This past week, Walker saw the reunion of two actors who spent a lot of time together on sets previously — Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Padalecki, the star and executive producer of The CW’s Walker, was joined by his Supernatural TV brother of 15 years, Ackles, as Ackles directed his first episode of television outside of Supernatural.

Nerds and Beyond: First, we have to ask about working with Jensen again, which I’m sure everyone is doing. So, to be a little bit different, what’s a memory from this episode you loved most or something you enjoyed most about having him direct Walker?

Jared Padalecki: Well, the one that sticks in my mind … I don’t know if anybody’s talked about this, but he was filming on his birthday. He was directing, so we kind of laughed, and we thought about how we filmed on his birthday in 2005. We’re like, “Man, we can’t get away from it, can we?” And we had gotten him a cake, we had lunch and sang him “Happy Birthday.” 

So, the way that schedule worked out there were two days that I was not in, and actually requested for those two days to be his first two days of directing. [It] kind of sounds odd but my thinking was, I want him to meet my crew and my crew to meet him as director-actor Jensen Ackles, not director-actor Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki’s friend. So I was like, “I don’t want to be there.” He’s been on plenty of sets, he can hold his own, and he certainly didn’t need me there. So I’d like them to meet him and to see that this guy’s great, he knows exactly what he’s doing, he knows how to set up shots, he knows how to talk to actors.

So I came in on day three and it was like old times. He was a guest director, but it felt like family. The family’s there and I was able to tell the crew, “Hey, we were kind of ‘The Little Engine That Could’ [on Supernatural]” and Walker was as well, … you know we built this family together, this Walker family … For whatever it’s worth, I hope you all know and realize that when I talked to The CW about doing a show about a tall, white, male, heterosexual law enforcement official in Texas, they probably would have laughed if weren’t for Supernatural. And if it weren’t for all the blood, sweat, and tears that Jensen and I put into Supernatural over 15 and a half years, then there would have never been a Supernatural either. We all, in part, owe this job, this family, and this story that we love to Jensen, as well.” It was nice to [give] that kudos that he rightly deserves. 

We all applauded for him and then he kind of said a few words for the crew and then [he] threw the cake into his own face [laughs]. He was in his day’s outfit, he [did not bring] a change of clothes. He was just like, “Alright, well, this is what I’m gonna do,” and he just faceplanted himself right into the cake, so that made the crew love him even more if that was possible. But, it felt like a series of moments like that.

He and Odette [Annable] were already friends. He and Mitch [Pileggi] were obviously already friends. So, a lot of the people that he was working with he had either known or worked with before. It just felt seamless. It felt awesome. It felt like I was proud to be showing off my brother, so it was fun. I think a lot of my crew got a sense of how I might have ended up the leader that I am on Walker because I’ve been learning from this guy as well. So it was nice to have that one kind of come full circle.

With you two knowing each other so well, was it easier having him direct or more intimidating?

Jared Padalecki: Well, it was easier. And also again, when he was directing Supernatural we were acting together. Not that I needed to look out for him while he was acting, but just naturally, I knew that in his head he was directing as well. So I had another responsibility when we were acting in scenes together because I did make sure that he was there as Dean and not looking around to make sure that the rest of the scene was going the way it’s supposed to on the camera.   Now … he got to come in and he still speaks to me like a fellow actor, which is kind of his directing style. When he’s dealing with the camera setups, the lighting, the sound, or the set decorations, then he’s certainly a director, but having come from decades of acting he knows how to talk to the actors, [and] he certainly knows how to talk to me. That was, again, just more seamless.

There were a lot of Supernatural Easter eggs in this episode – the green cooler was added, and the auditorium was named Novak … What was it like planning those and adding those in? Were they scripted, or were some inserted as filming happened?

Jared Padalecki: A lot of them were scripted and a lot of them were just gone over in meetings between Jensen and the writers. But then some got thrown in and also they got thrown in during the writing of the script because we were [going] from white draft to blue draft and yellow draft or just page revisions. We’d add some in, but they were on purpose.   One of the beers that we use in Supernatural as well is making its way onto the camera, and it’s actually a beer that I have. I have one as well sitting in my office. I just asked if I could take one home, so it’s just sitting there unopened on my office desk. So it was funny watching dailies and going like, “Oh, I didn’t realize they got that.”

Was that the one that Liam pulled out of the cooler?

Jared Padalecki: Yeah, yeah [laughs]. 

I noticed that and it was the one you superglued Dean’s hand to in Supernatural.

Jared Padalecki: [laughs] Oh, yeah. I have a pristine copy unopened in my office with no superglue on it.

One of the biggest surprises was having Kansas join in on the episode and they played “Carry On Wayward Son.” 

Jared Padalecki: It was so cool. We had met the band before when they played us on stage at Comic-Con in San Diego….  they were supposed to be in heaven playing [on Supernatural]  it couldn’t happen because they would have to quarantine for two weeks.  Luckily when Jensen and I quarantined, we’re quarantining in the places we both lived for several years. I had all my stuff, I had internet, I had a patio, and I had books. I could stream Netflix if I wanted to, get a little workout in, and I had some weights and stuff. They would not have had that. So, it didn’t work out, and then when we found out they were coming and playing Austin we were like, “Wait a second.”  It initially was not supposed to be the episode that Jensen was directing. It was going to be directed by Austin Nichols, who is directing as we speak. But we told Austin the situation and Austin lives in Austin, he was like, “Yeah, sure. That’s badass.” So he gave Jensen his episode. Jensen, I guess, gave Austin the episode that he was gonna do after he had to, unfortunately, not do episode seven earlier this season.

I read something in a recent interview with Jensen. Was he the shadowy figure at the end, like was he the stand-in actor for it?

