Chicago Con Report: Misha, Jared, and Jensen Panel – Part One
I’ve been to five Creation Cons now. On top of that, I’ve watched footage when available of just about every major panel. No panel that I’ve ever seen was better than the hour and twenty minutes us attendees at Salute To Supernatural in Chicago this weekend were treated to on Sunday.
Turns out, a scheduling issue worked to our advantage big time. Normally when Jared and Jensen both attend the cons, Misha is scheduled for Saturday. This time, Jensen initially declined so Misha was pushed to Sunday with Jared. Then it turned out the Monday following the convention was a Canadian holiday so they had a rare Monday off from shooting and didn’t have to rush back. I’m not sure if that was the reason, but Jensen became available after all. However, since the ticket prices had already been set and tickets sold based on the announced appearances, Jensen was available only for autographs, photo ops, and a private Q & A session. What does all this mean? The perfect environment for the cosmos to align.
All three guests of honor arrived late that morning and ran behind all day. Creation didn’t mind. They would go with the flow, because there was time. I must point out how EXTREMELY rare that is. One time at a con Jared’s panel was cut because they ran over and had to leave. So, since schedule was no longer on the table, to take a saying from The Big Bang Theory, it became ”Anything can happen” Sunday. Anything did.
Misha took the stage first, about a half hour late. He was supposed to talk for twenty five minutes on his own, and then leave so Jared could talk. The plan was he would come back later around a half hour later for a joint session. After Jared showed up though, the two decided impromptu that Misha would stay. So we got thirty minutes with them together. Then Misha left as scheduled, right? NO! Suddenly an unexpected party crasher in the form of Jensen Ackles showed up, claiming he was bored backstage. Next thing another seat is brought out on the stage and all three are now doing a panel, which ran another half hour. The dream scenario happened!
Trust me, none of this was announced to this elated crowd and we were all pinching ourselves. All three boys were in rare form and couldn’t act straight the entire time. They spent most of their time on stage goofing around with each other and getting the crowd rolling in tears from laughter. As someone who had a second row center perfect seat and got a close hand view of the entire thing, including every gesture and facial expression, it was one of my greatest moments as a fan of this show.
Here is the blow by blow of the entire panel. I guarantee my description will not do it justice. I suggest checking out some of the videos on Supernatural Wiki as well. But for those that just want a complete rundown, here you go!
- Misha came out first. I’d already seen him earlier at the breakfast and knew that he was in a very good mood. A taunting with the crowd sort of mood. A fan video was played just before he came out that labeled Cass as a Badass Fighting Mofo. Misha starts by mentioning “Cass is one Badass Fighting Motherfucker, huh?†He doesn’t mince words! He also wonders why there are feathers on the stage and what we were doing onstage before he got there. His conclusion ends with a chicken sacrifice. He also notices the huge crowd, which is a sold out room.
- He starts with the Q & A and sees Zazreil, who he knows is always trying to ask him a serious question at these things. He promptly skips her and goes to the other side. The fan is asking a question for her mother, so Misha naturally wants to know why she isn’t there. “Tell her I said thank you, but she needs to get her priorities straight.†The question, does he improvise at all and how much makes it on the air? Misha shared the story about how at the end of season four he was getting comfortable with the role and learning protocol, so one episode he did a fair amount of improvising. Next episode the script supervisor got instructions from LA specifically for him. Don’t improvise. Say what’s written on the page. He acknowledged that the writers spend a lot of time to make the script perfect. “We don’t want to make them feel bad, so we say exactly what’s written.â€
- Onto Zazreil, who tried hard at the breakfast to ask a serious question and didn’t get a straight answer (Misha has actually sworn he’d never give her a straight answer). She asks about the sigil on his chest in the 100th episode. Was it supposed to be carved on his chest or drawn? Misha asks her what it looked like to her. She thought it was carved. Misha said he went through a hell of a lot just for people to think it was painted on for now he’s permanently disfigured. He carved it on his chest the morning they were supposed to shoot at home with a straight razor. They had a special effects make up person there, unbeknownst to him, who had nothing to do because he’d already done it. They were planning to do some sort of prosthetic where it looked like it was carved on but they didn’t have to since he’d already done it. “The shooting took a little longer than usual because I kept fainting from blood loss.â€
- The microphones were terrible the entire con and the next questioner didn’t have a good mic. Misha couldn’t hear her, so he offered his. He actually came off the stage and gave her the mic so she could ask the question. She had trouble asking it at first because he had her flustered. It is a long question about how emotionally draining “Swan Song†was. He acknowledges it was emotionally draining. “Like when I exploded. That takes a lot out of you. You think it’s more of a physical thing but I felt like I was crying when I reconstituted myself.†(Yes, I’m howling in tears by now.) He promises to be earnest next and talks about the part of the scene where Jensen leaned up against the Impala while Sam fell into the pit. “In real life there wasn’t actually a pit into Hell.†It was a piece green tarp. Jensen was hard to look at in person because his face was so disgusting. “And then they put on that makeup.†Huge roars of laughter from the crowd. He did admit that Jensen was really crying. That type of emotional intensity drains you.
