Actor Jensen Ackles, best known for his roles in Supernatural and The Boys, is opening up about his decades-long career in the entertainment industry.
While speaking to Collider for a June 25 interview, Ackles shared he was nearly cast as Clark Kent, AKA Superman, for the teen drama Smallville, which ran for 10 seasons until 2011. Ultimately, the iconic role went to Tom Welling.
“I would shock you if I told you how many jobs I didn’t get compared to the ones I did get,” said Ackles to the publication. “I never felt discouraged by the ones that I didn’t get. Again, this kind of goes back to lessons that I learned from the veterans. There was a multitude of people who told me that every audition, every meeting, every time you get into a room is a learning experience. So, even though you might not get the role, you learn from it. You try to make an impression on those people.”
Ackles also noted that he was eventually cast as Clark’s high school football coach, Jason Teague, during the show’s 4th season.
“They brought me in after [Smallville] Season 3 and said, ‘We’ve been trying to think of a way to incorporate you into the show, and we’re just thankful you’re still available,'” said Ackles during the interview.
Welling spoke about Ackles nearly being cast as Clark during a July 2022 episode of his podcast, Talk Ville.
“It was me and Jensen [for Clark]. I remember going in for the actual audition. I went in and there was a wonderfully handsome guy. And I was like, ‘I think this guy is a real actor.’ It was Jensen. Who ended up being Clark’s football coach,” said Welling on his podcast.
While recording a March 2024 interview on the Talk Ville podcast, Kristin Kreuk, who played Lana Lang, spoke about being Ackles’ on-screen love interest during Smallville Season 4.
“It was so fun. I was watching it now and Jensen has such an easy kind of chill, like, he’s just so cool. And so his performances are really free and natural. And I think that was nice for me to engage with,” said the actress.