SFCon Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles Panel Recap
Another long one. I won’t edit much out of this one. Only a couple of stories I know have made the rounds pretty well already.
- They walked out joining the band, Jensen with the cowbell and Jared fake pounding on the new shaker. (He ruined Louden Swain’s previous shaker by playing like a cowbell)
- They were impressed that it was literally standing room only. The walls of the theater are completely lined with people. So Jensen was thankful the Fire Marshall wasn’t there.
- With the theater literally in the middle of the hotel, Jensen noted that the poor people at hotel must not know what’s going on.
- They were impressed with the large number of first time attendees.
- Thanked the fans for season eleven. Noting that it really goes both ways, the fans wouldn’t be there without them, but they wouldn’t be there without the fans.
- A fan screamed “Dean loves you.” Jared replied “Dean from Gilmore girls? Yes, he does.”
- Jared said the show has been nothing like they thought it was going to be. Jensen jumped in and said that it was because Jared was still in diapers. Jared replied that Jensen had just joined AARP. Jensen agreed and said that he was working on his reverse mortgage.
- If Sam and Dean had superpowers, Dean’s catchphrase would be “Hold my beer.” Jared then blew holes through his story explaining that if he didn’t have a beer, he’d have tor take the time to order a beer in order to ask someone to hold it. Jared said he’d have to think about it. Jensen said he’d be calling Hairman. To which Jared said “On my life, I was going to say that.” and that his catchphrase would be “Hold my hairbrush.” Which just about killed Jensen, throwing him into a fit of laughter. Or his catchphrase could be “Hold my beanie.” Which Jared then acted out. “I was born to fight crime and have salon quality hair.” then said for somebody to draw that.
- Two days ago Mark, their visual effects artist was on the set to introduce their new effects artist. The new guy was eight when the show started. And they were out at dinner before their Hall H panel at SDCC and their big, strapping, man of a waiter was excited to see them, saying he’d been watching since he was a kid. He was 22 and had watching since he was 12. They say it’s crazy but humbling. They asked if there were any parents with kids there and talked about how great it is to have two generations sharing the show.
- They were asked if they can communicate without saying anything like Sam and Dean do. Jensen pointed out that it just happened with the Hairman thing. They then proceeded to have an entire conversation with just facial expressions and hand movements.
- If they could relive one memory from their lives Jared said it would be the moment he became a father. Jensen agreed that that’s kind of hard to beat. When he found out he was having a little girl, he just kept picturing coming home and her running to him with her arms open. That’s just started happening and he wants to be able to experience that forever.
- Jensen noted they haven’t asked for a salt gun in a long time.
- They were testing how high they could raise their voices while talking. Jensen was able to do it quickly and pretty high on cue. Jared mentioned Stewie from Family and they both immediately started doing imitations of Stewie’s voice getting continually higher while talking to Brian about his novel.
- A girl said that Jared remind her of a puppy version of Gandalf. To which Jared replied “Ruff ruff.” When Jared made her say what Jensen reminded her of, she said a smarter version of Zoolander. Jensen sat there doing the Blue Steel face for a minute or so.
- Jared talked about when he faced the kind of classic actor struggle, eating ramen every day kind of thing. He actually had all of his college stuff lined up admission, dorm, roommate, everything and then he got Gilmore Girls. But he’s still a nervous, sweaty wreck in auditions. He’s happy he stayed because SPN is amazing. Jensen experienced it about a year after moving to California. He had worked a bit but was about to move back home. He got an audition that he got called back for and he said that if he got that role, he’d stay. That was for Days of Our Lives.
- They actually stopped pranking each other pretty quickly because they understood that the stakes would get higher very quickly. It actually stopped in season two when Jensen TPd Jared’s entire trailer, inside and out and set off two stink bombs. That was when they called a truce. Jared said “Thunder buddies?” Jensen replied “Thunder buddies for life.” Jared said and then they cast Misha, and that was when it fell into place (the pranking). Jensen starting doing an impression of Misha talking like a puppet and said that “Sometimes I think Misha is a marionette.”, so they both started doing the impression of Misha.