Jared Padalecki: You know what, I don’t know. [laughs] I wasn’t there. 

Nerds and Beyond: Yeah, he said he inserted himself as a shadowy figure, and I thought that maybe it was that one.

Jared Padalecki: Well, I think he could have been … I didn’t even ask him. I would have thought that he was kind of hinting that he’s somewhere in the crowd at Kansas.

Jared Padalecki: I know he did sneak into the background of a few of the shots, so he’s going to have options. He didn’t want to be super obvious because he’s expressed to me and to Anna [Fricke] that he would love to come do some episodes. So, I don’t think he wants to [be] like … “Well, now that I’ve been on camera, I can’t go be another Ranger or a bad guy or good guy or whatever.” [laughs]  I don’t know what the editors ultimately decided to do. But I watched the edit, I figured I’d be able to see bow legs. Maybe I’ll go back and watch. [laughs] But you know, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was the shadowy figure in our pilot [on Supernatural] that was standing over my crib. It was him in that trench coat outfit. So maybe that was another little Supernatural-esque easter egg.

Walker is known for having this exceptional culture on set that pretty much every actor talks about. So as an executive producer, as well as being in it, how important was it to you to foster an inclusive and positive culture onset?

Jared Padalecki: That was, and remains the important aspect. Supernatural was also a set that people loved working on and we had a good time, we got our work done. Here in Austin, between Steve Robin, John Patterson, and me, and the rest of the gang, we’ve all been able to say, “Hey, this is life first.”    I think back to what Kim Manners told Jensen and me way back in the day, when he said, “You know, I’m gonna spend more time with you guys than I do with my wife, my kids, my dogs, my boat, whatever. So, if I’m not having a good time, then what the fuck am I doing here?” And so that doesn’t mean we want to fool around and not get to set on time or not come to work prepared and professional. But it’s just … it’s vitally important to me.

A prequel pilot for Walker, Walker: Independence, has just finished filming, which you are executive producing. How excited are you to potentially expand more into the story?

Jared Padalecki: It’s phenomenal. The writing is fantastic. I’m half jealous that I don’t get to be in it [laughs]. But again, I do get to be home in Austin. It is a great set of characters that Seamus [Fahey] and the gang put together, and they fleshed it out so well. … Larry Teng did a phenomenal job with the pilot and we’re going to beg him to come back for more. But I can’t wait for the world to see the show.

Jensen Ackles recently came onto the “Walker” scene to direct an episode. What was that experience like, and what kind of energy and creative vision did he bring to the director’s chair?

[Jokingly] It brought back bad memories. That was nothing but bad memories. I swear, having the two of them together, ganging up on me, it was relentless, and it was uncalled for. It was unnecessary … No, it was so much fun having Jensen there because he’s part of the family, and to have his face there, and his energy, and his humor, and everything that comes with it, was absolutely brilliant. I was so happy that he came in and did an episode, and I hope he gets to come in and do more. But to have those two knuckleheads together was … Phew, you can only imagine.

[Laughs] What did they do to you?

Nothing. They didn’t do anything to me — well, yeah, they did. They like to pick on me. It gives them joy, and if it makes them happy, then it makes me happy. So there you go.

Did they prank you or anything?

No. It’s our relationship, and how goofy we are, and how silly we get, and it’s not only when Jensen’s there. This cast and this crew, it’s pretty amazing. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this is the most amazing cast and crew that, I believe, I’ve worked with. I’ve been doing this for four years, and this is a hell of a way for me to end it.

Who was behind that prank with Jensen’s ever-changing director chairs, and what was Jensen’s reaction to that? Were there any other pranks that you noticed, or fun moments, when he came to direct?

No, the usual stuff, but Jared has fun being a child, and I let him [laughs]. I let him have his joy. I wasn’t there the whole time that he was, with all the shenanigans that were going on between him and Jensen, but I’m sure that it was a lot of fun. I’m sure, for Jared, it was a treat having Jensen there, but yeah.

Do you have any favorite memories from working on the “Supernatural” set?

It was fun. I was working with a lot of the guys, [and] a lot of the crew on “Supernatural” were “X-Files” crew, so it was a real treat. Kim Manners was there when I came and did the first episode, so I got to spend a little bit of time with him before he passed, and I’m so grateful for that.

Most of all, was [that] I met Jared Padalecki. The day that I met Jared Padalecki was a very important day in my life because he is one of the most outstanding individuals that I’ve ever come across, and I’ve come across a lot of people in my 70 years. I told him the other day, I said, “One of the best days of my life is the day that I met you.”

You wouldn’t believe some of the things that he’s done for me since we’ve been doing this. His brother did my shoulder. I had shoulder replacement. They gave me a couple of episodes off. Jared and Anna were like, “You’ve got some time off. We’re going to give you time off, get your shoulder fixed.” I had Dr. Jeff Padalecki, do my shoulder surgery. His brother replaced my shoulder, and he’s one of the best surgeons I’ve ever encountered because he did an amazing job. I got a new shoulder, and it’s my good shoulder now. Jared and Genevieve [Padalecki] took a big portion of the cast in during the [Texas] snowpocalypse last year. There were 15 of us in his house. 15 people and five dogs, and they took us all in without a blink of [an] eye and took care of us for a week until we were able to go home, and that’s what it’s like on this set. The atmosphere and the chemistry between us on this set [are] something I’ve never experienced before. There [are] no divas. There’s no drama. This is the happiest set I’ve ever been on, and this crew is frigging outstanding. They’re stellar, and this cast is … Like I said, I’m so blessed to be, at this point, doing this in my career. It’s pretty awesome. I got nothing but good things to say about all of this.