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Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of
Dean Winchester Dean Winchester is one of the two protagonists from the American drama television series ''Supernatural'', along with his younger brother Sam. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed by ...
in
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...
/ CW dark fantasy drama series ''
Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
'' (2005–2020) and appearing in television series such as
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
's ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...
'' as
Eric Brady Eric Brady is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Eric was introduced in the episode of October 16, 1984, together with his twin sister, Sami Brady. Initially played by a series of child acto ...
(earning him several
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
nominations),
super soldier The supersoldier (or super soldier) is a fictional concept soldier, often capable of operating beyond normal human limits or abilities either through genetic modification or cybernetic augmentation. Overview Supersoldiers are common in military ...
s Ben/X5-493 and Alec/X5-494 in
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
's '' Dark Angel'', Jason Teague in The WB/CW's ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/ ...
'', and Ben/Soldier Boy in
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service p ...
's ''
The Boys Boys are young male humans. Boys or The Boys may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''The Boys'' (1962 British film), a courtroom drama by Sidney J. Furie * ''The Boys'' (1962 Finnish film), a war drama by Mikko Niskanen * ''Boys'' ( ...
''. He also starred as the lead in the box office success ''
My Bloody Valentine 3D ''My Bloody Valentine 3D'' is a 2009 American  slasher film directed and co-edited by  Patrick Lussier, and written by Todd Farmer and Zane Smith from a screen story by Stephen Miller (producer and co-writer of the original film). Serving as ...
'', and provided the voices of
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partner ...
in the animated film '' Batman: Under the Red Hood'', and Bruce Wayne/Batman in the animated adaptation of '' Batman: The Long Halloween''.


Early life

Ackles was born on March 1 1978 in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
the son of Donna Joan (née Shaffer) and Alan Roger Ackles, an actor. He grew up in
Richardson Richardson may refer to: People * Richardson (surname), an English and Scottish surname * Richardson Gang, a London crime gang in the 1960s * Richardson Dilworth, Mayor of Philadelphia (1956-1962) Places Australia *Richardson, Australian Capi ...
and attended
Lloyd V. Berkner High School Lloyd V. Berkner High School is a high school in Richardson, in the U.S. state of Texas, with a 2008 enrollment of 2,755 and a student/teacher ratio of 16.7. It is one of four high schools in the Richardson Independent School District. History ...
. After graduating in 1996, he moved to Los Angeles to begin his acting career.


