AECON Germany: Jensen and Jared Stage Talks – Detailed Report

Junkerin has been kind enough to write up a detailed account of the Jensen Ackles Stage Talk and the Jared Padalecki Stage Talk at AECON in Mannheim Germany a few weeks ago.  Each brought their own distinct personalities to the stage and both sound like they were very entertaining panels.  Previously we didn’t have much detail about the individual panels, just the joint one (in which a certain train incident was brought).  Below is all the fun details: 

Jensen Ackles Stage Talk

(Photo from @Sara_1979)
 
Jensen Ackles stayed on stage right after the opening ceremony. He talked about the time he spend with Danneel traveling trough Germany to Freiburg where Danneel has family. They went wine tasting and on a tractor tour. He said he felt like being in Texas riding that tractor.
 
The first question was about idols and Jensen had to learn that the sound system was not designed for stage talk. So he had to walk all the time to the questioners to understand them which was quiet funny because most of them were so nervous and being so close to Jensen didn’t really help. 
 
He declared that he had not a single person as an idol, but his relationship with different people is an inspiration, and these are primarily his parents.  He said extra, this should not sound cheesy (which it did not) that his wife Danneel is his inspiration too.  He added “Even my relationship with Jared can be somewhat inspirational.” The crowd laughed at this, but ultimately we have these guys.  They are so close to our hearts and they delight us with their heartfelt and deep friendship and let us share it. Jensen also proved again that he is a loving, attentive man as he concluded his answer by saying we as fans were an inspiration for him.
 
When asked which Monster of the Week he would most like to lead the government, he had the answer ready spontaneously: “I already did that, it was Bobby Singer!” The crowd was on the floor laughing, but Jensen instantly said that was Jim Beaver of course.  He’s not a monster but a hero and he took pity that he is not at the convention here.  His actual answer to the question was he would like to try crazy, like Todd Stashwick as Count Dracula on the set was. Stashwick would do anything, but that would be the most fun because Stashwick made him laugh so much that he could no longer stop.
 
The next question was if he had seen the finale of the sixth season, and Jensen had not seen the final version but a version from the post-production, which was cut again. Then calls from the audience started, he should please not spoil, since it was Saturday morning at 9 clock and hardly anyone been able to see the episode. Jensen’s forceful response: “It was already on the air, Tough luck!” But then he said he had been there and knows what happened. In fact, the question of the fans turned about over whether Dean’s amulet would be brought back again, he could not answer that. 
 
Next, there was a question about “Dark Angel”, more precisely to the sequence in which Jensen plays the piano. Jensen said he had actually taken piano lessons for this scene for two weeks and was able to play the eight chords of the song, which we saw when the camera panned from his face in his hands on the keys. But basically this is another proof for what he called “movie magic”, for the rest of the song was not played by him. His family plays some piano, but because his father played guitar, and Jensen chose the guitar, but still wished he could play the piano, because it is a wonderful instrument.
 
Then came the “Star Trek” moment. A girl asked does Dean in Captain Kirk see an idol and said she saw some similarities between Kirk and Dean. Jensen spontaneous response was “I definitely think Dean sees Sam as Spock!”  That created an amused buzz and equal to the next, as Jensen said, Dean is undoubtedly seeing himself as the captain, he finally driving the car. However, it was a mixture of different Captains, a mix of Captain Kirk and Captain Jack Sparrow. As for the references, Jensen said, that he does not always understand it all, just a point on something that was before his time. He had certainly gotten the odd complaint from writer Robert Singer à la “What the hell was that?” if he had given a nod in the text totally wrong and then had the text in the audio truck opposite.
 
The next questioner had a note, on which she had listed her question. Since Jensen could not understand a word, she gave him the note and he was delighted because it was simpler yet. The audience had fun when he read that on the note first his name was… The question itself was whether it was more his own shock or Dean’s to see Sam/Jared as he had a seizure and he had to push him a belt between the teeth.  Jensen immediately knew which scene that was (“When The Levee Breaks”) and agreed that there are realistic moments and reactions in this scene. Sometimes he just watches Jared, Mark Sheppard, Jim Beaver, Misha or whoever because they deliver such a great illustration that he forgets to play himself.   As for the mentioned scene, Jared had very thoroughly prepared to present a stroke, and Jensen said there were certainly moments here in which he was shocked and just watched it.
 
