One on One: Jared Padalecki

I think he needs no introduction to the Gilmore world. His bio is interesting. From San Antonio, Texas, he started to take acting classes when he was twelve, He won the Claim to Fame contest to appear in the Teen Choice Awards UH. He lived in San Antonio and attended James Madison High School. He was named ken It for the year UH two thousand Presidential scholars Program. After graduating in two thousand, he moved to l a and got

the role in Gilmore. He also went on to portray Sam Winchester and the c W supernatural h For My God fifteen seasons. He now stars in the show Walker on c W. Also has several feature film credits including House of Wax, cry Wolf, and Friday the Thirteenth. And I think Jared is also uh an executive producer on Walker, so he's in control over there. So very nice career trajectory still uh going up into the left, as they say, is he is he here? Lis bringman? Yeah, there you are.

How you doing, buddy? How are you? Brother? I'm good, you're looking well. I'm feeling all right, man, I'm feeling all right. Thank you so much for doing this. I know how incredibly busy you are, and any time that you give us is much appreciated, and we are really really excited to have you. You have no idea that the team is going crazy. We're gonna do all kinds of promotion and all kinds of stuff. So thank you, thank you very much for coming on it. So it's

been a it's been a minute. Man. How's the fam? How how the boys? How? How's how's your wife? How's everything going? They're great? Uh, Tom our oldest is ten and he's a fifth wader. Chef is eight, he's a third grader. And then our baby girl, Odette is five and she's in kindergarten and she thinks she's got to rule the roost. Uh, we have a we have a I had the day off of filming, so okay, on our outside of Austin, So Jennen kind of snuck out here to get some fresh air and get out of

the hustle and bustle of the city and nice. Well, well, thank you for you know, I know how Um this is an off day for me too. I'm up in Nova Scotia shooting a TV series and the off days are few and far between it and they're very precious, and I thank you for sharing it with us. Thank you back. Yeah, it's beautiful. It's it's beautiful. It's it's like every every angle is a postcard up here. It's

it's it's kind of crazy. What they're there now is an already into the kind of early it's starting to get like fifty degrees fifty five, little windy, and but but I'm warmed by the thought of Chad Michael Murray being my cast mate. So let's say Gilmore Reunion Buffalo. So for him, it's like old half Yeah, that's no big deal. That's no big deal. Um, So look, let's

get into this. We've got a million questions for you. UM, I know we're not going to get to them all even you know, but I don't want to keep you that long on and off day, especially um, So let's talk about uh and we're gonna get into Walker. I want to hear all about it, um, because I'm fascinated with I mean, you're executive producing it as well, so you know you've got a lot of skin in the game there. Um, But Skilmily your first uh acting gig that you got hired for, not technically so when I

was a senior in high school. Uh, well, okay, I'll go back a little bit further between my junior and senior or high school. I want a nationwide contest to be a trophy presenter at the first annual Teen Choice Awards. And that meant stood there on stage, I held on to a surfboard and when Freddy Prince Jr. Would win Best Kids Apprecio all that, I'd give it to him and I you know, usher them off stage. And at the after party, I met a manager who I'm still

with to this day, Dan Spielo. He's also a producing partner, and he's like, hey, you know, do you act or what I was like, Yeah, you know, I'm active in school one speech and debate eight and plays and this, and then I love acting, and so well, here's my card, you know, let's keep in touch. And so I went back to San Antonio, UH to do my senior high school. And then he would send scripts. And these are back in the days of the VHS camcorders. I think a lot of young uns it is we didn't want, but

our our friends did, and so we borrow it. And I would memorize my lines, and my mother would just hold the camp order and filmed me while she's reading the other characters lines. And Spielo was like, I think a talent, dude, Like I think you can work. Uh. And my mother is a teacher, she retired now my father is a retired accountant. And so I was gonna go to u T. Austin where I live now and be engineering and pre med um. And my brother had done the same at St. Mary's and San Antonio engineering

premed uh. And they were like, no, this this sounds like a pipe dream. You know, we support you, uh, but this sounds like it's not you know, like have

a a plan. And I was like, all right, Like I can't wait to go to Austin and hopefully build a life in Austin and this and that, and then I flew out during spring break of my senior year, so February during pilot season, thank god, and I got a pilot called Silent Witness, which was for NBC and it didn't get picked up, and so you know, my parents were like, well, okay, you know you did it. You gave it a shot. And then the check came in for the pilot and they were like, following your dreams, son,

