Jared and Jensen Panel – Chicago Con – Part One

ByAlice Jester
I’m summarizing as fast as I can!  The difficulty is that our beloved ginormotron talks a mile a minute.  Here’s part one.  I’m still hammering out part two.

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Yes Sunday comes, and to quote an overused Supernatural saying, all hell breaks loose. The previous day’s three fourth’s full theater complete with breathing room becomes an overcrowded jam-packed fest where you get to know your neighbors a little better than you would have previously liked. The rows of people in front of you are suddenly sitting up high on the edge of their seats holding their cameras up in the air, and usually do that the entire panel since 200 photos of Jared and Jensen just aren’t enough these days. Okay, I’m being cynical. Despite all that, the panel rocked.   

Jared and Jensen are both in very high spirits and perfect form. Early reports from various fans in the photo-op rooms said both actors were joking around and seemed genuinely happy to be here. In something different this time, they both opted to do an hour long panel together. No individual panels. I think it worked out great. 
–          The boys went on stage on time. From my conversations with some Creation people I learned the schedule was very tight and there wasn’t much room for movement. Jared and Jensen both had to leave to catch their plane by 4 pm. Considering they had to be on set early Monday morning, missing that flight was not an option.  The photo-ops ran smoothly and on time as did the later autograph sessions. Unfortunately, and Jared and Jensen knew this up front.  There wasn’t going to be much time for talking with the fans. 
 
–          Jared and Jensen come out to the Supernatural sitcom theme song playing in the background. They’re both goofing around and doing funny moves and faces to the song as they get settled into their seats. Jared asks if anyone would watch that show. He jokes that would be the show for season six. Jared says high to the standing room crowd and asks who are first timers.   There’s actually a large amount of hands that go up in the crowd. I noticed there were plenty of first timers there all weekend. I think that many of them adds quite an air of excitement to the crowd. Jared is grateful that so many people would still come out to a con like this after four and a half seasons. Jensen jokes, “Yeah, where have you been? This ain’t the first run you know.”   
 
–          Jared started looking for all the giant pictures, which were no longer on the wall. Someone in the crowd mentions the theme song and Jared jokes that the theme song is the white noise he goes to bed. Someone asks a question that I couldn’t hear and apparently the answer from Jared is Jim Beaver.Anyone who finds out the question gets some praise from me.  ETA – elle found the answer!  I so wish I had time to watch the Youtube videos.  Thank you so much.   Jared and Jensen are talking about the “giant face” pictures and one of the fans says she won one in the auction in the morning and Jared jokes that he has one he sleeps with it along with the theme song as his white noise. Then someone asks whose face is on his and that’s when the answer is Jim Beaver. Very funny.
 
–          Jensen is ready for the questions. He points out that it’ll be the two of them hanging out there the entire time. Jensen says that if anyone has a question for just him it’s fine. Jared asks a huge favor of the crowd. Ask Jensen a question and just pretend that you want to hear what he has to say. “Because I have to go to work with him tomorrow so he cries and he gets sad.”  Jensen mocks pouting and everyone awws, including Jared.
 
–          The question is for Jensen and Jared thanks her. How does he like his character on Ten Inch Hero? “How did I like him? I think he was an asshole actually.” He liked it because it was fun and it was something different, and it was comedy. He likes to do comedy. Jared comments that he likes the hairdo. Jensen said they actually wanted to get him extensions for that hairdo, the Mohawk look, but his hair grows so fast. He actually gets a hair cut once a week. He assured them by the time they shoot they’d be okay. The questioner comments that there’s a bit of himself in that role. Jensen answers that every role has a little bit of himself. Jensen said he appreciates the question. “I do too,” Jared counters.
 
–          The next question is for both of them. “Fair enough,” Jared says. “I guess,” Jensen says resigned. What went through their minds when they found out they were the vessels for Lucifer and Michael (great question!). Jared mentions to Jensen that he found out in before he did, like in episode one. Jensen isn’t sure. Jensen stumbles on an answer. “I was really excited,” Jared says. “I thought like, REALLY cool.” Jensen has his answer. “For me, I was actually excited about it because for the first three or four seasons, the mythology has always centered around the character of Sam. He’s the chosen one…” Jared interrupts with a joke about being the new Lucifer and Jensen tells him, “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

He continues. “And then Dean was kind of trying to basically keep his brother out of harm’s way and was not directly involved in all the mythology that’s going on. So now that he is directly involved, not that it’s needed but it I think that validates Dean’s involvement a little bit more.”   Jared isn’t buying it. “Dean didn’t need his involvement validated.” Jensen continues. “Well, I’m serious you know. It’s the Luke Skywalker/Han Solo thing. Han was just kind of hanging out, being awesome.”  