Career

After modeling on and off since the age of four, Ackles began to concentrate on an acting career in 1996. He appeared in several guest roles on ''
Mr. Rhodes ''Mr. Rhodes'' is an American television sitcom which was aired by NBC as part of its 1996–97 lineup. Summary ''Mr. Rhodes'' starred comedian Tom Rhodes as an eponymous character who taught at a small-town preparatory school after having fai ...
'', ''
Sweet Valley High ''Sweet Valley High'' is a series of young adult novels attributed to American author Francine Pascal, who presided over a team of ghostwriters to produce the series. The books chronicle the lives of identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefiel ...
'', and '' Cybill'' before joining the cast of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...
'' as
Eric Brady Eric Brady is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Eric was introduced in the episode of October 16, 1984, together with his twin sister, Sami Brady. Initially played by a series of child acto ...
in 1997. A role that he remembers fondly. He won a 1998
Soap Opera Digest Award ''The Soap Opera Digest Awards'', originally known as ''The Soapy Awards'' when introduced in 1977, is an awards show held by the daytime television magazine '' Soap Opera Digest''. History 1977 until 1983 The Soapy Awards were an award prese ...
for Best Male Newcomer and went on to be nominated three times (in 1998, 1999, and 2000) for a
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for ''Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series'' for his work on ''Days of our Lives''. Ackles left ''Days of our Lives'' in 2000 and went on to appear in the mini-series ''Blonde'', about the life of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
. He also auditioned for the role of the young
Clark Kent Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
on ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar/ ...
'', a role offered to actor Tom Welling instead. Next he appeared in a guest role on the
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...
television series '' Dark Angel'' on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
in 2001 as
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Ben/X5-493, the brother of main character Max/X5-452 (played by
Jessica Alba Jessica Marie Alba ( ; born April 28, 1981) is an American actress and businesswoman. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in '' Camp Nowhere'' and '' The Secret World of Alex Mack'' (1994), and rose to prominence at age 19 ...
). His character died in the episode, but Ackles returned to the show as a series regular in the second season as Ben's sane clone, Alec/X5-494. He remained with the show until its cancellation in 2002. Ackles worked steadily throughout 2003. He joined the cast of
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on terrestrial television, broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture be ...
's hit show ''
Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. ...
'' during its final season, playing CJ,
Jen Lindley Jennifer "Jen" Lindley (born May 1983) is a principal character in the WB television drama '' Dawson's Creek'', portrayed by Michelle Williams. Introduced in the pilot, Williams appeared as a regular for all six seasons. Background Jennifer " ...
's lover. Afterward, Ackles filmed several episodes of the unaired series ''Still Life'' for Fox before it was abruptly dropped. He also had a small role in the 2004 short film ''The Plight of Clownana''. Ackles was the producer's first choice to play
Eliza Dushku Eliza Patricia Dushku (; born December 30, 1980) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Faith in the supernatural drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Pl ...
's love interest on the second season of ''
Tru Calling ''Tru Calling'' is an American supernatural drama television series that aired on Fox. Original episodes aired between October 30, 2003, and April 21, 2005; however, the final episode was shown in other territories before it was aired in the Unit ...
''; Ackles turned down the role, which was then offered to Eric Christian Olsen and the character's name was changed to "Jensen" because the producers of ''Tru Calling'' liked Ackles' name. Ackles returned to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
(where ''Dark Angel'' was filmed) in 2004 to become a regular on ''Smallville'' playing the assistant football coach Jason Teague, who was also the newest romantic interest for
Lana Lang Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She has appeared in other media adaptations of Superman, typically as a teenager. These portrayals include the '' Adventures of Superboy'' ...
(played by Kristin Kreuk). He also had a lead role in the 2005 film '' Devour'' in which Ackles' father, actor Alan Ackles, also had a role playing the father of Ackles' character, Jake Gray. In 2005, Ackles joined the cast of the WB show
horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
/ action series ''
Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
'' where he starred as
Dean Winchester Dean Winchester is one of the two protagonists from the American drama television series ''Supernatural'', along with his younger brother Sam. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed by ...
. Dean and his brother Sam (
Jared Padalecki Jared Tristan Padalecki (born July 19, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Sam Winchester in the TV series ''Supernatural''. He grew up in Texas and rose to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the televi ...
) drive throughout the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
hunting
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. No ...
predators, fighting demons and
angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...
s, and showcasing
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
&
sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univ ...
pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ...
. The show ended after fifteen seasons, making it the longest-running North American sci-fi series in history. In the summer of 2007, Ackles took on the role of Priestly in the independent comedy ''Ten Inch Hero''. The film began hitting the film festival circuit in early 2007 and Ackles received high praise for his comedic timing in the role. In February 2009, the film was released on DVD exclusively by Blockbuster Home Video. He also appeared on stage from June 5–10, 2007 with
Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips (born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (198 ...
in '' A Few Good Men'' at Casa Mañana Theatre in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...
as Lt. Daniel Kaffee. Ackles received strong praise for his work in this role, which was also his professional theatre debut. In the summer of 2008, Ackles was cast in the remake of the cult film ''
My Bloody Valentine 3D ''My Bloody Valentine 3D'' is a 2009 American  slasher film directed and co-edited by  Patrick Lussier, and written by Todd Farmer and Zane Smith from a screen story by Stephen Miller (producer and co-writer of the original film). Serving as ...
'', which opened nationwide on January 16, 2009. In summer of 2010, as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies franchise, Ackles provided the voice for the
Red Hood The Red Hood is an alias used by multiple characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the 1951 storyline " The Man Behind the Red Hood!", which provides the earliest origin story for the ...
(
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, the superhero Batman's vigilante partner ...
) in the animated film, '' Batman: Under The Red Hood'', which was released to DVD and Blu-ray on July 27. In summer of 2021, Ackles voiced the role of
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
(
Bruce Wayne Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...
) for the two-part adaptation of '' Batman: The Long Halloween''. On October 22, 2010,
Disney Interactive Studios Disney Interactive Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer and video game publisher, publisher owned by The Walt Disney Company through Disney Interactive. Prior to its closure in 2016, it developed and Distribution (business), distri ...
announced he would be voicing a character named Gibson in the video game, '' Tron: Evolution'' which was released on December 7, 2010. After years of performing at conventions, Ackles released his first original song as a professional singer titled "Sounds of Someday" which is the first track from his debut album. In 2018, Ackles collaborated with musician Steve Carlson to form Radio Company. Together Ackles and Carlson completed a debut album entitled '' Vol. 1''. The album's first single was released on iTunes and the album was released in November 2019. Ackles and Carlson released '' Vol. 2'' on May 7, 2021. In August 2020, it was announced he would join the cast of ''
The Boys Boys are young male humans. Boys or The Boys may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''The Boys'' (1962 British film), a courtroom drama by Sidney J. Furie * ''The Boys'' (1962 Finnish film), a war drama by Mikko Niskanen * ''Boys'' ( ...
'' in its third season as Ben / B.C.L. RED / Soldier Boy. More recently, he and his wife formed Chaos Machine Productions with a deal at Warner Bros. Television. In June 2021, it was revealed that they were developing a ''Supernatural'' prequel spinoff for The CW, titled ''The Winchesters'', about young John and Mary Winchester, Sam and Dean's parents. Ackles would serve as narrator, reprising his role as Dean. It was picked up to series in May 2022. In October 2021, Ackles was cast to play U.S. Marshal Wood Helm in the Western feature ''
Rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), ...
'', written and directed by Joel Souza. He played opposite
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nich ...
, who starred in the title role. Production was temporarily suspended after the death of cinematographer
Halyna Hutchins Halyna Anatoliivna Hutchins ( uk, Галина Анатоліївна Хатчінс; , uk, Андросович; April 10, 1979 – October 21, 2021) was a Ukrainian cinematographer. She worked on more than 30 feature-length films, short fil ...
. In May 2022, he guest starred on the '' ABC'' drama '' Big Skys second season finale "Catch a Few Fish", as temporary sheriff Beau Arlen. The role was planted to be series regular for the show's third season, which was ordered the day after the episode aired.


Personal life

After three years of dating, Ackles became engaged to actress and model
Danneel Harris Danneel Ackles ( Elta Danneel Graul; March 18, 1979), credited professionally before 2012 as Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She played the role of Shannon McBain on the American daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' and R ...
in November 2009. The couple married on May 15, 2010, in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. Their first child, a daughter, was born in May 2013. In August 2016, the couple announced that they were expecting twins, a boy and a girl who were born in December. Ackles is a co-owner of a brewery in
Dripping Springs, Texas Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,650 at the 2020 census. Dripping Springs is a primarily rural town. Geography Dripping Springs is in northern Hays County at (30.191998, –98.085382). It is ...
, Family Business Beer Company, with his wife and in-laws. The brewery's name is a reference to ''Supernatural'' ("family business" being a tagline for the series).


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Director


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ackles, Jensen 1978 births Living people Male actors from Dallas American male film actors Male models from Texas American male soap opera actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male voice actors American television directors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of German descent