I use the money. I used that money to to load trip out to I put some aside for for student loans and whatnot, and I drove out to California with my papa, my mom's dad. UM stayed with my manager in his house and did some auditions and I think that first week or two weeks or whatever, and these are back you remember two thousand, like if you were if you were a teenage white dude, there was a role for you and every single project that was being made. UM, and so I got tons of auditions

that they're like, hey, this new kid in town. He has acted all throughout school. And so I booked a guest spot on e Er. I booked in a movie called A Little Inside, and I booked a four episode guest star stint on Gilmore Girls, this show that hadn't aired yet. And funny enough, when I booked the re recast of Dean Forrester, you know, the show hadn't been picked up yet. I was just a co star, I

think at the time. And I had also been offered this independent movie if forget that, Boys in the Round I think it was called Um, which was like ten times the money, and I got offered another project that was like six times the money. And then I got off with Gilmore Girls, which hadn't even aired yet, and I was, you know this this kid who grew up in a seven hair in scripfort House in San Antonio, going like money, money, money. My my agent manager were

like no, no, no, no, Um. You know, we think that the show, which I hadn't read yet, I hadn't seen obviously it hadn't aired. Uh, They're like, we think this show has has legs. It's a great show. It's super intelligent, it's funny, it's charming, it's it's heartwarming. We think you should do that, and so thank god, Uh they convinced me. I was still seventeen at the time to shoot four episodes on on the so show called Gilmore Girls that hadn't aired yet. You know, a couple

of independent movies so young. So yeah, it's seventeen now I'm yeah, I'm sixty four. So um so tell us

about the audition. What do you remember about it? I remember going in and for the best of my recollection I had already well, my first audition was with Mara and Jamie Um who you may have already been cast when okay, so you went about for them, but for them, and they seemed to love me, and I felt like I was like, I think they really did me, And I don't know how much of that was just their lovely people and they're professional and I was legitimately a child.

I wasn't even eighteen years old yet. So I was like, I don't want to get my hopes up because they could have just been nice to me, because I'm a kid, like wet behind the ears, fresh off the boat from Texas. Um. But sure enough they brought me back in for Aby and for Gavin cologne, and they also seemed to dig me.

And it was one of those classic offering rooms where there were, you know, three or four of us, and some people are acting a little hardcool and too cool for school and acting like they already got the role. And some of us are like, I don't even know what I'm doing here, Like I I gonna go in and see my lines. And so I went in some my lines. I think we did it probably two or three times. And I had a good feeling from Amy.

I think she could tell that I wasn't like I was I was an actor, you know, I wasn't like I didn't want to be famous. I underst said that if I became a speciful actor, fame might be part of the equation. But I was there to try and tell a story. And I, you know, I've been acting in school and plays and whatnot, and just delving into the storytelling side of acting, not though like, hey, I've got big eyes for fame and celebrity and money and stuff. Um.

And so I think that was kind of refreshing. I mean, here was his kid. I've literally lived seventeen years in Texas and gone to school and the pretty normal lifestyle, which I think and Amy's mind at least, and the rest of the game was refreshing. For Dean. You know, he was kind of a smaller town minded kind of guy. Even though his character had grown up from Chicago, he was kind of he felt at home and stars hollow because he was just kind of a low key guy,

and I was low key kids, so I worked out. Um. You know, it's one of the remarkable discoveries about watching this show because this this the whole premise of this podcast is that I never watched the show. I don't know the show. So that's what I heart, um embraced. I thought I had an original idea. I didn't realize that they hadn't made deals with simple other story of

my life anyway. Um. But the thing, the thing that that really struck all of us was just how good an actor you are, uh, at such a young age. What do you what do you attribute that to? Because you're you were you're blowing us away, I mean with because your your character had a full circle. When you first came on, you were that sort of a little bit disrespectful, tough Chicago kid and it kind of rubbed

us the wrong way. And then but then you start you you had one of the greatest introductions, uh, of any character I've ever seen on a TV series when you first met Rory and it was the book exchange and the whole thing. You were the coolest guy and you just really knew how to play it and you really knew how to handle it. So so, as a critic, you know, as I um, as I can be sometimes with other people's work, I was stunned at how good

you were and are No. I mean, I mean it's like every performance that you gave was flawless, and we did, we would discuss it. So if you ever listen to podcast, you'll hear a sort of gushing about your performances. But yeah, oh no, no, it was it was above and beyond what anybody expected. And I was I was just like god, I never saw the show. I never realized how good this kid was. No wonder he got this show. Um, thank you, m so tell us about meeting Alexis and

working with her initially, what was that like? Well, funny enough, she was also this kid from Texas who kind of I didn't think she was going to be on TV or whatever, and I think she'd gone to ny U and I don't know her exact story. I'd love to know it. But she was also kind of a fish out of water. And so I think that was helpful because you know, here she was seventeen or eighteen, I thought vote from Texas. Here I was seventeen or eighteens,

fresh up the book in Texas. And so we're both kind of looking around, going like this is bizarre, you know, like what are we doing? Uh? And so I think to go back to kind of your earlier question. I think that's where, well, I'll speak to myself. I know that's where I found my comfort zone was just acting. I was just focusing on the story. And at the time I got gil More Girls, it was four episodes see you later, Like I signed a four episode contract

and I was like, well, this is cool. I get to kind of explore a character in more than one. You know, a lot of the auditions at the time, we're sort of like, hey, you played this character in this episode where they're looking for the bad guy and you say he went that way, you know, and then you're never seen again. As with this show, I was like, oh my go four episodes like how neat and so I always felt like and the best possible way, I always felt like a guest on set for Gilmore girls.

