Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki got close during their time on Supernatural. Here's what you need to know about their friendship.
After playing brothers for fifteen seasons, any actors would either hate or love each other. From what fans can tell, Supernatural's Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, barring a few minor conflicts, love each other. They've spoken multiple times about feeling like real-life brothers, and that's definitely the vibe they give off at fan conventions.
Fans love to see their favorite on-screen brothers getting along in real life, and as fun as it was to see the wild alternate reality where they hated each other in the meta episode "The French Mistake," that is definitely a work of fiction. Even now, a year and a half out from the show's finale, the two seem as close as ever.
10 They Had An Interesting Introduction To Each Other
Jared and Jensen have talked a few times about their introduction to each other, and it wasn't entirely conventional. When they showed up to audition, nobody else was there, a moment which surely made them panic about being in the wrong place.
The two had a lot in common, from sports to music tastes, and quickly became friends. They read for the executives and claimed roles that would go on to change their lives and the entire landscape of supernatural television. It's hard to imagine what would have happened if some other set of actors had shown up to read for the parts instead.
9 They Used To Live Together
After meeting for the first time and realizing their similarities, Ackles and Padalecki ended up moving in together. They were roommates until they found their life partners in Danneel Harris and Genevieve Cortese, at which point they had to go their separate ways.
Despite separating their living spaces, the two still spent more time together than with their families for the next decade, due to long workdays and the need to stay in town during shooting. They say you never truly know somebody until you've lived with them for a while, so it's fair to say they know each other quite well.
8 They Had A Bad Fight Early On In The Show
During Supernatural's 300-episode celebration, Ackles shared that he and Jared only ever had one serious fight, and it was early in the first season. While the two haven't shared what the fight was about, they did share its importance in helping establish the relationship they have now.
According to an article by Bustle, Ackles is quoted as saying, "Shortly after, we came back together and sat down and said, 'Well, if this is going to work, that can't ever happen again.' We built on that and we formulated a new trust and realized that we're better as a unit than as enemies. We've made it 14 years and counting like that. Three hundred episodes, there you go."
7 Jensen's Favorite On-Set Memory Is Watching Jared Fall In Love
Jared Padalecki met his future wife in season four of Supernatural, and Jensen Ackles got to watch it all go down. As Ackles tells it, Padalecki was obsessed with Genevieve Cortese when she joined the cast as Ruby, following her around and worshipping the ground she walked on.
While Sam and Dean had some terrible romances on Supernatural, Padalecki's puppy dog eyes must have done the trick, as he and Cortese got married two years later. It says a lot that after fifteen years, Ackles still swears that watching Padalecki and Cortese fall in love was his favorite moment on set.
6 They Were Groomsmen In Each Other's Weddings
Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki both got married in 2010, marrying Danneel Harris and Genevieve Cortese respectively. While plenty of their co-stars were invited to the weddings, both had the other as a member of the wedding party.
Generally, people choose their groomsmen based on wanting the other person to be a part of one of the most special days of their lives. This speaks to the truly life-long relationship that the two men have forged and the relationships their wives later developed, which was played out through the partnership of angel Jo and demon Ruby on the show.
5 They Have Matching Tattoos
When Ackles and Padalecki attended on-screen dad Jeffrey Dean Morgan's wedding, they all decided to get matching tattoos to honor their time together on Supernatural. All three chose to get a crown tattooed on their right arm, and they called themselves thereafter "The Three Kings."
While the crown had specific meanings for each of them, they claim it holds multiple meanings, with its shape resembling a "W" in honor of their time as Winchesters.
4 They Played A Lot Of Pranks On Set
Fans who have been to or watched convention panels with the Supernatural cast have undoubtedly heard about the pranks that happened on set. According to Jared, he and Jensen agreed early on to prank with each other, instead of against each other, for the sanity and wellbeing of the show and its crew.
But that doesn't mean they didn't prank anybody. Padalecki and Ackles are famous for pranking Misha Collins, as well as a variety of guest stars and recurring characters over their fifteen years. Ranker has collated their best pranks, but it really is best to go to YouTube for the full tales. Either way, those who prank together, stay together, and Ackles and Padalecki certainly did more than their fair share.
3 They Teamed Up With Misha Collins To Make One Of The Best Halloween Pictures Ever
There's just something incredible about celebrities who cosplay, and fans love to see their favorites dress up and geek out just like them. In 2014, the Supernatural fandom was blessed with Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins dressing as each other for Halloween.
While Ackles and Collins do a great job mimicking their co-stars, the star of the show is undoubtedly Padalecki, who had to get down on his knees to play Castiel. While none of the actors are short, seeing 6'4" Padalecki shrink so far to mimic 5'11" Collins is a joy.
2 They Worked Together On Walker
Fans were excited to hear that Jared Padalecki was going to be back on their screens so soon after Supernatural ended thanks to his starring role in Walker. They were ecstatic to hear that their favorite duo would be working together again when it was announced that Jensen Ackles would be directing Season 2, Episode 14 "No Such Thing as Fair Play."
Eagle-eyed fans will have noticed a number of Supernatural easter eggs in the episode, as well as a special cameo from Ackles himself. It's fair to say that Ackles and Padalecki are still quite close for this special episode to have gone so well.
1 Their Kids Think Of Them As Family
Padalecki and Ackles's transition from bachelor to family life didn't mean they drifted away from each other. Instead, the families merged together, with the children acting as though the two men truly were brothers.
According to Padalecki and Ackles at a 2015 panel, Jensen is known as "Unka Jensen" to Jared's children, and Genevive Padalecki is known as "Aunt Mama" to Jensen's children. Hopefully, the bond between the families continues, allowing the children of the Supernatural stars to stay connected with their 'cousins'.
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