- What part of filming was the most fun? He enjoyed beating up Jensen, he means Dean. He said “My Bloody Valentine†wasn’t non-stop laughs. He rambles on about how something goes sideways. “Let’s get off.†Then he realizes what he said. He ends up cracking himself up. “I did not see that bus coming.†He knows he didn’t really answer the question.
- Misha teases the next person for having notes. She asks since he was on 24 if he wants to see real time episode for Supernatural. “Okay, fine.†He doesn’t elaborate. “You waited all the time in line for a yes or no answer. How frustrating. And who knows when you’re going to get another chance to ask another question. It’s sad. It’s so unfair when life throws these little curveballs at us, huh? You took notes and everything. Little flashlights keeping your roommate up at night. I’m sorry it played out like this. Best of luck to you.â€
- He exchanges the mic, realizing how bad it is (Jared ended up with the bad mic after this). He’s asked, “What’s it like to work with Jared and how much have you learned from him?†Huge laughs from the crowd. Misha goes into a finely worded ramble about an author who through his ordeal in a concentration camp taught that who we are and how we face those difficulties on the inside is all that matters. “Sitting in the Impala when Jared farts is very much one of those teaching experiences.” (Crowd explodes into laughter). “I think we can learn so much through the suffering. Try to face it head on. Especially when you can’t roll down the window because it will fuck up the shot.†He calls that one of the learning experiences. “Very inside the actor’s studio, thank you,†the questioner says. “Yeah, very much. Not method so much as…suffering.â€
- Favorite childhood TV shows. “You mean like My Little Pony?†He calls it was a great show. He watched “Dr. Who†but it scared the shit out of him so he didn’t watch it again. He fondly remembers going to his Dad’s house on Friday, who had a TV (his mother didn’t) and watched The Dukes of Hazzard and Knight Rider. He compares The Dukes of Hazzard to Supernatural. Two brothers, a classic old car. “It’s the same tired old formula.†Then he wondered it that would make him Enos. The crowd said Daisy.
- Which legacy would he like to see Castiel go out with? Misha is bothered the question is “go out with.†He thinks the druggie hippie would be better in the sack, but who’d want a drug addled loser hanging around. He’d like an amalgamation of all of them. He does mention he just got the script for episode 6.10 (yay, Cas will be in that one!) and he thinks it looks good. “Cas is going to get some.†(joking) “Not to spoil it.â€
- What character would he live with? Lisa would be nice. He repeats that with fondness. She has a nice house, has a cute kid, seems handy around house, she’s cute. “She’d make a good roommate.†Of course not Sam and Dean. They live in sleazy motels. “And also, if you’re living with one of them, you’re living with the other one. So it’s crowded. You’re going wait for the bathroom with those guys.†He goes on, remembering that Crowley has great digs. You’d never have to see each other.
This is the point where Jared walks in, telling Misha he’s done. He reminds Misha that he’s Jared, the taller one. The crowd coaxes Misha to stay. So they decide to do their joint panel now. Jared thought they were the climax. “We are the climax, and you’ll be the pillow talk,†Misha says. Oh yeah, the crowd eats that up, especially when Jared flicks his hair. Jared wonders where they left off and Misha gives him the whole right side/left side run down with the questions. Then he suggests they start with the back of the line. “You know what’s so unfucking fair about this, it’s the people at the back of the line never get to ask questions.†Jared notices the cool behavior guide dogs lying in the aisles, who haven’t moved from all this. I should note he already pet the dogs at breakfast and it was so sweet. They end up going left.
- The next person says she has a serious question. “He has a not serious answer,†Jared says. She asks about a prank that Jared pulled on Misha’s birthday, texting him from Canada one letter at a time. Jared has both an American phone and a Canadian phone. He texted Misha “Happy Birthday Misha†one letter at a time, knowing that Misha would get charged per text. Then he realized he was using his American phone by accident instead of his Canadian phone, so he was being charged too. The fan wanted to know how big the phone bill was. Jared says on his end it was 25 cents a text, but it was worse for Misha at 50 cents. Misha claims that Jared even texted blank, blank, blank. So the prank backfired a little. Jared also mentions calling Misha in Thailand, which he didn’t get charged for.
