Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as
Eric BradyEric Roman Brady is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. As an adult, the role of Eric was played by Jensen Ackles from early 1997 to July 31, 2000 and Ritz Gregory from April 1994 to early 1997 and again from August 2000 to January 11, 2002...
in
Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
, which earned him several
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
nominations, as well as
Alec/X5-494Alec McDowell is a fictional television character portrayed by Jensen Ackles in the 2000–2002 cyberpunk television series Dark Angel, created by James Cameron....
in
Dark AngelDark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
and Jason Teague in
SmallvilleSmallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
. Ackles currently stars as
Dean WinchesterDean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
on the
CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
series
SupernaturalSupernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
.
Early life
Ackles was born in
Dallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, the son of Donna Joan (née Shaffer) and Alan Roger Ackles, an actor. Ackles has a brother, Joshua, who is three years older, and sister, Mackenzie, who is seven years younger. He is of
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
,
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and
ScottishThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
ancestry. He had planned to study
sports medicineSports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
at
Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
and become a physical therapist but instead moved to
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to start his acting career.
Career
After modelling on and off since the age of 4, Ackles began to concentrate on an acting career in 1996. He appeared in several guest roles on
Mr. RhodesMr. Rhodes is an American television situation comedy which was aired by NBC as part of its 1996-97 lineup.Mr. Rhodes starred comedian Tom Rhodes as an eponymous character who taught at a small-town preparatory school after having failed as a novelist...
,
Sweet Valley HighSweet Valley High is an American comedy-drama series based on Francine Pascal's book series of the same name. The series ran from September 5, 1994 to October 14, 1997, and was produced by Saban Entertainment...
, and
CybillCybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show...
before joining the cast of the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
as
Eric BradyEric Roman Brady is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. As an adult, the role of Eric was played by Jensen Ackles from early 1997 to July 31, 2000 and Ritz Gregory from April 1994 to early 1997 and again from August 2000 to January 11, 2002...
in 1997. He won a 1998 Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Male Newcomer and went on to be nominated three times (in 1998, 1999, and 2000) for a
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
for
Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his work on
Days of our Lives.
Ackles departed
Days of our Lives in 2000 and went on to appear in the mini-series
Blonde, about the life of
Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
. He also auditioned for the role of the young
Clark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
on
SmallvilleSmallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, a role offered to actor
Tom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
instead. Next he appeared in a guest role on the
James CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
television series
Dark AngelDark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
on
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in 2001 as
serial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Ben/X5-493, the "brother" of main character
Max/X5-452Max Guevara is a fictional television character and protagonist in the cyberpunk science fiction television program Dark Angel. She is portrayed by Jessica Alba as an adult and Geneva Locke as a child...
(played by
Jessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
). 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/X5-494Alec McDowell is a fictional television character portrayed by Jensen Ackles in the 2000–2002 cyberpunk television series Dark Angel, created by James Cameron....
. He remained with the show until its cancellation in 2002.
Ackles worked steadily throughout 2003. He joined the cast of the
WBThe WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
's hit show
Dawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
during its final season, playing CJ,
Jen LindleyJennifer "Jen" Lindley is a fictional character on the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actress Michelle Williams.-Season One:...
'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 DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
's love interest on the second season of
Tru CallingTru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that premiered on Fox Network on October 30, 2003. It ran for two seasons before being canceled....
, 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
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(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 LangLana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
(played by
Kristin KreukKristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of...
). 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.
Most recently, Ackles joined the cast of the CW
horrorHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
/drama series
SupernaturalSupernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
in 2005, where he stars as
Dean WinchesterDean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
. Dean and his brother Sam (
Jared PadaleckiJared Tristan Padalecki is an American actor. He grew up in Texas and came to fame in the early 2000s after appearing on the television series Gilmore Girls as well as in several Hollywood films, including New York Minute and House of Wax...
) drive throughout the United States hunting paranormal predators, sometimes with their father, (
Jeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
). The seventh season began broadcast on September 23, 2011.
In the summer of 2007, Ackles took on the role of Priestly in the independent comedy
Ten Inch HeroTen Inch Hero is an independent romantic comedy film completed in 2007. The film was directed by David Mackay and written by Betsy Morris. The Ten Inch Hero of the title refers to a large submarine sandwich.- Plot :...
. 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 PhillipsLou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
in
A Few Good Men at Casa Mañana Theatre in
Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, 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, which opened nationwide on January 16, 2009.
In summer of 2010, Ackles lent his voice as the
Red HoodRed Hood is the alias used by several fictional characters, usually antagonists for Batman in the DC Universe.-Joker:The Red Hood first appeared in Detective Comics #168 "The Man Behind the Red Hood" . In the original continuity, the man later known as the Joker was a master criminal going by the...
(
Jason ToddJason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
) for the animated film,
Batman: Under The Red Hood# "A Death in the Family" # "Main Titles" # "Mob Boss Meeting" # "Amazo" # "Batwing" # "Batmobile to Arkham" # "Interrogation" # "Rooftop Chase" # "Flashback" # "Black Mask Strikes Back"...
, which was released to DVD and Blu-ray on July 27.