The season that Jensen found the most challenging had been season four, but definitely also the sixth season. He explained that more or less, the first half of season six was on his shoulders, as Dean was the driving character.  He has never in previous years come to the point that he had asked the producers to grant him a break, but during the sixth season there was a time that he simply asked for a lighter episode for Dean. His shooting schedule had previously never been as full as in season six in terms of content and visual aspects but he insisted again, season four had been the most challenging.
 
If he could change something about “Supernatural”- and he was assured again, he may change what he wants – his plan was clear: “I would make Jared shorter so that this 6’1 – 190 pound Texan would not be considered the small guy. ” (He was referring to himself the equivalent of which is about 185cm and 86 kg.)  He knew that the question was focusing on the content, but could not answer as fast as he thought. He really loves the series how it is. He may have found it nicer if other characters had stayed longer there, but he also said that the existing characters would not have so far to develop in that way.  But then he came back again to Jared’s size and said that probably no “Supernatural” actor would mind a bit if Jared was not quite as large. Mark Sheppard said at the sight of Jared, only “Bloody hell!”
 
When asked what Dean would have studied if it would have gone to college, Jensen answered spontaneously.  “Sororities.”  The way he laughed told how he amused he is by this side of the character he has played for so long. Then he said there would probably not many subjects in which Dean had great success, car mechanic, he would probably be best. When the questioner then began to talk about the episode when Dean returned to his old high school as a sports teacher, Jensen happily said that the scene when Dean rammed the boy the ball in the stomach was not in the script.  Rather, it was his idea and the director just laughed and gave him the choice of the boy.  Jensen imitated when he was preparing the boy and the boy’s shy “OK” was simply wonderful. Good-hearted man he is but he assured us even then that the boy was laughing after the scene itself.
 
The next question put Jensen back to that what he would like to change about the series: What would be different if John Winchester was still alive?  Jensen would really like to have Jeffrey Dean Morgan as a full-timer in the series.  The audience was of the same opinion!  In his version of what would be different, he made an interesting statement: “Dean probably would not be as much of the leader that he is.” At this point some fans – and Sam – would be happy to discuss whether if Dean really is the leader he thinks he is. Jensen said “That the brothers would not have been the same way and play off against each other as it was in the series.” He would have found it “absolutely awesome” if Jeffrey Dean Morgan would be stuck with it, but he was also very pleased about the career that Morgan now has, and they’re still friends with each other. Jensen said that he recently visited them during the first birthday celebration of Morgan’s (and Hilarie Burton’s) son.
 
Next, something happened that repeated several times on the weekend. While Jensen was trying to understand the next question, on the screen behind him appeared the call for some convention attendees to go to the autograph room. Jensen saw that some people left the room, which indeed for those on the stage is never a particularly edifying spectacle. Jensen took it with humor and asked “Is Jared taking his shirt of somewhere?”  The audience drew his attention to the canvas on which the call was in German. He tried to read the text in German, which of course sounded very cute, but basically it was just a weird idea to plan any program point, parallel to Jensen’s Stage Talk. Jensen then said in humor after the people left the room it will now be particularly interesting because he would announce season seven spoiler.
 
Next question: How much influence on the development of Dean has he had?  He said that he has absolute faith in the writers and never doubted important points of the plot. Sometimes though, he would bring in some proposals about how Dean says certain things, how he reacts, nuances within the scenes. Eric Kripke trusts that Jensen can judge the character well enough.  For Jared it was the same.
 
The next question brought Jensen to action because he played it in front of us, what he had done at the Renaissance Faire, which he attended with his buddy Steve Carlson and Danneel recently. In one of the games it was about with a sword, a hatchet or something to hit a target, but he succeeded only at the third attempt. The primal scream-like joy that he demonstrated to us was absolutely wonderful. The next game but was a less of a happy experience. It was the game where the jester is sitting on a chair on a pool of water and you try to hit the target so that is the jester in the water. Jensen explained that it was probably the custom to make fun of him, and Jensen could put away the most, but not as the jester even passed insults on Danneel.  None of the five balls Jensen had came close to the target, but in the end he was so angry that he offered the man at the counter $10 to push the button, so the jester finally fell into the water. Well done!
 
So that ended Jensen Stage Talk.  I think that Jensen was ill or had a headache but it seemed on the contrary, for he went up to the questioners and gave very detailed and very funny answers.  In the common Stage Talk with Jared there was more for him to laugh about, which is just the dynamic that’s developed between the two. Jensen’s panel was at the start to the convention on Saturday morning at 9:15.  It was certainly a thankless time, but he himself was actually so adorable.

(Next Page, Jared’s Panel)
 

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