Now Jared has his answer to that. “Obviously the show has always been about Sam and Dean but I see what you mean because usually it was.   Those of y’all studying mythology and archeotypes stuff like that, my mother is a teacher so I kind of grew up (with) it’s about the hero, Luke Skywalker or Neo from The Matrix kind of thing. But obviously Supernatural has always had a great balance between Sam episodes and Dean episodes, Sam story and Dean story, but I think it kicked it up a notch for both of us. I love it. I’m having a great time playing evil Sam. I know sometimes y’all say ‘Evil Sam or good Sam what do you like better?” I like evil Sam better.” The crowd breaks out in cheers and Jensen give a fake “whoo!”  “So it was fun. But it was also interesting to play, For me it’s fun to talk about actually being able  to play Lucifer (turns to Jensen) because you haven’t had a chance to play Michael yet. So to play Lucifer was interesting. You always hear the devil is like a vice. The devil’s not going to be sitting there going (evil laugh) come to my time with the biggest smile.” 

“You see, I would have done that,” Jensen jokes. Jared suggests he do that with Michael. “I was going to totally rip off John Travolta,” Jensen confesses. “In Battlefield Earth?” Jared asks. At first Jensen says yes, and the realizes what Jared asked. “No, not Battlefield Earth.” (The answer is Michael by the way).   Jared finishes the answer. “I love it. I thought it was a great waking up the story. Granted if you told me from the Pilot and “Wendigo” oh by the way you’re going to be Lucifer in four and a half years I would have been ‘What?’ But they keep us guessing.” (Whew, that’s hard to summarize. Jared talks WAY too fast!)
 

–          With possibility of the series coming to an end, how do they plan on saying goodbye to the whole cast and crew. Jensen answers. “Well, this doesn’t have to stop.” (Huge cheers from the crowd). “This only stops when y’all want it to,” Jared says. I heard several “nevers!” coming from the crowd. Jensen goes for the serious answer next. It’s obvious going to be heartbreaking. This has been their family for four and a half to five years now.   “Granted, I can’t seem to get a job outside of Vancouver so I’ll probably work with them the next year anyway. It’ll be sad to see it go but all things must come to an end.” 

Jared agrees, the show will eventually end, but when is a mystery right now. Here comes another very long, rapid answer that goes in circles (we still love you Jared, but I do suggest decaf). “I think it will be nice to see Supernatural as a whole. Right now y’all are part of this growing piece that is Supernatural and y’all ask questions and it kind of makes us think and we talk about it during the week ‘oh yeah that is an interesting thing to think about and maybe add it to the character’ and we kind of rassle your questions there and y’all give us insight to the show that we don’t so it’s a kind of a really cool relationship to have with y’all guys as you all know so much about the show, but ultimately it will all end and it will be nice to talk about it, you know, behind us but we’ll also have it to talk about.” Yes, after Jensen’s head stops spinning as well as mine, he comes up with the better answer. “So basically ask us when it happens.”
 

–          Do they have advice for aspiring actors and actresses? Jared turns to Jensen. “Well, you’re an aspiring actress.” Jensen mocks, “It’s so hard.” Then he tackles the question. “I have so many wrong answers right now. You know, it’s a tough industry. It’s a tough industry for inspiring actors and it’s a tough industry for established actors. If your heart is in it and you really want to do this just keep studying, learn as much as you can about it, get in front of as many people as you can. You know, it’s a game of numbers, it really is. The more times you roll the dice the better you have a chance you have of hitting something. So just keep after it.” 

Jared gives his answer. “Keep your craft for applause. It’s not about the money you make, what magazines you’re on the cover of, or how well your movie does it’s about being the best actor or actress you can be. Always try to learn. William H Macy has a great quote, it’s the four methods of acting. â€˜Show up on great time, make great lines, hit your pretty marks, hang your pretty wardrobe.’ You got to keep the idea that it’s not about hey, negotiate for this or hey, do this many movies, it’s like hey, enjoy your craft, enjoy the process and then whether you’re making a hundred million dollars or if you’re doing local plays or something you’re still an actress. Being on a TV show doesn’t make you an actor. Loving the craft of acting makes you an actor.” Jensen agrees wholeheartedly. “As you can see, with most television these days, being on television does not necessarily make you an actor.
 

–          If the world ended tomorrow, as Jared and Jensen, what would your goal be? Jared jokes that he’d ‘turtle’. Just curl up in a ball and wait for the end. Jensen says, “I would then channel John Travola in Battlefield Earth.” Jared would channel him in Grease. The questioner asks if they would try to save people. Jensen goes back to Jared’s answer. “I think I would go more like Olivia Newton John in Grease.” Jensen doesn’t know. “If the world’s coming to an end, what are you going to do?” Jared says something about friends and family. Jensen’s final word, “I’d blow stuff up. I mean, what are you going to do. Arrest me?”
 
