioShack, and Wal-Mart.
Additionally, during his school years, Jensen became interested in acting—inspired by his father, the actor. He watched how Alan studied scripts and learned many "tricks" of the industry from him. The actor admitted that he inherited both his dramatic and comedic talent from his father:
Ackles graduated from Dartmouth Elementary School, Apollo Junior High, and Lloyd V. Berkner High School. In high school, he began taking drama classes, where he claimed he was the only student in the department.My dad is a big fan of sketches, and as a child, I watched a lot of comedies with Steve Martin and Chevy Chase, there was also 'The Pink Panther' and 'Monty Python', a lot of that kind of rough humor, and dad loved to laugh about it. And I realized that if I could make my dad laugh, I'd be happy.
When he was in his second year, Jensen's friend invited him to attend a local acting workshop. Actor Craig Wargo and agent Michael Einfeld took an interest in Jensen's talent and offered him to go with them to Los Angeles.
Ackles thought Craig and Michael had forgotten about him, but when he went to Los Angeles, they gave him invaluable assistance. In 1996, he landed minor roles in the series 'Wishbone' (as Michael Duss), 'Mr. Rhodes' (as Malcolm), and 'Sweet Valley High' (as Brad Rollins).
Supernatural Career
Jensen Ackles experienced a significant breakthrough in his budding acting career when he landed the role of Eric Brady in the long-running soap opera "Days of Our Lives." Before Ackles, several child actors played the part, and he himself auditioned multiple times before being cast in July 1997.
After spending about three years on the set and appearing in 448 episodes, he left the show in July 2000 to work on the miniseries "Blonde," although the showrunners later asked him to return briefly, which he declined. In the film about the legendary Marilyn Monroe, Jensen played Eddie G, a corrupted "golden boy" and an entirely negative character, apart from his incredibly handsome appearance.
Moreover, in 2000, he appeared as the serial killer Ben in James Cameron's sci-fi action show "Dark Angel." His character, the brother of the main heroine played by Jessica Alba, dies and then reappears as the clone Alec McDowell. Ackles stayed with the series until it ended in 2002.
He landed the main role of a guy named Max Morgan in the drama series "Still Life," and in 2005, he starred alongside his father in the horror movie "Devour." Reflecting on working together, Jensen noted:
Then came the casting for the new supernatural series "Supernatural," and Jensen got the lead role of Dean Winchester. Jared Padalecki became his screen brother for the next 15 years. However, when filming began, no one imagined that the series would enjoy such colossal success and last so long. "Supernatural" creator, Eric Kripke, changed the concept several times, trying to better match the series to American urban legends.This thriller had a very, very, very small budget; I can't imagine how they managed. I remember when I saw the result, I was amazed: 'Look what they've put together! I don't even remember shooting this.' Working with my father was really great, something I always wanted to do. I learned all my tricks from him, so acting in the same movie was easy. He thinks I outperformed him on screen, I think the opposite.
In an interview, recalling his work on the series, Ackles shared some directing secrets:
Ackles and Padalecki were the only actors in that TV series who appeared in all episodes and seasons. Jensen, like Jared, performed many stunts himself, as he always paid attention to his physical fitness. In addition to the main characters, viewers also fondly remember Misha Collins (angel Castiel), Mark Pellegrino (Lucifer), Genevieve Cortese (Ruby), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (John Winchester). The final episodes of "Supernatural" aired in 2020.As an actor, I come to the set ready to play Dean, studying every scene in detail to perform as well as possible. But when I direct... every actor, the entire set, camera movement, decisions about props, visual effects, special effects – it all focuses on me. I have twelve department heads who come to me every five minutes and ask: 'Do you want this or that? And how do you want to do it? If we do it this way, we can do it that way.' And I have to respond: 'I want this,' and explain why. As an actor, I don't have to think about all this! So, these are two completely different states.
The shooting of the hugely popular series took a lot of energy from the actors, but during that time, Ackles managed to make a name for himself in other films as well. He successfully transformed into Boaz Priestly in independent director David Mackay's drama "Ten Inch Hero" and was highly praised by critics for his talented portrayal of one of the film's most unusual characters.
The actor, who was also a producer, commenting on the new series, mentioned the following:
In the prequel's pilot episode, young John, played by Drake Rogers, has recently returned from Vietnam to his hometown, 'where traces of his father's past lead him to a secret organization and to an entirely new war.' Meanwhile, nineteen-year-old Mary considers leaving the family business after losing a loved one – 'until her father's disappearance and the arrival of newcomer John Winchester compel her to take charge of a new team... We'll get to the waypoints in ways we probably didn't expect. It's not a soapy version. Not a sweet version of how mom and dad met. It's what could have actually happened.
Jensen Ackles' Personal Life
The actor's attractiveness has never been in doubt. Romantic adventures followed him closely. Ackles was rumored to have romances with various actresses, including Ashley Scott, Kristin Kreuk, and Lisa Rideg. He even introduced Lisa to his parents and discussed marriage with her, but the wedding never took place.Jensen also dated Polish model Joanna Krupa. She wasn't shy about posting their intimate photos online and sharing details of her relationship with Ackles with her followers. This quickly ended their romance.
In 2010, they had a romantic wedding ceremony, accompanied by a string orchestra's music. The bride looked stunning in a couture dress, and after the wedding, the newlyweds chose a large house in Austin, Texas, for their family home.
Three years later, the Ackles became happy parents again, this time to "royal" twins—a boy named Zeppelin Bram and a girl named Arrow Rhodes. Jensen has repeatedly admitted in interviews that family is the most important thing in life for him, and their interests always come first.
Jensen Ackles Now
By the end of 2023, the actor joined the cast of the sci-fi action series "The Boys: Gen V" (a spin-off of "The Boys"), returning as Soldier Boy.Meanwhile, the series "The Winchesters" was canceled after just one season. It's currently unknown if Ackles will appear in other projects within the "Supernatural" universe.
Interesting Facts
- Jensen Ackles was deeply impressed as a child by his first visit to a Dallas Cowboys game. In an interview, he recalled:
It might not have been their best game, but it left the strongest impression on me. At the same stadium, I attended Michael Jackson's concert from his Thriller tour. How cool is my mom, right? I was 6 years old, she dragged me to the Texas Stadium, and the experience stayed with me for life. It was packed with people, then these amazing monsters appeared. It was very spectacular, I get it, this is not Disney. The next concert I went to on my own was Van Halen.
- Not many people know that Ackles also has theatrical experience. In 2007, he took the stage alongside Lou Diamond Phillips in the play "A Few Good Men," portraying Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee. With his typical sense of humor, Jensen shared his debut experience:I remember starting rehearsals and by the second day, I began to grasp the size of the role, how much dialogue it involved. There were 125 pages and I had to be in 98% of the scenes. That's when I panicked: what have I done?! The premiere was only two weeks away, and I was pacing my hotel room, trying to figure out how to memorize it all. I don’t know how, but memory is such a funny thing. It's very different from film or TV shows, you get a completely different audience reaction, a vibe you don't get from a film crew, so I definitely hold it in the highest regard. It was certainly an unforgettable experience.
- Even if Ackles were to stop acting, his family would hardly ever need to worry. By purchasing some land outside of Austin, he and his wife built a brewery that produces various kinds of beer: ales, lagers, stouts. His friend, Jared Padalecki, was directly involved in the development of this business and earned the right to be the first taster. In addition to that, the couple built a stage for musicians and serve guests Southern-style food. Jensen also has his eye on a beautiful, old ranch that he dreams of turning into a restaurant.