- The next person is asking a question for her friend, who lost her voice. Jared and Misha make her friend talk away, even though her voice is really shot. “Were you stuck in a well or something?†Misha asks. The woman tried to ask the question but her voice sounded really bad. Jared and Misha wouldn’t let up. “You have a funny voice.†“Why are you choosing to talk like that?†Misha chuckles over how this is fun. So then he and Jared start asking her questions, trying to get her to talk more. She eventually gets to ask her question for Jared. Does his feelings get hurt when people call him a gigantor? Jared tells her he needs a hug and goes over and gives her one. He eventually answers no and tells her he digs her voice.
- Question for both of them (but mostly for me Jared says). Out of all the other personas they’ve done, which are their favorite? “CSI Miami,†Jared answers without hesitation. Of course fans start trying to get a re-creation right there. “If Misha’s doing something funny and I want the attention back on me I’ll probably do it,†Jared answers. Misha promises a long wait. Jared then answers honestly, Lucifer. Misha answers Castiella, which is something they never shot. “I just have had the most fun with her.†“Jackpot,†Jared then replies in CSI Miami form. Wow these two know how to feed on each other! Misha promises Castiella is something coming down the pike even though it’s never been discussed, but he’s been working on it in a couple of clubs in Vancouver.
- Frivolous question. Do either wear cologne and what? Jared says Britney Spears’ new line. Misha says they all do. Then Misha says oil of a musk ox. Jared claims he takes that off Misha. By the time it gets to him, it’s a different concoction. “I call it synergism.†Jared answers honestly that he does because he smells bad. He’s sweats a lot. He wears Old Spice, something from Abercrombie, and musk ox of Misha. Misha is well aware how Jared works out and then goes into a scene all sweaty. Everyone is freezing and Jared is complaining it’s hot. Then Jared goes way off on a tangent that’s hilarious. He swears someone nearby raised their arm and casually sniffed themselves. So Jared does it. Constantly. Too funny for words! He claims he’s seen three arms go up in the audience. He theorizes that when they’re asking a question, they’re really smelling their pits. he keeps repeating the raise and sniff.
- A woman comes up with a little boy and Misha and Jared know who the boy is. Jared calls him up to the stage claiming he does a mean high five. So he gives both Jared and Misha a big high five. It’s so adorable! He goes back to his mom and she asks the question. How did Misha become the angel? “We call it miscasting,†Jared answers. Misha comes up with a good explanation for the boy. “I don’t know if you know this, angels and elves are very similar. In real life I am an elf. I’m actually a small eared elf which kind of worked out.†Misha then asks the boy if he can be an angel, an elf, a fairy or a goblin what would he choose. He chooses the angel. They tried to score the boy some Australian candy for being such a good sport.
- My good friend Patrick comes up to the mic and both Misha and Jared know what trouble he is. Jared asks if this question was for his wife (they usually are!). Patrick wants to know about the infamous story from “Asylum” when Tom Welling was in the back of the Impala. (Patrick, am I the one that told you guys that story? I’m always sharing that.) Jared confirms that was the case. Smallville was shooting right next to Supernatural and they had this scene with the Impala in which they were driving it back. They spotted Tom walking back to his trailer and he came over and they started talking. They got the “action†call on the walkie-talkie so Tom hopped in the car. “Out steps Jensen, out steps me, out steps Clark Kent,†Jared explains. They didn’t know they were going to get a full season at the time and didn’t tape stuff for the gag reel, so that moment was lost. “Plus we would have also had to pay him a million dollars,†Misha jokes. Patrick then wanted to shake Misha’s hand for being a new father and Misha did so willingly. If anyone read my New Jersey con report, Misha got to know Patrick there. Patrick is a great fan that really does stand out in a crowd.
Coming up in part two, Jared and Misha try to tackle a religious question even though they’re pretty slap happy by now, and Jensen pulls a Kayne West.
This was panel was a riot! Misha and Jared were good, but the three of them were priceless! I can tell you it took a lot out of Misha. He was really tired in the photo ops, after all that time on stage…. and then all those fans for photos! And he was totally gracious the whole time. He even put on a trench coat for one of them that the fan brought. So funny, it was WAY too short…looked like 3/4 length sleeves. He was just so okay with everything. And his photos were way late in the afternoon.
after reading this, Alice, I will definitely have to look those videos up!
thank you so much for summing it up. I’m so happy for you and Sablegreen that you had such an exceptional con experience!
Love Jas
This sounds like a riot, Alice. I wasn’t going to before, but now I just might check out some videos of the panels! Too fun.
I’m convinced that it was the best con and best panel ever. EVER. It was absolute perfection and we were so lucky with scheduling.
Thank you for putting up this very entertaining report. 🙂
I’m crying here, sooooo funny, thanks for the first hand look, love hearing everything!
Hi! I’m the lady with the boy, Joshua. He got his Australian candy when we left the line.
Joshua’s Mom.