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The Winchesters: Meg Donnelly on Jensen Ackles' Supernatural Advice

Published Wed, 31 Aug 2022 14:48:13 -0500

Yesterday's newest season trailer for Robbie Thompson, Jensen Ackles & Danneel Ackles' The Winchesters focused on how "Fate" will bring John (Drake Rodger) met Mary (Meg Donnelly) together in the "Supernatural" prequel series. Now, Donnelly is sharing some behind-the-scenes perspectives on just how involved Jensen Ackles (who reprises his role as Dean Winchester to narrate the series) was in the production of the pilot. That included being there to assist with how to approach certain scenes as well as serve as a vital source for Supernatural intel.

"On the pilot, Jensen [Ackles] was on set every single day and has so much advice. I just remember on the first day, I was picking a lock to get in a door somewhere, and he was like, 'Oh, we've got to do it like this, so it's more convincing. Trust me, I've been doing it for a while.' And I was like, 'Oh, cool.' So it was little things like that," Donnelly shared during an exclusive interview with Screen Rant. And that included advice on how to work with a co-star who's taller than you, with Donnelly adding, "Drake [Rodger] is literally a foot taller than me and so [Jensen] was like, 'When I did scenes with Jared, I never sunk on my hip because then you're even shorter. So just make sure that you're standing on two feet because I've learned the hard way.' I was like, 'Oh!' Just like little tidbits like that. Or he would tell us details in the show because there are Easter eggs all the time. He would just kind of tell us about different monsters; different hunter terms. It's really helpful to have him on set."

Nida Khurshi, Jonathan "Jojo" Fleites, Demetria McKinney & Bianca Kajlich also star. Jensen & Danneel Ackles executive produce via Chaos Machine Productions, producing with Warner Bros. TV & CBS Studios (Glen Winter directed & executive produced the pilot). Now here's a look at the newest season trailer for The Winchesters, followed by a look at the series overview, followed by a look back at two previously-released season trailers (with the series premiering on October 11th):

Before Sam and Dean, there were their parents, John and Mary. Told from the perspective of narrator Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles, "Supernatural"), THE WINCHESTERS is the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester (Drake Rodger, "The In Between") met Mary Campbell (Meg Donnelly, "American Housewife") and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his father's past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father.

Together, the two join forces with young hunter-in-training Latika (Nida Khurshid, "Station 19") and easygoing hunter Carlos (Jonathan "Jojo" Fleites) to uncover the hidden truths about both their families. Their investigation leads them to a rare book emporium, whose owner Ada (Demetria McKinney, "Tyler Perry's House of Payne") takes an interest to the occult and could provide the missing pieces to their puzzle. But secrets run deep for both the Winchesters and Campbells, and despite the best efforts of John's mother Millie (Bianca Kajlich, "Legacies") to protect her son from pursuing a dangerous life of demon hunting, John and Mary are both determined to work together to uphold their families' legacies while beginning to form a family of their own.

"It's an honor. It also comes with its territory. We've got to take it real seriously. We owe a lot to the fans, so we've got to be there, and we've got to represent," Rodger explained during a recent interview. And while Supernatural fans have some of John & Mary's backstory, Rodger teases that their story will be presented "in a cool way that you don't quite expect," describing the duo's initial one-on-one as "a supernatural meet-cute." For Donnelly, having Ackles available during filming as a guide and resource was invaluable for both of them. "He was on set every single day of the pilot, just like being super collaborative, giving us notes, telling us about the universe that we might not know about. So it was really good insight," she explained. And in case you were wondering? Rodger & Donnelly looked to Morgan & Samantha Smith's takes for inspiration. "He's [Morgan] like the portrait. That's where we end. Like, I get to paint. He definitely laid out the path for me," Rodger explained.

The CW's The Winchesters is written and executive produced by Robbie Thompson. Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles executive produce via their Chaos Machine Productions. Glen Winter directed & executive produced the pilot. David H. Goodman joined the creative team as an executive producer for the series. McG serves as an executive producer. The series is from Chaos Machine Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios.

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