Even in the seasons where I was in more episodes or heavier in the episodes I was in, I always walked on the set and I felt they were like, hey, Jared, and I don't know if you remember this, but I was famous for how many cookies I would eat every day. Oh that's right, that's right. And so I would, you know, and I'm a kid trying to start my life living in a rental, and so I would come back at the end of the day and see if there was

leftover food. Uh, because I had kind of grown up, you know, you eat whatever you can, um, And so I'd always wait. There'd be the big old cookie platter from Hollywood Cookie Company. A funny story about them. I don't know if they're still around. You know, I haven't lived in l A for many, many years. Um. But one time, I think maybe season two or three, I was getting a lot more into fitness and I was,

you know, starting to be aware of calories. I think it was kind of the early two thousands when it was like avoid sat right to fat and you know, work towards more fiber. And I called them one day randomly, you know, their little sticker was on the platter of cookies and I called them because I would eat probably eight or nine cookie and they were huge. There weren't these small, little white size. They were like, you know, pancakes,

all of them. I was like, hey, my name is Jared, I'm I'm an active in town and mu cater are are set sometimes and I was just curious if you had like nutrition facts for your cookies. And the voice on the other end of the phone was like, uh, what do you mean. And I was like, well, like, idea, how many calories there are? Because I have some idea of how many calories I burned every day and if I need to burn, can excess me more or whatever? And the guys like, well, do you like the cookies?

I was like, I love them because well, let's just say this, as much as you like them, that's how many calories there and uh. And so he kind of made it clear like, hey, these are made with love and butter. Uh. I miss him those white chocolate macadam. For me, it was just like exploring. You know, I had long done long throughout school. I had done plays, and I had on forensics like debate and speech and

do it acting and and I just loved storytelling. I've always been a fan of you know, you have those friends who are they'll start a story out and everybody just shuts up and just wants to listen. I love I love those friends of mine. I love people in general who can just tell a story and you laugh

or you cry or both. And so I wanted to kind of and at the time, legitimately I still I had my housing assignment at UT I had the books that I had bought secondhand, you know, because they're cheaper, and I thought I was gonna make as much money as possible and go back to school. And so I was like, well, I'll just enjoy it what you can. And so I think because I didn't have it wasn't yet my career, like it was sort of like this

is going really well, and I took it very seriously. Um, but I was like, man, if I can do four episodes, I'm gonna make a couple of thousand bucks, and like that's gonna help pay for my loans and all that, and so I just worked really hard on the scenes. That's a lot of look for a seventeen year old, that's a lot of money. Money it was I remember from whatever, I'll say it. I remember my paycheck for

episode one of Gilmore Girls. I remember exactly what it was, and I remember it for a reason because it was one Comma two three four, and I was I'm loaded, like but I was the richest. I was the witchest kid I knew growing up in kind of a you know, lower middle class spot in San Antonio. And I was like, dude, if I could do a couple of these, pay some taxes, then I can pay off, you know, my books for my my dorm or whatever. So that's kind of where it was. Yeah, you came at it with gratitude and

no expectations. It's the only way to have do it. Yeah. Yeah, And even now I come out with gratitude, and I think totally for me, and this is I think, just the way maybe I was raised, or maybe my genetic makeup. I just really enjoy the work that goes into it. For me. Um, for me, the filming of the scene is the least exciting part. I agree. I love the rehearsal process. I love the rehearsal process, and I love the process with or without somebody else like I to

this day. You know, now I'm four hundred and forty episodes of television into my career or something like that. And my favorite part of making a TV show is going through it over and over again, over and over again, and then give me sething go like, let's see what sticks. You know. Let's let's now I know what I've done, we know the different pathways to get through a scene. Let's see how it works out. Let's see what the other actors nationals want to do. Let's see what the

cameraman want to do. Let's do the DP and the director have and let's just slow. Uh. Here's here's a question that I have to ask, and it's one of the it's the it's one of the questions I hear most often. Are you similar to Dean? Where are you similar to Dean? In high school? In high school, No, I didn't have the confidence. Uh. Dean had a quiet confidence from the get that I think Jared learned from. You know, I was still seventeen, like we talked about,

