For 15 years, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki playedSupernatural’sWinchester brothers, who made fans laugh, cry, and most importantly, believe that there really is a reason to be afraid of the dark. In the earlier seasons, Sam (Padalecki) and Dean (Ackles) were getting the hang of doing things on their own without their father. Ghosts, werewolves, and vampires were no match for the brothers, but in the later seasons, when demons, angels, and evenGod himself came into the mix, the young hunters quickly learned they were destined for far greater things. By the time the fantasy series came to a close, fans were sad to see the brothers go, but as we all know, good things must come to an end.
Now, it has been four years since Ackles and Padalecki have fueled up Dean’s 1967 Chevy Impala and gone out on a hunt, but that does not mean they haven’t been busy. In fact, most of the original cast from the first few years have been doing quite well for themselves within the industry. Check out where the original cast ofSupernaturalis in 2024.
Supernatural
Jensen Ackles — Dean Winchester
There is no doubt thatJensen Ackles' Dean Winchesterwas the main heartthrob inSupernatural. Between his rugged charm, the way he always looked out for his younger brother and his natural “bad boy” tendencies, fans were simply swooning at his feet nearly every time he appeared on-screen. When the series concluded, Acklesjoined the cast ofThe Boysfor its third season as the hero-turned-villain Soldier Boy. Ackles also played this same character in a single episode of the spin-off superhero TV seriesGen V.
In 2021, Ackles announced that he and his wife were working on a prequel toSupernaturalcalledThe Winchestersthat would highlight John and Mary’s younger years. The project got the green light in May 2022, but it was sadly canceled after just one season. As of 2024, fans are hoping they will see Ackles reprise his role in season four ofThe Boys, and he can be heard in the animated superhero film,Justice League: Crisis of Infinite Earths, as he voices Bruce Wayan and Batman.
Jared Padalecki — Sam Winchester
While many fans say that Dean was the brother with the looks,Jared Padalecki’s Sam Winchesterwas certainly the brains of the monster-hunting team. Sam was often seen as the more rational brother who usually considered multiple options, as well as the potential consequences that would inevitably come, before acting on a hunch or questionable information. Unlike Dean, Sam had the pleasure of living out the rest of his days as a loving and caring father.
In 2019, Padalecki was cast as the title character inthe reboot series,Walker. Here, his character, Cordell Walker, is on the move while investigating crimes and snooping out horrible people who do unspeakable things to good individuals. Padalecki’s wife, Genevieve Padalecki (who played Ruby inSupernatural), plays his character’s late wife in this series. As of right now, some fans are crossing their fingers that there will be a little reunion of the Winchester family in Kripke’sThe Boys, butaccording to Padalecki, that may take a few months and some gym time before actually happening.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan — John Winchester
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s John Winchesteris the man who started it all. After his wife died in a horrible and supernatural way, he chose to get his sons involved and pursue her killer rather than take them away from the “hunter life” altogether. Sadly, his obsession with catching the yellow-eyed demon overshadowed the love he had for his boys, something that took Sam a long time to understand and forgive. While Morgan was only in 13 episodes out of the wholeSupernaturalseries, Dean and Sam constantly talk about him, making his spirit live on throughout all 15 seasons.
While John Winchester was a respectable man who loved his family, Morgan’s other prominent character, Negan fromThe Walking Dead, is not exactly a stand-up guy. In fact, his coldness towards Rick’s group and his dictator-like stance on everything that went on around him made fans hate him. However, that is just Morgan’s great acting at work. As of 2024, Morgan is still set to play Negan inThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityand he has been cast in the fourth season ofThe Boys— giving Padalecki one more reason to hit the gym and join the cast as well.
Nicki Lynn Aycox — Meg Masters
WhenNicki Lynn Aycoxfirst appeared asMeg MastersinSupernatural, fans were excited that Sam was potentially going to have a female friend who could understand why he wanted to run away from his life. Unfortunately, the cute hitchhiker running from her own troubles turned out to be a demon in disguise who was trying to follow orders and rid the world of the Winchesters. Aycox played Meg for the first two seasons before Rachel Miner took over the part.
In 2009, Aycox landed a lead role in the crime drama television seriesDark Blueas an officer with a shady past,and then she went on to guest star in a handful of shows. Later, in 2013, Aycox starred opposite Henry Ian Cusick inThe Girl on the Train. After several years away from the spotlight, Aycox announced that she had been diagnosed with leukemia, and she later died from the disease in November 2022.
Supernatural: 18 Angels and Demons, Ranked Worst to Best
Here’s a look at 18 angels and demons in Supernatural, ranked from worst to best.
Jim Beaver — Bobby Singer
EverySupernaturalfan would love to have their very ownBobby Singerin their corner, but unfortunately,Jim Beaver’s Bobby seems to only love and tolerate the Winchester family. When Bobby was first introduced in the Season 1 finale, fans instantly fell in love with how blunt he was towards the Winchester brothers. However, as we got to know John Winchester’s best friend a bit more, it became evident how much he really loved the boys like they were his very own children.