–          Someone asks how they think Kripke is handling the apocalypse this season. “Are you going to tell him?” Jared asks. “Is this going to get outside this room?” Jared continues with the question. “I think it’s pretty rad. I think it’s great. I think what I was saying earlier about Lucifer and Michael what started as a bunch of ghost stories and urban legends and myths that we still do, I like that it’s become something more and it kind of like Emeril Lagasse, kick it up a notch.” Jensen jokes he’s doing Ali G more than Emeril Lagasse. Jared brings up that he hasn’t talked to “y’all guys” since they started airing episode one of season five and he asks what everyone thinks. He’s enjoying it, we are enjoying it. Jensen looks at Jared and says, “I’ll just let him answer that one.” 
 
–          A question about Sam and Castiel. Would they fight with each other or on each other’s side? No, you don’t expect me to, okay, I’ll quote it. Be prepared, it’s another long one! “I think there will always be something in between Castiel and Sam Winchester. Castiel has learned, very un-angel like to trust these humans and trust their intentions and kind of consider them as friends which is completely uncouth for an angel but he believes what we’re doing is for the right reason. But I did start the apocalypse whether I meant to or not. If you remember the angels were kind of hip to the knowledge that I started the apocalypse, they sort of let it happen, so I’ve sort of been a tool for the angels just like they want Dean to be a tool for the angels. I didn’t know I was going to be a tool for the angels, but hopefully Castiel and Sam will fight on the same side but I do have the feeling we’re going to come to blows and probably not get along.”
 
–          What dreams have they not yet accomplished? “Many,” Jensen says. “The biggest one, having children.” The entire crowd erupts in “awwww.” “Me too!” Jared says. That gets laughs.  Jared went on about dreams evolving and there’s still lots of stuff he wants to do. For instance, right now his dream is to tell the story of Supernatural and they’re both Texas boys and family is important. Then he mentions he still wants to clip his nails. Jensen adds he wants to fly a plane.   He mentions the birdmen with the neoprene suits and the wings. They jump and they literally take off across valleys. “Wow,” he says. “That’s some cool stuff. Of course when I have kids I wouldn’t do it.” Jared jokes he can just throw them off, so Jensen tells Jared he’s not allowed to have any kids. “I’ll have fun with your kids.” “You’re not allowed to babysit either.”
 
–          A woman tells Jensen that she has a 26 year old son and having children is the greatest dream of all. Go for it. The question is about gifts. Which ones have they given each other? They’ve both given each other watches. “I’ve got a nice negligee,” Jared says. “A gift certificate to the Sizzler,” Jensen says. I won’t go into too much detail because the other answers are vague. Jared mentions something about how they’re into wine, and Jensen talks about if they want something, they just buy it. “My parents hate Christmastime because they say ‘We don’t know what to get you so here’s some socks.'”   They have to get creative when buying something for each other.
 
–          The”Eye of The Tiger” scene. Planned? No. They tell the story again. Jared intentionally misses the mark and Jensen went to town. Jared speculated he’s probably been rehearsing to that song since he was 8 years old. Phil Sgriccia does the gag reel and loves a good time, so Jared wondered what happened if he missed the mark.   The whole thing was unplanned though. “That’s my mile 3 song on the treadmill,” Jensen jokes. 
 
–          Did they enjoy their time in Sydney and will they come back for another convention? Yes, and they’ll see. They asked her if she came all the way for this and she said yes. They’ll have to try and make it down for her. They obviously didn’t hear about Misha’s mock rant against Australia. 

–     I died laughing over this. Someone asks if we’ll find out if the phone message lie in “Lucifer Rising” will ever be cleared up. Jared said yes and Jensen has no idea what they’re talking about. The questioner clarifies. The message Dean left on Sam’s voice mail, the one that was tampered with. They’ve never touched upon that in season five. “That’s right, Zachariah doctored it,” Jared says. “It wasn’t real,” Jensen answers. “Did Sam or Dean discuss it? No, because it was in his head.” Jared is now confused. “What?” (Lots of laughs from the crowd). Jared reenacts the messages. “Hey Sam, I think I’m hating you for something” was changed to “Sam, you suck.” Jensen sticks by his point, Dean didn’t actually leave that message. “Sam thinks Dean did,” Jared answers. “So, does he know that Dean actually left that message or if it was a doctored message?” Jensen asks. “I’d have to ask Sam,” Jared answers. “Can you ask Sam?” Jensen asks. “Say the word.”   Jensen says “Action” and Jared actually goes into character! After huge cheers from the crowd, Sam speaks. “Yeah.” Jared is pleased they cleared that up.  Jensen mentions that Dean’s not here so Jared says “action.”  Yeah, they’re good.  
 

Part two can be found here:

https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/3809-jared-and-jensen-panel-chicago-con-part-two/

 

 

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