I was still seventeen. I was a kid in every way shaping form I you know, I'd never left the country. I think I maybe left the state twice in my life. Wants to drive to disney Land with my family and wants to drive to Florida to Disneyland with my family. And that's what I was. Pretty even though San Antonio was not a small town, it's a pretty large city against pub million, I was kind of a small town kid, you know, Like my my life was the three mile

radius around my house. That was our grocery store, that was my middle school and elementary school. In high school, that was where I would ride my bike to my friend's house. And so I had kind of a maybe similar to Dean because he grew up in Chicago, but he felt at home in a smaller like microcosm, and so I think that was similar. Um, I certainly had similarities. I feel like I learned a lot from Dean. Um. You know, Amy and the Gang wrote this character that

was really lovable. I mean, he certainly had some some hiccups along the way through five seasons, but he started out and he was just like a good kid, you know, he was a kid. Uh. And there's a scene that I was talking about the other day with maybe one of our directors on Walker, and she was like, yeah, my family were always team V. I was like really, and she goes, yeah, I mean that scene with you and Laura La. We're all eating pizza and she's talking

about your motorcycle and you're saying, I don't have a motorcycle. Fine, she won't ride on my motorcycle. She's like, it would just seem sweet, you know, it was. It was wholesome, um,

and so I think we kind of shared that. One of the balsiest things I've ever seen a character do on that show is when you, pretty much I think, first met Laurela, or was the first time you were over for like a movie night, right, They invited you for a movie night and Rory excused herself, uh, and you were with Laurela alone, and she gave you the speech and then when she was done, you didn't miss a beat and you said, uh, my turn now what

wo wow? Well the can is on this kid, man, I mean, and then you kind of gave your speech and it was very impressive, very very impressive. Do you do you remember filming that. I do, as a matter of fact, I absolutely do. I remember we were on stage, and I remember the set. Maybe it was I forgot stage fourteen. It was the one that was right, It wasn't the one that was across from the friends stage. It was the one that was nearest to commissary. Yes, yes,

fourteen sixteen. And I remember platform outside movies and shows that are shocked and just kind of being like oh um. But I remember early on. I remember how early on. I think it was season one off camera, you know. And again I was a seventeen year old kid. I mean I turned eighteen a couple of months into it. But I was doing something, probably being some little dips, and you you came. I don't remember what it was, but I remember you were like, hey, I want to

talking to him a second. And I was like all right, And you walked me into the school, the school there and Stars Hollow, and you just kind of took your glasses off and you kind of gave me a little talking to. And I again I have no idea, I don't remember it. I have no idea what it was about, but you gave me just enough of talking to where I was like, yeah, right, Like it kind of reminded

me because at that time I was just playing. I was doing the same stuff I would do in high school, person for a play for something, and so you know, you kind of looking around and I think The message I remember was like, hey, you know we're working here. You know it was and it was the proper and I remember kind of going like I needed that right here,

right now, at this age. If I want to make a careerative this, I gotta remember we're not just playing like someone the studio and network are spending lions of dollars for us to be here and do this. And I remained a goofball on set. I get away with

it a little bit more now, uh and whatnot. But I think I was just I was you know, I was never a jerk, but I think I was probably just goofing around just enough for you to kind of premiuside and you obviously done years of work and just tell me like, hey, you know, let's tone it down a little bit or whatever you said. I remember, I remember the feeling of like that's right, Like this is a job. All of these people are doing a job,

and so that was good. So thank you. I don't remember was twenty two years ago, I I do, I do remember, I do, um, But you know, the things I remember most about you on set were our discussions about training and uh, you know, you were you wanted to gain weight, um. And I just remember because I, you know, I was like you when I was a kid, just just tall, skinny, couldn't get anyway, ate like a horse,

worked out like a fiend, couldn't get anyway. I was inncerned about it, and I just remember I didn't really know what to say to you other than just enjoy it while it lasts, because it ain't gonna laugh. But it looks like in your case it lasted. Um. Yeah, what was the season where you had kickboxing? I remember coming coming to that one time and like shaking your hand and you kind of like shook it. And you

had been at Crunch kickboxing with somebody. And I don't remember what exactly happened, but I think you might have like boxing fracture or something. I was like, oh my bad, like all good, you know, but I remember, oh I had I had a bad hand or something. You you you would you would? I think maybe had a metacarpal injury or something. Yeah, yeah, you were I know the guy's name if I heard it. But there was a kickboxing trainer Crunch that you have been training with, Lolly. Yeah,

it was the former world champion. Yes, the most the most dangerous human being on the planet. But the sweetest guy in the world. Yeah, you need to be me because they can back it up. Yeah. He was just like the nicest guy in the world. Yeah, So we recapped speaking of fighting, uh, we've recapped your fight scene with Milo at the high school party and a little bit ago. But you're what do you remember having about having to film that scene? How long did it take

with all that choreography? Because it was really one of the best and most brutal violent fights I've seen on TV. It was so real for a show like Gilboard Girls, you know, were we weren't shooting a d C show or a Marble show where everybody's fighting all the time. Um, my stupman was Jake Chambers. It was at the ranch. So we shot that at the at the One Brother's ranch, not the lot where obviously stars hollow as you know, but for the fans, there two one of Brothers properties

in Burbank. One is the lot where they're all those stages, and one is the ranch, which is really famous well for many things. But at the opening credits to Friends where they're all on the fountain, and we had gone to one of the streets out there and shot inside and outside. I feel like we shot it in a night,