On October 22, 2010, Disney Interactive Studios announced that he would be voicing a character named Gibson in the video game,
Tron: EvolutionTron: Evolution is a third-person action-adventure, tie-in video game for the film Tron: Legacy by Propaganda Games, published by Disney Interactive. It was officially announced at the Spike Video Game Awards and was released for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and Xbox...
, which was released on December 7, 2010.
Personal life
After dating actress, model, and gymnast
Danneel HarrisDanneel Ackles , better known by her stage name Danneel Harris, is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Shannon McBain on One Life to Live and Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill.-Early life:Elta Danneel Graul was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was raised in the small...
for three years, and becoming engaged in November 2009, they married in Dallas, Texas on May 15, 2010. Ackles considers himself a non-denominational Christian.
Film
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2004 |
|
Jensen |
Short film |
| 2005 |
Devour |
Jake Gray |
Straight-to-DVD |
| 2007 |
Ten Inch Hero |
(Boaz) Priestly |
|
| 2009 |
My Bloody Valentine 3D |
Tom Hanniger |
|
| 2010 |
Batman: Under the Red Hood # "A Death in the Family" # "Main Titles" # "Mob Boss Meeting" # "Amazo" # "Batwing" # "Batmobile to Arkham" # "Interrogation" # "Rooftop Chase" # "Flashback" # "Black Mask Strikes Back"...
|
Jason Todd / Red HoodJason Peter Todd is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Jason first appeared in Batman #357 and became the second Robin, sidekick to the superhero Batman, when the previous Robin went on to star in The New Teen Titans under the moniker of Nightwing.Though...
|
DC Original animated film; voice role |
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1996 |
WishboneWishbone is a television show which aired from 1995 to 1998 and reruns from 1998 to 2001 in the United States featuring a Jack Russell Terrier of the same name. The main character, the talking dog Wishbone, lives with his owner Joe Talbot in the fictional modern town of Oakdale, Texas...
|
Michael Duss |
Episode 1.34: "Viva Wishbone!" |
| 1996 |
Sweet Valley HighSweet Valley High is an American comedy-drama series based on Francine Pascal's book series of the same name. The series ran from September 5, 1994 to October 14, 1997, and was produced by Saban Entertainment...
|
Brad |
Episode 3.17: "All Along in the Water Tower" |
| 1996–97 |
Mr. Rhodes Mr. Rhodes is an American television situation comedy which was aired by NBC as part of its 1996-97 lineup.Mr. Rhodes starred comedian Tom Rhodes as an eponymous character who taught at a small-town preparatory school after having failed as a novelist...
|
Malcolm |
7 episodes |
| 1997 |
Cybill Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show...
|
David |
Episode 3.22: "The Wedding" |
| 1998–2002 |
Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
|
Eric Brady Eric Roman Brady is a fictional character on the television drama Days of our Lives. As an adult, the role of Eric was played by Jensen Ackles from early 1997 to July 31, 2000 and Ritz Gregory from April 1994 to early 1997 and again from August 2000 to January 11, 2002...
#6 |
Role held: November 6, 1998–July 31, 2000
Soap Opera Digest AwardThe first annual Soap Opera Digest Awards were held in 1984, with the second being screened on NBC and Days of our Lives winning every award in the daytime categories. For the subsequent 6 years votes were for awards in either daytime soaps, or primetime...
for Outstanding Male Newcomer (1998)
Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama SeriesThe Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys since the 12th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in 1985. The award category was originally called the Outstanding Young Man in a Drama Series...
(1998–2000) |
| 2001 |
Blonde Blonde is a 2001 made-for-television film on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Australian actress Poppy Montgomery steps into the role of the blonde bombshell who transformed herself from Norma Jean Baker to the sexy Hollywood Icon.-Plot:...
|
Eddie G |
Television film |
| 2001–02 |
Dark AngelDark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
|
Alec McDowell / X5-494Alec McDowell is a fictional television character portrayed by Jensen Ackles in the 2000–2002 cyberpunk television series Dark Angel, created by James Cameron....
, Ben / X5-493 |
Main cast; 22 episodes |
| 2002–03 |
Dawson's CreekDawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
|
C.J. |
Recurring cast; 12 episodes |
| 2003–04 |
Still Life |
Max |
Main cast; 6 episodes; unaired series |
| 2004–05 |
Smallville Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
|
Jason Teague |
Series regular; 22 episodes |
| 2005–present |
Supernatural Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
|
Dean WinchesterDean Winchester is a fictional character from The CW Television Network's Supernatural, portrayed by Jensen Ackles. He hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with his younger brother Sam.-Background:...
|
Main role
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Award for Favorite Actor (2011)
Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Breakout Star (2006) |
Video games
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2010 |
Tron: Evolution Tron: Evolution is a third-person action-adventure, tie-in video game for the film Tron: Legacy by Propaganda Games, published by Disney Interactive. It was officially announced at the Spike Video Game Awards and was released for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and Xbox...
|
Gibson |
|
| 2011 |
The 3rd Birthdayis an action role-playing game develpoed HexaDrive and published by Square Enix. The game was made for the PlayStation Portable and marks the third entry in the Parasite Eve series...
|
Kyle Madigan |
|
Awards and nominations
- Ackles won the 2008 and 2010 Best Actor in a Drama Series Ewwy Award for playing Dean Winchester on Supernatural.
External links