10:00 am to 10:30 am Gold Panel with Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Fangasm
Panel highlights included fans wishing the Winchesters would wear fewer clothes and the boys agreeing (“not NO clothes…”), fighting about who’s the most considerate and Jensen somehow convincing us that leaving the toilet seat UP was a good idea, and talking about ad libs and admitting that the Sam and Dean fighting scene in Tall Tales went a little differently than it was written (you don’t say…).
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J2 DCCon Gold Panel Summary
Jared says it feels good to be in front of family again.
J2 are excited about the Baby episode this season.
Jensen says the season 10 premiere is almost done filming.
Jared on Jensen: Other people can’t tell but I can tell when he’s being a director.
Jared can tell the difference when Jensen is Jensening versus when he’s Deaning: J2 talk about the difference between working when Jensen is acting and directing versus only acting.
Jared: He Jensens us and then Deans us. Jensen: You just made me a verb.
Jared says that he’s always had a special appreciation for directors who are actors.
Jensen: I can give more emotional direction.
Jared says that directors with acting backgrounds come at directing from a more emotional level versus physical.
Fan: What’s the most creative thing you’ve made for you wives? Jared: A couple babies *drops mic*
Jensen designed Danneel’s engagement ring and Jared made a scrapbook for Gen.
Jensen: Scrap booking? I’d rather die.
Jensen talks about the close relationship they have with the fans.
Jared advice for acting is to be yourself.
J2 on acting: there are always going to be more no’s then yeses. It’s a numbers game and you have to keep at it. Success in acting comes from grinding it out.
Jared: We’re both very passionate about using whatever platform we have to make the world better.
Jensen: It’s inspiring for us to see how much this community supports each other.
A fan tells J2 that Travis Aaron Wade speaks highly of them. Jensen: “He has to, we’re taller.” lol
Jensen says he would love for Benny to come back.
Jared liked playing demon blood Sam and found it a challenge playing Lucifer as angelic

Jensen MG by Fangasm
The first question was about the finale of Season 10, which most of us are still pondering. (I guess that’s a good thing for a season finale).
Fan: I was really surprised that Dean killed Death.
Jensen: Me too!
He went on to speculate about whether or not you really can kill Death, or will poor Sam and Dean have to deal with both The Darkness and a pissed off Death? [Not a spoiler, just speculation]. Jensen also said that he, like all of us, loves the character and the way Julian Richings plays him. Our Show has the best Death, seriously.
Another fan commented on Dean’s emotional intensity this past season, and wondered how Jensen dealt with playing that.
Jensen: (nodding at his dad in the back of the room) I got that from him.
Randomly, another fan (apparently struck by the fact, which I can totally relate to): You have such pretty eyes…
Jensen: (nodding at his mom at the back of the room) I got that from her.
He said he’s pretty good at snapping in and out of Dean at this point, but that it does take a toll. Sometimes playing the guitar in the dark is therapeutic after a stressful day, or a game of golf (since it’s essentially like a 5 hour walk in the park!)
I asked him about directing again this season. Since he’s now directed quite a few times, is it getting easier, or was there something about this particular Season 11 episode that made it challenging?
Jensen said that what’s getting easier is his sense of confidence. He’s more confident now, and that means he doesn’t need as much prep as he did before. That said, it still sounds like he puts a ton of work into being prepared. Partly, he said, because that’s what Kim Manners taught him – that the most important thing about directing is to do your homework. And partly because everything has to be planned out ahead of time so that he can concentrate on also acting the part of Dean. He has to be able to trust the crew – the director of photography (the incredible Serge Ladouceur), Kevin Parks his indispensable AD, and the camera operators Rosie and Brad. When he’s acting as Dean, he depends on them to tell him whether or not they got the shot, whether it turned out the way they planned.
Jensen: I’ll look at Rosie or Brad and be like, how was it? I trust Kevin to have my back too so I can still have fun like usual. I should be more authoritative, but I don’t want to! We have a lot of fun on set.
