Jensen Ackles is best known for his long-running stint as Dean Winchester on Supernatural. Before that, he was Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville, and recently took on a new role as Soldier Boy in The Boys.
His fantasy/sci-fi cred is solid, but before his biggest and best known roles, he had his first big break into show business as Eric Brady on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Ackles played the role from 1997 to July 31, 2000, and he hasn’t talked all that much about it over the years.
8 He Described A Shooting Snafu On The Donny And Marie (Osmond) Show In 1998
In 1998, Ackles appeared on a daytime talk show hosted by siblings Donny and Marie Osmond. He described a scene his character hears a woman being attacked next door. “So, I'm standing outside the door, and I'm supposed to kick the door in,” he explained. “It's one of those doors with the three big panels, and they're like, 'you've gotta kick it hard, it's not just going to fling open.'” Jensen kicked as hard as he could. “Wham, right through the door...door didn't open.” He didn’t make any friends with the experience. “The crew was not happy, because they had to spend another half an hour redoing the door.”
7 His Veteran Co-Star Played A Prank On Him On His First Day On The Set
On Leeza, another daytime talk show back in 1998, Ackles talked about his admiration for Deirdre Hall, at that time the queen of the soaps – and his mother on the show. “She's amazing, she's taught me so much – her and Drake both,” he said, referring to Drake Hogestyn, who played John Black.
“The first day I get on the set, I get shoved into a scene with these two. Of course, it's like the King and Queen, hello! And Drake puts me up to this little prank.” Drake got him to say 'you guys' which was a pet peeve of Deirdre's. She froze on set to correct him while Hogestyn laughed at him.
6 He Couldn’t Believe That He’d Been Nominated For An Emmy His First Year With ‘Days’
Ackles was an immediate sensation in the role of Eric, and garnered an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1998. A reporter caught up with him on the red carpet that first year, and asked him if he would have ever imagined himself in that situation. “No clue. I had no idea. This is still amazing to me, to have this kind of honor in front of so many people, and to be recognized, in such a way, it's amazing,” he said. He admitted he had no speech prepared. “If I win, then God help me to say the right thing, and if I don't, then it's all good,” he said.
5 Even From The Beginning, Though, He Was Thinking About The Future
Ackles would be nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 1999 and in 2000 as well. While he wouldn’t win, an interview on the red carpet (mentioned above) for the 1998 award ceremony already hinted at his future plans. The reporter asked him about what he’d do once his contract with Days was up. “I don't know, I'm just going to take it as it goes, and just roll with the punches,” he said. “If I continue to stay on the show, and do more work, I know I'll have a blast doing it. But, if I decide to go out, and do other things, then I'll be happy as well.”
4 He Talked To Teen People About His Fan Mail As Eric Brady In 1999
In 1999, a reporter from Teen People caught up with Ackles on a red carpet event in 1999, and the discussion turned to his fans. Ackles said that he regularly received gifts from his fans – and he appreciated them all. “It's crazy stuff, but it's fun – the little gifts, the knickknacks that they send,” he said. He explained that they were often fueled by something he’d said in a magazine interview.
“You get an article, you say you like pigs, next thing you know, you're getting stuffed pigs left and right. It's fun,” he said. “Very supportive – they're very cool. I love them all.”
3 At A 2011 Event, He And Jared Laughed About The ‘Days’ Clip In ‘The French Mistake’ Episode
“The French Mistake” is an episode of Supernatural where the Winchester brothers are sent to an alternate reality where supernatural beings don't exist, and they are actors Jensen and Jared. It’s a fan favorite, and during a 2011 event, one asked about the clip from Days of Our Lives that Jared plays on a laptop in the episode – in a sly nod to his former acting gig. “It scared the s$$t out of me when I saw it. I looked at it, and I'm like...'that's not...nope...that is me. Oh God!” he said. “I think Jared was crying laughing so hard, 'cause they didn't tell us it was on the computer.”
2 He Recalled Working Alongside Days’ Acting Veterans At ChiCon In 2012
At the 70th World Science Fiction Convention, held in Chicago in 2012, Ackles appeared as part of the Supernatural contingent. When a fan asked about the progress he’d made in his acting craft, he brought up Days. “Doing a character for 8 years can be a challenge for some people, and I learned that early on when I was on Days of Our Lives, because there are characters who have been on for 25 years or something. I remember Alison Sweeney said how they have to constantly reinvent themselves so the character doesn’t get stale. You want to change it up so the audience doesn’t lose interest.”
1 He Made Fun Of His Soap Opera Past At A 'Supernatural' Convention Event
In 2017, Ackles and Padalecki appeared at a convention event taking questions from fans. A few fans asked both actors about their previous roles, and the conversation turned (again) to “The French Mistake” episode of Supernatural. One fan asked how he’d felt about seeing himself acting a scene from Days. “Embarrassed? Ashamed?” he asked. When the crew first collected the clip for their rehearsals of the episode, his co-stars laughed. “I didn't recognize me,” Ackles admitted. He went on to make fun of how scenes in soap operas are blocked. “Yes, that was a real weird scene,” he said.