you know. And I imagine you've you've commented on this before, but Gilmore Girls was known for being a long day you know, we had I remember driving off the lot on other occasions and it'd be like six in the morning and you know, you drive past the guard station, you only window down. They're like Gilmore Girls, like, yeah,

like we figured, you know, crap safe. Uh, but this I feel like this was probably you know, we shot in November or December, um there at the ranch and probably shot you know from six pm to six ham or something, and was obviously super fit and uh. He was also a guy similar to the conversation that you and I had in that school set. Vilo kind of show me the ropes a little bit because again I didn't like, I just stayed in my t tiler. I

didn't know. So one time we were shooting and he was like, hey, you want to you know, we're not the next scene we have launched, you want to go grab by And I was like, we can leave and this is season two seven. Yeah, we just gotta be back. You know, they'll they'll text me, will call me, like, give us a half hour heads up, it was like,

you sure weren't get in trouble. He was like, oh man, now it's fine, and so he kind of would walking around and uh, let me know the ropes, because even a season into Gilmore Girls, I was still you know, as you well know, like in terms of understanding the business in the way it all works, I was still a white belt, you know. Um that was in the way to become black belt proverbially, uh, very much a white belt. And so Milo helped me out. And you know,

it's it's you've done these as well. When you're doing a stunt sequence with somebody who's not super physically capable, it's worrisome because you're like, you know, he's punched me, your album me and I don't know if this guy's coordinated, Like I think I'm gonna hurt. I didn't feel that way with Milo. Milo is fit and seemingly always has been and certainly still is, and so I just remember being like, this is gonna be fine. Um, and then the whole tackle sequence out into the yard, it was.

It was a good time. He and I. It's funny because we've always gotten along extremely well. I mean, even from the get go where the scripts were lining us up to be rivals on camera. We just got along. We're just buddies, you know. He's like, hey, let's go get let's go get a bike. And I think he was he may still be vegan or vegetarian. But there was like a little weekend place and we just went and I was like, where's the burger. He's like, well,

it's a she's talking mushroom sandwich. I was like, whatever, I'll take it. Uh. So it helps a lot when you when you kind of trust respect to people you're working with, especially in a physical sequence where you don't want to acctudentally take an eilbow to nose and right. Um, right. So the classic question that everybody wants me to ask, We know Matt sup he knows who Rory's baby daddy is. Do you know? Do you have any guesses? I? I don't know for sure. My understanding is that it's changed

a couple of times. Um I I I I have some guesses, but I don't know for sure. And you know, if I have no doubt that if Matt says he knows that he knows, but I would put it past the Palladinos to to change it at the last second. Maybe I do know this. I do know that when we did the reunion, well, when y'all did the reunion and I showed up for a day, I was supposed to be in more of it. I remember talking to Amy and she was like, Hey, we'd love to We're

doing this and we'd love to have you around. It was like absolutely at the time, you know, shooting Supernatural with Van Cooper and so um, basically whatever I was gonna be and got way whittled down, and ultimately it came down to we couldn't clear me on any specific day. So Ay basically told me, Hey, if you find out you have a day off, call me up, let me know.

We'll we'll do that. You know, everybody's already on set anyways, because we're cross boarding, and so I think I called her like on a Monday, and I was like, hey, I have Thursday off, and she's like, cool, you want to come down. I was like absolutely, And so I flew down Thursday morning, uh, did the refitting and whatever, shot Thursday, you know, morning afternoon, early evening, and then flew back to Vancouver that night and shot Supernatural. The

next morning. So, um, yeah, you can only do that. You can only do that when you're in your twenties. There's just no other way to do that. Who was the reunion? Uh yeah, I would have been Yeah, thirty four three five. Yeah, okay, there you go. Well you look that's not three. Uh. And I was in Vancouver and my family was in Austin, and so you know, I can go home and go to bed as opposed to chasing kids around all that lay um So so listen, Jared.

One of the things that I admire so much about you is the your courageous approach to sharing some of the struggles that you've had with mental mental health issues and depression and anxiety, and I just you know, it really does take a special kind of courage to step up and and admit that and say that and talk about a started dialogue because it and it's hard, it's it's it's extremely generous to do it, because it it gets the the issue out there, It gets people talking

about it, and it gets and it gives people the courage to step forward that otherwise wouldn't. Uh. And you you inspire millions and millions of people through your work and now through your your your your work with charities and with these specific issues, can you talk about a little bit for sure? Thank you for asking. I've been very public that I've had I don't say struggles, I say a relationship. I kind of feel like, um uh, there's a great quote that I love and it's my favorite,

and it's pain is mandatory, suffering as optional. And so I like to say, we're all going to deal with pain. We all deal with pain, no matter if you're Elon Musk with three billion dollars or somebody who's having a you know, do hard manual labor for five bucks an hour. Everybody's gonna have pain. Uh choice whether or not you can make, whether that can make you suffer. And so I take my relationship mental health very seriously. I see a doctor every week and I have for many, many years.