After Beaver’s time onSupernatural, he actually managed to reunite with Erik Kripke on the set ofThe Boysas he portrayed the Secretary of Defense, who is also named Robert Singer. Then, in March 2023, Beaver went back to being the original Bobby Singer in a single episode of Jensen Ackles’The Winchesters. As of right now, it seems like Beaver has a few options open, but maybe he can get used to responding to a different name on set.
Samantha Smith — Mary Winchester
For a long time, fans — and even Dean and Sam — believed thatMary Winchester (Samantha Smith)was just caught in the crossfire of a certain demon’s hatred towards John, but come to find out, she was the one who actually introduced John to the hunter lifestyle. Smith was the perfect actress to play Mary as she could look innocent in one frame and then turn into a ruthless killer in the next.
After calling it a day as Mary Winchester, Smith went on to guest star in a number of TV series, includingHouse,9-1-1, andFBI: Most Wanted. She also lent her voice to a character in the Paramount+ animated seriesStar Trek: Prodigy. For the most part, Smith keeps a private life, but her Instagram does feature a lot of pictures with her former cast mates fromSupernatural. Perhaps Smith still finds herself at home when talking about the crazy shenanigans that go on in a world full of monsters that creep their way into nightmares and folktales.
Alona Tal — Jo Harvelle
Alona Tal’s Jo Harvellewas feisty, witty, determined, and truly genuine. WhenJo and her momare introduced in the second season ofSupernatural, fans could not help but fall in love with the fact that they held together a place that welcomed any and all hunters. Unfortunately, Jo’s father’s death led to her wanting to become a hunter, and much like her father,she ended up dyingwhile helping the Winchester brothers with a case. Happily, Tal reprised her role for a couple more seasons after her character’s untimely death to provide perspective on an alternate universe and forcefully testify in a trial against Dean.
AfterSupernatural, Tal landed the lead roles in the television seriesPrime Minister’s Children,Cult, andHand of God.As of 2024, Tal is happily married with two daughters, and fans can find her in the seventh and final season ofSEAL Teamthis summer.
Supernatural: The 10 Best Characters of the TV Series, Ranked
Supernatural has had hunters, angels, demons, and everything in between that have proved popular with fans.
Samantha Ferris — Ellen Harvelle
While some fans may want to root for Mary Winchester,Samantha Ferris’Ellen Harvellewas the best motherin the entireSupernaturalseries. At first, she took care of her daughter and tried to shield her from a dangerous life. Then, after she realized she could not control Jo, she did her best to make sure she always knew she was loved and had a home to come back to. In the end, when her biggest nightmare came true (Jo’s dying), she refused to let her daughter die alone.
Ferris' IMDb page will tell you that she held a main role in the science fiction seriesThe 4400, and that after her stint withSupernatural, she jumped around quite a bit as a guest star in over a dozen TV shows. However, in aninterview with Digital Dissection, Ferris appears fresh-faced and witty as ever as she talks about how great she feels to be “going into the chronic pain therapy” field to better connect with people on a more human level. With that said, as of 2024, fans can find Ferris in a number of Hallmark films, but she is taking some time away to get into her studies and help make a difference in people’s lives.
WhenChad Lindberg’s Ashjoined theSupernaturalcast and began helping Dean and Sam look for patterns to track down Azazel, many fans were scratching their heads and wondering just where they had seen the monster-hunting genius before. Surprisingly, after a quick search, several would find that he was inThe Fast and the FuriousandBuffy the Vampire Slayer. Sadly, Ash did not stick around very long as his home, Ellen’s Roadhouse, was burned to the ground with him inside it. However, he did manage to make it into Heaven and eventually reunite with and once again help the Winchester brothers.
After his character found his own happiness in the afterlife — listening in on angels' conversations and hopping around everyone’s own little piece of Heaven — Lindberg went on to land roles in a number of films and TV series. A few of these includeSons of Anarchy,Criminal Minds,Weeds,Star Trek: Picard, andFour Good Days. As of right now, it is said that Lindberg had an undisclosed role inAmerican Dream: The 21 Savage Story.
Misha Collins — Castiel / Jimmy Novak
WhileMisha Collinsdid not join theSupernaturalcast until Season 4, fans still consider him a part of the original cast — who could ever imagine Dean and Sam without their best angel friend? Collins was really put to the test over the years as he portrayedCastiel, an angel who sounds like he’s talking through a fan, Jimmy, the regular man whose vessel Castiel took over, himself, Lucifer, and a couple of others. It was humorous to see Castiel learn all about the way humans live, and after spending so much time with the Winchester brothers, he figured out for himself that there was more to life than blindly obeying orders.
Like Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles,Collins has been busysince the conclusion ofSupernatural. He wrote and published a book of poems calledSome Things I Still Can’t Tell You; he hostedRoadfood: Discovering America One Dish at a Timeas he traveled all across the country eating amazing local cuisine, and just last year, he joined the cast ofGotham Knightsas Bruce Wayan’s old friend Harvey Dent.