If he wasn’t prepared, that would all be harder. Plus, he said, you need to be as prepared as you can be in case something changes and goes a different direction.
Jensen: Sometimes an actor wants to do something different, make a different choice. Or sometimes there’s a “happy accident” and we want to capture it. I depend on the crew, and they have my back. They just hand it to me wrapped up with a bow and say “you’re welcome”.
Jensen: Also (vague spoiler alert) there’s a six year old in that episode, so…
Jensen: I thought you’d get that.
From the back of the room, I’m pretty sure Mama and Papa Ackles were also nodding in agreement.
Another fan asked how the relationship between Dean and Cas was, considering Dean’s beat-down of Castiel at the end of Season 10. She prefaced her question with a disclaimer about not reading anything into the question, which is an interesting comment on the complexity of fandom and reciprocal relationships, since it was an entirely appropriate question. Jensen said (spoilers ahead once again) that Dean and Cas manage to work things out, in the way that boys sometimes do, and that they’re then okay. This also led to a funny story about Misha not quite pulling his punch enough and popping Jensen in the jaw.
Misha: expletive!
Jensen: keep going, keep going!
When they finished the scene, Jensen turned to one of the camera operators and asked “did that sell?” meaning did the punch look real on film.
Brad: No
Jensen: I beg to differ!
He talked a bit about the challenges of stage fighting and how different it is from real fighting.
Jensen: Jared and I are so comfortable together that we can come this close [mimes a punch stopping an inch short of his face], and it looks good.
He told a story about how he developed a love of music when his father played the guitar (and then his dad put it in his luggage when he left home at 18 for California, aww). There was one little tidbit that’s not very personal, but which amused me.
Jensen: Danneel is very comfortable introducing herself to people. Even waiters. And I’m like, they don’t care! Then the waiter will be like, Dannn… Danielle? Danneee…what?
When they finally get her name explained, the waiter inevitably turns to him.
Waiter: And you are?
Jensen: Um, Jensen…
Waiter: Seriously?
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Boys join the band on stage, Jensen with a cowbell and Jared with a tambourine, and finish with their routine jump on stage.
Jensen is exhausted from jumping lol.
J2 are shooting the s11 premiere and will be filming early tomorrow.
Jared takes off the beanie, crowd goes wild. Jensen: “I got the vapors!”
Fan: We love you! Jared: “We love you back!”
Jensen says, “Take your shirt off chicken.” Jared giggles and repeats it.
Also: Fans: take your shirt off! Jared: Pants maybe. Jensen: Your mom is right there.
Misha had promised the crowd that Jared would strip for money. Jensen: “Typical Misha to promise something he can’t deliver.”
Asked about their biggest faults. Jensen leaves toilet seat up for other men who won’t. Jared confirms he does not leave the toilet seat up lol but he does leave sweaty exercise clothes hanging out. J2 both like to hang their sweaty clothes outside apparently.
Jared now thinks people will think maybe Jensen Ackles was here when women find the toilet seat up in a unisex bathroom lol.
Jared jokes that in ep 5 they’re lifeguards and in shorts. Jensen corrects that they’re swimming instructors in Brazil.
Jared says they would like to wear less clothes on the show but not zero clothes.
Fan: What did you want to be when you were growing up? Jared: You should probably ask them – points to his parents.
Jared says he wanted to act when he was a kid because he wanted to be on Home Improvement.
Jensen wanted to be a cowboy. He had the costume. He was on his first horse on his 4th birthday.
Jensen’s parents are also there.
Jensen talking about being a cowboy and how he would put on his vest – Jared: He still has it.
In Tall Tales, the fighting in the hotel room went a little different than written. It was J2 improv.
Attitudes in Reverse is there and thanking Jared for coming forward with his struggles.
Jared: Supernatural has a message and Jensen and I feel like that about Always Keep Fighting.