- A girl asked how they thought the show would end if they made it to their 30th season. To which Jensen said “I’m sorry. Did you say…as in 3-0?” Jared said they’d have really unimpressive fight scenes. That it’d be like they Indiana Jones gun fight when they do all the sword play and then Indy just shoots the Guy. Jared said “That’d be like if Dukes Of Hazzard was still on.” Jensen exclaimed “That’d be awesome.” And they both then agreed they should do it. Jensen told the story that when they got the eleventh season renewed the president of WB sent them an email that said “Congratulations guys, you’re halfway there.”
- An audience member shouted out asking they’d called Tom yet? Jared clarified if they meant Tom Welling. And said that once they finish season 10, they’ll be at 218 episodes, surpassing Smallville’s 217. They’d emailed him to let him know that, but they’ll call when they actually beat it.
- A girl got super nervous when she stepped up to the mic and Jared said “It’s like staring into the sun.” about looking at Jensen. She asked about the weirdest scenes they’d had to film and they both talked about love scenes. Jared said that love scenes are the weirdest thing. Everything is so awkward and planned out, surrounded by hairy grips, (which devolved into a sidebar about hairy/sweaty grips). But you really just end up wanted to say I’m really sorry about filming the love scenes. Jensen’s jumped in saying “I’m really sorry. Alright, I’ll marry you.” Jensen told a story about meeting his costar Ariana when she got cast on Days of our Lives. She brought her boyfriend, who was a big guy in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat who had been a college baseball player. He apologized to him for making out with girlfriend for the next couple of years. After they’d broken up, Jensen tried to get them back together and asked for his number to call him for her. He invited him to a rodeo in Thousand Oaks and they’ve been friends ever since. But the guy just never understood how it’s not romantic to make out with someone on set. How it looks like it is, but it’s all carefully choreographed beats.
- When asked how long they’d last fighting a creature from SPN, Jared asked “Is it me fighting, or is it Hairman?” and “Do I get to use the knowledge from the show?” When told he does get to use the knowledge, he said probably 3-4 seconds. Jensen said he’d last 0 seconds.
- For Jensen, the most difficult scene on SPN to film was Dean in hell at end of season three. He was actually chained up and suspended 13 feet in the air for just that single shot. For Jared, Mystery spot was really difficult. It was funny, but not funny for Sam.
- When asked if he likes pie as much as Dean, Jensen said “I don’t think anybody likes pie as much as Dean Winchester loves pie. That said, I do loves me some pie.” He went to Louisiana for thanksgiving and there was no pumpkin pie. He wanted to go wrestle an alligator. His wife promised it’d never happen again.
- Jared was asking the fan what she liked, and eventually asked “What about beefcake?” Jensen undid his button shirt and was wearing a sock monkey hat shirt. He eventually started doing a striptease-style dance that Jared mimed throwing money at him for. So Jensen gave Jared cash from his back pocket and Jared proceeded to stuff it in Jensen’s clothes
- On a humorous side, Jensen’s favorite director notes are from Bob Singer because they’ve worked together for so long he just gives hand motion notes. He’ll just walk in, motion to Jensen, and he knows exactly what to do. For actual director notes, Kim tells them to kick it in the ass before a take. And tells them to find the nuance and to find the minutiae. The script is there, but they have to find what’s not on the page. Jared talked about a Christmas movie he did with Peter O’Toole that he’s never watched (Jensen said he watches it every year). In a very emotional scene, it was affecting him personally. So Peter O’Toole took him aside and told him to put those tears away, because those were Tom’s (his character’s) tears. And he got very similar notes while filming Croatoan. He couldn’t stop crying and it was explained to him to just bring it back in.
- Someone in Jared’s meet and greet told him he was in the prime of his acting career - between his 30s and 50s.
- Jared thinks that the idea of idols is interesting because when he was a kid he had people he looked up to, but didn’t realize, until he was an adult, they could be considered idols. For him, it was his family. His father and his mother. And he always wanted to be on Home Improvement. He wanted to have three names and be one of the Taylor boys. He’d be in the cage in hell as the forgotten brother. (Nod to the audience) Jensen teased him for wanting to be on the show just to use all three names. And that He just wanted to be on the show because Pamela Anderson was one it. Jared told him hat was because he was probably in your 30s, and that he (Jared) was seven. Jensen’s