It may not seem it with the title, but I am a long-time Jensen Ackles fan.
In fact, when I was introduced to Supernatural (during its second season, but that’s a whole different story), I immediately went down a Jensen Ackles rabbit hole.
I watched everything I could find, whether it was the one season of Smallville he was in or the somewhat questionable horror movie Devour.
I’ve followed him since leaving Supernatural, tuning into Big Sky, The Winchesters, The Boys, and so much more, and yet, the more I watch, the more I feel he’s losing his sparkle.
What Happened to His Range?
If you look back at the early days of Supernatural, you’ll see range.
Dean Winchester started off as cocky, but he had moments of emotion.
The single man tear has remained an iconic part of the SPN Family, even inspiring a song in the 200th episode of the series.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the series, but I can tell you when Ackles started to lose the range of emotion he was so good at.
It was sometime around Supernatural Season 5.
In fact, that’s when Supernatural went downhill, in my opinion, and I partly blame The CW for constantly renewing it rather than letting it end where Eric Kripke wanted it to in the first place.
(Thank you, Amazon, for paying attention and letting The Boys end with Season 5 just like Kripke wants.)
There are a couple of moments in later seasons of Supernatural when the emotions shine through, and I’m sure many of you will immediately think of the “I hate you, but I love you” moment when he confronts Mary Winchester inside a sort of dream world.
There is another standout episode for me, and it’s the one when Dean starts to lose his memories.
We see dementia play out from the view of family, but we rarely see what it’s like for those losing their memories as they realize what’s going on, and Ackles delivered that in a way that still sends shivers down my spine.
However, since all of this, there has been little range.
When you look at the likes of Countdown and Tracker, Ackles continues to play the same type of characters, but he doesn’t go into the level of emotion that Dean was able to.
Sure, a lot of that is on the writing, as the characters haven’t been given the chance, but even with Big Sky, when he did have moments that he could have delved deeper, he didn’t.
The Joy of Acting
Part of me has to wonder if Ackles enjoys acting all that much anymore.
It’s not just limited to him from Supernatural, either.
Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins have also struggled since leaving the 15-season show, and I have to ask if that’s a correlation or a coincidence.
We know that Ackles started to move behind the camera during his run on the fantasy series. After that, he started his own production company with his wife, Danneel Ackles, continuing to work behind the scenes.
It’s plausible that, after 15 years of working on the same series (and spending years before that on other projects), he has lost the joy of acting.
Do any of them really enjoy it?
It’s not a bad thing for them to say that the show burned them out and made them want to pursue a new career, but it’s essential to acknowledge it.
A Stereotyped Actor
Since Supernatural, Ackles has guest-starred and starred in shows like Big Sky, Countdown, and Tracker.
While all the characters have different names, they are all very much versions of Dean Winchester, who has become a lot like Jensen Ackles himself.
Many actors end up being stereotyped.
They take on a significant role, and then they often end up becoming that character in every other show or movie they appear in afterward.
That’s what has happened here.
Dean Winchester is Mark Meachum, and Mark Meachum is Russell Shaw.
In fact, when it comes to Tracker, the entire series has begun to feel like another Supernatural, with its brotherly moments.
Sure, I love the vibe, but shouldn’t the show try to stand out on its own, as it did in the beginning?
We have another Sam and Dean with Colter and Russell in Tracker Season 3 Episode 2, and this is just adding to the feeling that something has gone wrong for Ackles along the way.
I often joke that Countdown and Tracker are alternate worlds that show different directions if Dean Winchester had had a slightly different, perhaps more conventional upbringing.
But it’s not really a joke if Jensen is settling for work he doesn’t love because in doing so, he’s lost a bit of his sparkle. And when he shines, you can’t take your eyes off him.
If Jensen is on a path he loves, then great!
I’m not here to tell him that he can’t be stereotyped if he wants to be, as it’s his work and his life in the end.
I just want to understand what happened to an actor who once showed so much emotion and range. He could have been one of the greats, but playing the same role repeatedly won’t get him there.
Is it a personal choice, or is it a lack of good writing? Is he the one who can’t see beyond Dean Winchester, or is it how others see him?
Either way, something has happened. Still, I’m here for the Jensen Ackles of 2005–2010 with all of the emotional range he carried.
We know you have thoughts. Whether you’re a Jensen superfan or a casual viewer, share your opinion in the comments below.
Be constructive and friendly. Let’s keep the conversation on topic so we can try to get to the bottom of this!
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