J2 want to not just do well, they want to do good. They’re learning how to use their voice to do that. Jared says that he is only one voice and so is Jensen, but when everyone is involved it’s a positive ripple effect. They’re grateful they have the fandom to help amplify the message.
Jared: “Supernatural has a message..it’s brought people together.”
Fan to Jensen: You’re gorgeous. Jared: Yes he is.
Soulless!Sam was pure reason, Demon!Sam would be evil.
Jensen says Soulless!Dean would be emotionless, Demon!Dean found enjoyment in being evil.
Jensen doesn’t want to do Soulless!Dean though, he just wants to drive the car and bail Sam out.
Jared wants to see Jensen play soulless. Jensen: I will stick to just driving the car and keeping you out of trouble.
Jensen cracks up. Jared: You like that?
They listened to the Jared Padalecki song lol. The fan who played it said there was one about Jensen, too, but she didn’t have it.
If Jensen could be another character on SPN he would be the Japanese game show host. Jared would be the tooth fairy. Jensen does an impression of the game show host.
Most difficult ep to film in s10? Jensen: When we lost Charlie. He also says that the one with killing Cain was difficult for him, too. They were two of his favorite characters.
Fan: “We love it when you cry!” Jensen: “That’s awful!”
Fan: “If SPN got cancelled-” Jared: YOU DO NOT SAY THAT. IT’S LIKE VOLDEMORT.
Once series ends, which episode would they want to run forever? They say funny eps, so many are too sad.
Someone brought up Bloodlines, Jensen snarks: Oh, yeah, love that episode. Talk about a square peg in a round hole.
Jensen: Season 11 will be somewhat of a reset to the original show. Dean driving, Sam riding shotgun and they have a common target, fighting the fight together.
J2 are excited to have the brothers back together.
Changing lines depends on importance to the plot. They can’t change the story line, there is a point to every scene and they stay within that.
Jared: Sometimes with the script…I don’t want to say we’ve taken liberty and changed anything- Jensen: But we have.
Fans keep asking them to strip, Jensen slowly started dancing and pointed to Jared and Jared started dancing in his chair.
Fan suggests adding beanies if there is a 4th round in the AKF campaign. Jared loves the idea.
Jensen says there is a support system between him and Jared that he rarely finds in people.
The investment J2 have made into each other is not just job related, there is an emotional investment, too.
Jensen: If one of us starts to waver or fall, the other is going to be the first one there to lend support.
“Our wives are hanging out right now. Our kids are together. Our parents went touring together this morning.” It goes beyond them.
Jensen used the word “protective” multiple times to describe his relationship with Jared.
They mention extended family, cast, crew, con family.
Biggest twist on the show? Jensen said he wasn’t expecting the end of season 9.
Jared thinks Supernatural stands alone. Finds the show unique and always surprising.
Favorite part of DC for J2? They point to the audience.
Turning point in MOC story line was when Cain said he would never stop.
Jared says s10 finale was a parallel to Swan Song.
If you could bring back anyone from the dead, who would it be? Jared: Is Ruby an answer?
J2 discuss how as soon as we get someone we like on the show they kill them.
Boys don’t have an emotional home base anymore with Bobby being gone. They would bring back Bobby or John.
Jensen reminds us that we never actually saw Dean kill Cain.
Asked about what developments they are looking forward to for their kids? Jared: Potty training Shep.
Jensen is excited to teach JJ sports, says he may have to teach Jared’s sons, too. Jensen wants to teach Tom golf, right after he teaches his father lol. Jensen already promised Tom he would teach him how to golf, and says Jared still needs to learn, too.
JJ was on set while Jensen was directing and he got a really cool pic of her playing with a camera.
Parting words for DC? Jensen: My fellow Americans…That’s all. I just wanted to say that.
Jensen sang a little bit at the end of the panel.
J2 thank the fans: We wouldn’t be here without you.
Sunday closed out with a second Mark Sheppard panel, crashed by Jensen and Jared, and then an epic autograph session. Here’s Jensen sweetly asking Mark who his favorite director is.