The next chapter in the Supernatural legacy is finally underway, thanks to the recent canon-breaking premiere of The Winchesters. Narrated by Jensen Ackles' Dean Winchester, the show plays out the origin story of Dean and Sam's parents -- John and Mary. When the show was initially announced, things seemed to be a bit complicated since Jared Padalecki shared his disappointment about not knowing that the show was in the works. Thankfully though, Padalecki and Ackles quickly patched things up, much to the delight of fans. Now, Ackles is opening up about the support he’s been getting from Padalecki while crafting the spinoff series.
Since Jared Padalecki is a producer on Walker and now holds the same title on the prequel series, Walker: Independence, Jensen Ackles has apparently been turning to him for advice and notes in regard to how he's proceeding with The Winchesters. And as the actor explained to Looper, this has led the two to have some conversations that are quite different from the ones they're used to having:
Jared and I are still very close. We still talk quite a bit, and I have gone to him and asked him questions, largely [about] the behind-the-scenes stuff and business aspects of it. Not necessarily the creative, but ‘How are you dealing with studio notes?’ and ‘How are these calls going?’ and ‘What are you doing when you get squeezed on this particular part of the budget?’ It's things that we normally never needed to talk about, but now we are talking [about]. We're finding ourselves having these conversations. ‘What are you doing about getting a preemptive for three weeks?’ That kind of stuff.
It’s nice to know that the two are still as close as ever and are able to provide help to one another whenever it's needed. Although the stars (who worked together for 15 years) are both doing new things now, the fact that they can still have these conversations with each other says a lot about their relationship. And as Jensen Ackles later mentioned, he really appreciates their talks:
It has opened up a whole other part of our lives and [the ability] to discuss things — which, when you're with somebody as much as I've been with him, you think you['ve] pretty much covered all the topics. Now we have a whole new set of topics to discuss and talk about and spitball.
Jensen Ackles has directed for TV before (and even did an episode of Walker), so he's no stranger to working behind the camera. However, working as a producer is a bit different. There are plenty of logistics that one has to oversee while producing, and it's easy to imagine that such a thing can be overwhelming for someone who's just getting started. So it's not hard to imagine that Ackles' chats with Jared Padalecki have been invaluable for him.
The Dean Winchester actor is heavily involved in the making of The Winchesters, according to lead actress Meg Donnelly. He even gave her and Drake Rodger pep talks after they were cast in the starring roles. As a fan, it's great to know that the Supernatural alum is putting so much effort into making this new show something special.
Of course, the series is only in its infancy and still has a ways to go before it can truly cement itself as a small-screen classic like its predecessor. But as long as Jensen Ackles stays committed -- and gets the occasional piece of advice from Jared Padalecki -- I'm sure things will move along just swimmingly.
Don’t miss new episodes of The Winchesters on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW! Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule now to learn about the shows that are premiering and returning in the coming months.