And I think it occurred to me, you know, especially early on in the Gilmal Girls years. I think I kind of long had uh maybe an underlying anxiety mostly, but depression. At times I got pretty bad and I just felt like, well, here I am, like I get to play pretend for a living. I get to buy a house when I'm twenty years old. With money I made, not money I wanted the lottery. You're inherited from family,

nothing anything wrong with that. But you know, you're in magazines and they're going like, oh, you're the new heart throb and this and that, you're making good friends and you're doing what you've always dreamed. But I would go home and you know, I sometimes or I would just just sit there and not do anything. And I was like, something's weird, man, Like this doesn't make There's nothing on paper I can write down that I'm unhappy about, Like, so, why am I feeling so anxious? Or why am I

feeling so sad? Um? And not even Sadad's kind of a funny, like you could feel sad and not have depression, you know. So this is a more like you don't want to eat, you don't want to go outside, you don't want to talk to friends, you don't want to talk to him. Like it was more of that. Uh, And so I looked, let gonna be like what's wrong with you, dude? Like what what? What more do you want? Like what's your problem? Like why are you so entitled? Um?

And finally one day, uh, luckily with with a lot of great friends, and family and and the fandom from you know, Gilmore Girls and Supernatural and now Walker and whatever else. It was just sort of like it was a leap of faith just to go like, hey, I know that I'm that guy on TV UM, but not all as well. Uh, And I accept that. And you know, I didn't know it was either gonna be you know, I never worked again in my head, you know, catastrashing.

It was either gonna be like, oh, we're gonna be so disappointed or think you're an asshole for not being happy. And it wasn't that. I was so happy. I am so happy with the life I've been able to live. I feel like I've been able to live a thousand lives in four short years. Um. But I was met with nothing but uh, you know, love and support. And I think my main message is that if you feel like you're alone, uh, you're not. Uh. And I think just humans are humans, man. We all have our ups

and downs. And if you look happy on the outside, you might be set on the inside. And that's okay. You know, no feeling is final, and so just keep your head up and be honest about it. And I think the biggest deal for me was to say like, hey, I'm dealing with something and that might sound ironic because on the outside it looks like I got everything somebody could ever wish for work and I do. You know,

I'm very fortunate. But it doesn't mean that your brain isn't gonna be with your brain does So everybody listening now, go to Jared's socials. He's got all of that information on his social media platforms for organizations that can help out or to get involved with. And and just know that Jared's got your back, okay, because he's been through it, uh, and he can he can help you through it forever,

you know, to some degree. And that's another thing. It's just like, hey, if your brain does this instead of doing that, then that's just gonna it's gonna be something you have a relationship with, but you don't listen to it. Right, It's real and it should be dealt with, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's just, you know, takes a little bit of courage to step up and admit it and get some help. Yeah, and you'll be surprised

by the outpouring of love and support. I was anticipating judgment, you know, I was anticipating like, oh, that guy's broken, and it was the opposite. It was the right, wonderful, very very very inspirational. Um, Um, let's talk a little bit about Supernatural is a huge part of your life, A huge part of your career was a fifteen season run. Yeah, we had a four month hiatus, moth hiatus, so mega hit. Uh Supernatural Uh being part of the c W family

for twenty years. Uh, and now uh tell us a little bit about, um, what that experience is like for you, being more than two decades on a single network and and Supernatural and uh we Uh, Supernatural was c W for the CW was even CW. You know, our season one was w B. As you remember, Gilmore Girls was w B, and then season five, I guess went to Popper six went to CW. So Supernatural was for many years the only show on television that was older than the network that aired it. We had a lot of

we had a lot of scares. You know, when Warner Brothers in upn merged, we thought, up, we're done. And then when the president of CW change, We're like, we're done. And then when the writers trike happened, you've got app were done, and then we were kind of just as a little show that could that had this really much

like Gilmore had this very very dedicated audience. You know, like I've I've met fans of Gilmore, girls who will come up and mentioned some things to me about the show or a question or what do you think about this or that, or hey, I love this scene, and I'm like, I don't even I filmed it, like I rememorized, they worked on it, filmed it, uh and I don't even recall that. And similar with Supernatural, and it was a super just call it super super was a really

magical show of massical experience. That's where I met my wife. She was on season four. Um and somehow another I didn't I didn't piss her off enough to say no when I asked her out on a date. Uh. She's probably regretting it now. But I've met great friends, um, people that consider beyond friends, you know, their family and really got to explore. I feel like Supernatural is where I learned, where I earned my black belt. You know, I had to do everything. I had to play humor,

I had to play a drama. It was a thriller, but you had to be the big brother and the little brother. I played different character. Stam would get possessed or um Sam would be you know, dying from something. So I really anything there is to do on screen.

