Jensen Ackles Has a Lot to Say About His Time On Days Of Our Lives
Everyone remembers Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. He played Dean Winchester, one half of the series' protagonist brotherly duo.
Supernatural has not been Ackles's only successful acting jaunt, however, he also notably appeared in Dark Angel, Dawson's Creek, and The Boys.
But what many fans do seem to forget is that he had a long stint on legendary American soap opera Days of Our Lives. Ackles appeared in over 100 episodes over three years as Eric Brady, the twin brother of the troubled Sami, and son to Roman Brady and Marlena Evans.
At first glance, it seems that Ackles has not really ever spoken of his time on Days, choosing instead to focus on his subsequent projects, Supernatural especially. But looking closer, he has actually revealed quite a bit about his experiences on the iconic American soap opera.
The first slew of comments and stories came early, back in 1998. On the Donny and Marie Show he candidly revealed his failure to kick in a prop door for a scene:
"So… I'm supposed to kick the door in. It's one of those doors with the three big panels, and they're like, 'you've gotta kick it hard, it's not just going to fling open.' Wham, right through the door...door didn't open. The crew was not happy, because they had to spend another half an hour redoing the door."
On Leeza the same year, he told of being taken in by a prank orchestrated by Drake Hogestyn, whom he greatly admired. Hogestyn had Ackles say "these guys" in front of another hero of his, Deirdre Hall, which prompted an icy reaction given her intense dislike for the phrase!
Later that year, he would receive a nomination for his very first Emmy, which he confessed was a complete surprise to him, and of course, he won.
In 1999, he spoke of a large amount of fan mail and gifts he received for his role. His words were fond and appreciative, "It's crazy stuff, but it's fun – the little gifts, the knickknacks that they send… Very supportive – they're very cool. I love them all."
Fast forward to 2011, season six, episode 15 of Supernatural. Here, fans of both shows received a real treat when the Winchester brothers visit an alternate dimension where they are actors, and a clip is shown from Ackles' time on Days. Both he and Supernatural co-star Jared Padalecki have had some glorious laughs about that scene, at events in both 2011 and 2017. While Ackles has joined in making fun of his stint in the soap opera world, it is clear that he recalls the time fondly, and is, on some level, proud to have been a part of Days.