Supernatural Could Be Very Different If Ackles Got a Role He Actually Read For
One of the most brilliant things about Supernatural has been the casting.
Every single actor seems to have the perfect look, feel, mannerisms, and body language and just melts into their characters flawlessly. You would be hard-pressed to find a casting misstep anywhere in the series, and that is a testament to both the talent of the crew behind the scenes, as well as the actors themselves.
But would it surprise you to learn that Jensen Ackles did not originally read for the part of Dean Winchester? Ackles confirmed this fact himself when speaking at a Supernatural convention appearance in Italy, the Jus In Bello, in 2010.
A fan captured this particular moment on their phone and posted it to YouTube. While the video quality is not the best, it is still thrilling to see Ackles tell the story in his own words.
As stunning as this revelation may appear, Ackles first read for the part of Dean's brother, Sam Winchester. And the reason he did so, was because he initially had no choice.
As Ackles himself recounts:
"For the first couple of seasons, Dean was just "Sam's brother" and Sam was…the Chosen One…Sam was more of a pivotal character… so they wanted to get to (cast him) first… I read the script and I went in and because they were only reading for Sams, I auditioned for Sam…"
But he somehow knew he was not right for that part, and another character had really caught his eye, even at those early stages. As he goes on to explain:
"…but then as soon as I was finished (his audition for Sam), I said listen guys…I'm really liking Dean, so can you just disregard that?"
It seemed fate and brilliant casting decisions were on Ackles' side as he then recalls them telling him that he had actually read Sam exactly how they wanted Dean to be done. And the rest, as they say, is history.
It is difficult to imagine Dean Winchester being played by anyone but Jensen Ackles, just as it is challenging to think of anyone other than Jared Padalecki portraying Sam. But there is no denying Supernatural would have been a very different show if Ackles had been cast as Sam. Fortunately, it all worked out for the best, as he got the role he preferred anyway, and we got some of the most amazing casting any television show has ever seen.