I did it on Supernatural and huge blessing and our fandom is outstanding, you know, we see we got to convince ins on weekends and I see based in the audience that I've seen for over a decade, you know, so I didn't feel like it didn't feel like star fan. It feels like, hey, like longtime friends that happened, but fashion about this that aired for a while. It's like going to a concert or seeing somebody in a bar that has a Pearl Jam shot on and you're like, dude,

have you seen him live? Like yeah, Like it's it's a shared passion for seeing like a Dallas Cowboys jersey on somebody mewing like how about them boys? You know, and you have an immediate kind of kinscha um. It's been a huge blessing. Yeah, I mean I I have seen Pearl Jam a couple of times live and it's it's quite something. Actually, it's a very serious evening, but it's uh, it's cathartic to say the least um um. Uh So, you're Supernatural co star Jensen Accles and I

just call him Accles. I don't think I've called him Jensen in twelve years. So he's got a show, The Winchesters, premiering soon. It's a prequel, is Supernatural? Are you excited to s? Yeah? And I saw him. I was just with him this past weekend in Kansas City and the weekend before that in Denver, and like our kids go to the same school. Like we're we're dear friends, you

know what I mean. We I was texting with him yesterday about he was talking about some app that you can download where you can stream television because sometimes I'm in my trailer and I want to watch Walker or whatever. Uh So we talked about all sorts of stuff. And he's a hell of Texan and he grew up in North Dallas. He's gotta walk three kids. I'm a Texan.

We got a wife with three kids. You know, we're both like country music fans and uh a lot to talk about, you know what it is as you get older, you don't, you know. And I've got three young kids, a wife, and a couple of jobs, and so I don't really see anybody unless there last thing is kind of in the same house or they work on Walker. But he's directed Walker, and we're hoping to get him on board, but he's he's going to go up in New Mexico right now. He's a He's a heck of

a musician, isn't he. Well, yeah, he's great. He's great voice. Uh always we used to go, Um, when we had late nights on Supernatural, I take my guitar over to his trailer or vice versa, and we just sat there and strong and play a little bit. But yeah, he's since the day I met him in Jessa Pod, he's always been noodling on guitar and singing in his beautiful voice. And as a band, that's that's great. Um, So tell us a little bit about Walker. How did that come about?

You're you're the boss over there, you know, and you're the star and you're the executive producer and it's premiering tonight and it's exciting as all get out. Let's tell us about it. So Walker happened? Uh, funny enough. I think it was seasons fourteen or Supernatural and Jensen and I had a discussion with each other we had. We had this for years and years because his wife and kids lived in Austin and my wife and kids lived in Austin. We're filming in a foreign country. I'll be

you know, it's Canada. It's not that it's but it's it's a long flight or series of flights. You know. There was no direct clad sign and so we finally one day we looked at each other, I think and season fourteen, and we were like, hey, man, I think I'm ready to hang up the flannel. You know, like, hey, I think I am too, Like I'm ready to meet my wife and kids who live in Texas while where

in Canadas dead. Um. And so we approached the studio network and we're like, hey, you know, we we uh, we think if we do go another year, which would be season fifteen, it's gonna be our our last season. And you know, discussions were had and they wanted more and we wanted more as well. Obviously, Um, there was no falling out or anything where it's like I'm done with this show. It was legit, like, hey, like I got three kids in school and I see them some months,

some calendar months. I'd see my kids two days. You know, and that was just not You're like, well, I'm working so hard so I can see my kids, but I can't see my kids because I'm working so hard. There must be a better middleground. And so we announced that season fifteen would would be the final season. And then talking with Mark Pettwitz uh then Presidency w and UH. He was like, hey, well, you know, if you're ever interested in, you know, getting back on camera or developing

or something, I hope i'm your first phone call. And I was like, well, Mark, thank you so much. Um, I mean, honestly, it has to be in Austin. And he was like that's a great ideas, Like, well, you know, um, I would want to be a producer on it so I could help guide the storyline. And he's like, of course, like you've done three D something episodes of television, You've been in the business for twenty years. And again I'm kind of like, I feel like I was trying to

negotiate myself out of a job. He kept going, s great idea, so uh So that kind of swam around my head a little bit. And then I was talking with my manager from when I was in high school too now and we were like, well, something been Austin what what what would be a good And I don't remember who brought up Walker, but you know Walker is a Texas Ranger and the headquarters of the Texas Rangers

is in the capital of Texas. The capital of Texas is Austome and so funny enough, our our initial conversations, we're almost like, what about if if the new Walker, if if this goes is more about a family man who's a ranger, not a ranger who has a family.

Does that make any sense? And we used as a matter of fact, we used Gilmore Girls a lot, like hey, let's see, like the show is not about like roundhouse kicking minorities, you know, Um, it's about a guy who's trying to invest in can he's got kids and he's a widower or he's a widow, um, and uh, he's got a family, he's got a life. And I've been very fortunate to have a lot of friends in law enforcement and military, and you know, they have cool jobs and have to enforced the law on this and that,

but they're always just people. Going back to what we talked about earlier with anxiety and depression, people are people, whatever outfit they're wearing, whether it's a badge or whether it's a you know, burger king had um and there serving you a bird. They're human beings that have emotions and feelings, and they have pause and they have blows, and they have things they're passionate about. They have things that they're not okay with, and so we just kind

of started developing the show. I read. I read an article about it was an op ed back in the Times.

