Jensen Ackles' New Show Countdown: His Daughter's Unexpected TV Obsession And Why He Continues To Perform Stunts

Jensen Ackles has a new action-packed series coming out, and it appears that his biggest fan is his own daughter, Justice. The Supernatural star's 12-year-old daughter is quite excited about his Amazon MGM Studios project Countdown. She's been begging to watch it. This is hardly surprising given that Justice and her friends are huge fans of another show, The Rookie.

Jensen and his wife of 15 years, Danneel Ackles, have twins named Zeppelin and Arrow, who are eight years old. He told Francesca Amiker of E! News that his oldest daughter "is dying and begging me to watch this show because one of her favorite shows that is on currently—and she and all of her friends watch it—is The Rookie." Jensen had to warn her, "Listen, this is not The Rookie." This will have a lot more motion and isn't nearly as soapy." He also believed his twins were "probably a little too young" for the show. Nonetheless, the 47-year-old was confident his oldest would watch Countdown anyhow. The show will premiere on Prime Video on June 25.

Jensen believes that after seeing it, she will compare him to Nathan Fillion. Fillion portrays John Nolan in The Rookie. Jensen has already earned some cool points from his daughter due to her fascination with the ABC show. He surprised her with a lovely birthday gift. "I contacted Nathan and said, 'Hey buddy, I don't know why, but my 12-year-old and all of her girlfriends are very into your program. Would you mind sending her a happy birthday video? Jensen recalls. He further stated that Fillion "not only sent one, but he got the entire cast to send individual 'Happy Birthdays.'" So that's probably the nicest gift a father could have given. And it only cost me a phone call, so it was free. It sounds like a terrific dad move to me.

Jensen Ackles tackles intense action sequences in his new series Countdown.

From high-speed car chases to jumping between moving vehicles, the actor performs his own stunts.

So, what could fans expect from Jensen's new show? He indicated there would be a lot of action. However, he left some tricks to the experts. "I'm not quite as young as I used to be," the Boys star remarked. "Because my brain can say, 'Sure, I can jump off of this no problem.' But then my knee is like, 'Are you sure?'" This is a feeling that many of us can definitely identify with. It's good to know that even action stars have limits.

Jensen thanked the stunt squad for their outstanding effort. They went "above and beyond" to create breathtaking scenes. These included high-speed pursuits down Wilshire Boulevard and hopping from trailers to pickup vehicles. Jensen gave himself credit for performing a few tricks on his own. "I'd like to say I was getting my Tom Cruise on," he continued, laughing. "I mean, I'm not hanging from a plane, but hey—a quick jump from a moving vehicle to another moving vehicle—I'm going to keep going with that as much as they'll let me." It seems like he's still in the heart of the action, which is exactly what many fans want to witness.

His new position as Mark Meachum on Countdown differs from his previous ones, as he is no longer pursuing monsters or supervillains. Instead, he pursues human criminals. These criminals pose no less danger. The show maintains the hyper-realistic quality that makes action thrillers enjoyable. Even when he is not fighting supernatural beings, Ackles' portrayal of the characters contributes to the show's credibility. He recognizes the humanity in them. This is something he has always attempted to do, including in his sci-fi and horror ventures.

Jensen Ackles' Acting Philosophy: Find Humanity in Every Character He Plays

How His Background From Supernatural To The Boys Shapes His New Role

Jensen Ackles is well-known for his roles in genre television shows. However, his first notable television role was in a daytime soap series. He played Eric Brady in Days of Our Lives. This occurred a long time ago, from 1997 to 2000. It's a stark contrast to the tough man personas he currently plays. Eric Brady was a good boy, passionate, and sensitive. This is significantly different from Dean Winchester in Supernatural and Soldier Boy in The Boys. These characters are frequently rule-breakers who create havoc. It's pretty startling to see clips of him as Eric Brady now. It demonstrates how much his career has evolved.

Ackles explained his acting technique. He strives to play every character as realistically as possible, regardless of genre. "It's real. "Play this as realistically as possible," he would tell guest stars on Supernatural. He always attempted to play Dean as realistically as possible, even in a setting that was difficult to understand. He believes that the more human characters you make in genre shows, the more people will relate to them. This prompts viewers to consider what they would do in a zombie apocalypse or if their home was haunted. It makes the story more personal.

He believes this applies to Soldier Boy as well. Soldier Boy believes he is doing the right thing while everyone else is foolish. He has wisdom from his age and believes he has all the answers. But everyone around him realizes he's mistaken. This generates tension and drama. His new character Mark Meachum in Countdown takes the same technique, but without the fantasy. Instead of ghosts or demons, Meachum battles bad guys that aim to inflict widespread harm. Ackles considers these human villains to be "monsters" as well, but in a human way. He recognizes human aspects in all of his jobs. They all experience pain and have human emotions to situations. This means that playing a character in a realistic show isn't such a big deal for him.

Jensen Ackles Discusses The Changing Landscape Of Television

From Broadcast's Long Seasons to Streaming's Shorter Runs: How It Affects Storytelling

Ackles has expressed his thoughts on the television industry. He remarked on the distinction between broadcast television and streaming content. Each season of Supernatural featured 23 episodes. It was a lot of labor. He dubbed it a "grind." He's used to it now. People wonder why he works so much. He went directly from filming Countdown to The Boys. The Boys produces approximately eight episodes per season. Streaming series normally have eight to ten episodes. When Countdown received a 13-episode order, Ackles suspected it was the first time Amazon had ordered so many episodes for a single show.

He believes that the manner shows are released may change again. For a while, streaming services would release every episode at once. This meant that people could binge watch. However, Ackles believes that keeping viewers interested for longer periods of time is preferable. If all episodes are released at once, you may miss the water cooler talks. Someone could spoil it for you. Then you could wonder, "Why watch it at all?" He sees the tendency returning to the broadcast model. Episodes are released regularly. This allows people to discuss the show for longer periods of time. He believes there is a nice balance to be found between the two paradigms. He's relieved that Countdown might be able to assist him find that medium place. He believes the broadcast paradigm has worked for decades. It's proven.

Ackles believes his character, Meachum, is a good guy. Meachum has experienced numerous negative events in his life. But he refuses to succumb to it. He attempts to turn a terrible circumstance into something positive. Instead of becoming a nuisance to society, he takes "the alternate route". Ackles recounted a personal anecdote about a close friend. This acquaintance had an extremely difficult childhood. His father murdered his mother. His father went to prison. This friend could have made a horrible decision. Instead, he became a motivational speaker. Ackles believes that the ability to transform darkness into light is a magnificent thing. It is difficult, but he believes we all have the potential to do the right thing. This demonstrates how Ackles connects with the deeper meaning behind his characters' problems.