It's a shameful think of but when there were people at the border who were having to separate families and put some in cages, as it's described, and I read an op ed from one of the law enforcement officials who was there and something happened and they couldn't bring themselves to keep doing it, and the o ed was kind of like, you know, I was being asked to separate this four year old from their dad, and I have a four year old, and all I could think of is like if somebody tried to that to me,

like I'd ripped the throat out, And so they put their badge and you're gone on their captain's desk and said, like I understand I might lose my pension. I understand I might get caughte martial or something, but I can't do this. And I was fascinated by that idea of you know, you're bound by duty and you want to do the right thing, and you believe that doing the right thing is going to be following the letter of the law, but you also have a moral conscience and

you want to do what's right overall. Um. And so that's kind of how we started developing Walker, And now here we are we're shooting episode uh six of season three, and tonight uh we premiered the prequel as well, Walker Independence, which we have been developing since Walker even aired, which

we aired our first episode in January. And right before we aired our first episode of Walker, James kem Fighi, who is showrunning Walker Independence and was then COEP for Walker, was like, heyn idea, I've been trying to think about, like the Walker family and Texas and the roots, and I think there's a story there were like, yeah, there probably is, like, uh, you know, uh, what are you thinking? And again you start developing and now Walker Independence, or Wendy as we call it is a is a Rockham

Sockem home run of the show. If you ask me, and I think so exciting. It's so exciting. So everybody tune in h Walker starring Jared Pedal A key. Okay, let's do some Dean trivia. What is Dean allergic to? Oh? God, walnuts truck? What's his favorite ice cream? Do you know? Uh? Shop puncher cookie meant? Where did Dean first kiss Rory on the porch? No? Dozy smart kit? Where did Dean move from when he moved? Two Stars Hollow, Chicago? There you go. What sport did he play in high school? Hockey?

Ice hockey? Correct? What was the name of his younger sister? Uh? Um, you got yeah, let's got it. Sawyer Clara Clara close close close? Uh? What was his favorite movie? Roseman's Baby? That was my first line was Lord of the Rings? All right, now, Rd of the Rings, Lord of the Rings story. I read the books before the movies came out, and I think it was season three. We had that big,

massive scene. It must have been a thanksgaming episode. Um. We shot there on the lock and everybody was in the scene and uh ed Herman Rest in Peace was also in the scene, and in between takes he noticed that I was reading Lord of the Rings and so he came up and he's saying, you know, are you enjoying the book? He's like, yeah, I love it and I want to get through them before the movies came out and this and that. He says, where are you uh in the books? And there it was. It was

fooliship for the ring of the time. I hadn't gotten to two Towers or uh looking yet, and so I was like, oh, they just went through the minds of Moria and and then he kind of looked away and went as the drone goes boom boom the Hobbits really like he he recited the passage that I had literally just read like five minutes earlier, and verbatim, he just where I was in a book, which was one of three books and recited something from it. Uh thanks, remember

going wow, like that's a ring on this guy. Amazing, amazing, amazing actor. Um all right, rapid fire. How many cups of coffee do you have a day? Well? Are you team Logan, Team Team Jess or Team Dean? Who's your favorite Gilmore Girls character? Oh, Kirk, what would you order Luke's Diner? Uh? Okay, when would you rather go on a road trip? With Taylor or Michelle. You can say neither if he gives you want. I love them both as people. Also go with Michelle. Okay, finish the lyric

and where you lead. I will follow dot dot dot anywhere anywhere that you tell me to. Good. Yes, Jackson's vegetables are Suki's baked Goods baked? Would you rather listen to Drella's harp or the Troubadours cover songs? Tudor Children, Prepper Stars, Hollow High Stars, Hollow. Hi? There you go? All right, Jared, We're not going to keep you any longer of us more time than you should have. We appreciate it. I we'd love to do it again. Um. I cannot tell you how excited we were to hear

that you were coming on. And I appreciate it so much. Um. You are a huge part of our analyzes and our breakdowns of shows. You You are maybe the top guy that we are, you know, fawning all over and just marveling at and uh, what a great guy you are? What a courageous human being? Uh you are or for the work that you do? Uh, so much respect for you, so much love for you, my friend, and uh Um, I am so happy at all of your success. It is well deserved from somebody who is so loving and

so generous. Um, and the best to your family and and continued success for you, my friend. And and uh great great, yeah, I know great talking to you. And uh and uh, I'll take you around some barbecue joints. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it. All right, buddy, have a have a have a great rest of the off day. And all the best to you. Okay, Acus, you're bron all right. Yeah, Hey everybody, and don't forget follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast

and email us at Gilmore at I heart radio dot com. Oh, you get more fans. If you're looking for the best cup of coffee in the world, go to my website for my company scott ep dot com, s C O T. T y P dot com, scott ep dot com Grade one Specialty Coffee. Yeah.