Jensen Ackles Bio

Jensen Ross Ackles was born in Dallas, Texas, March 1, 1978, to actor Alan Roger Ackles, and Donna Joan Shaffer. Ackles has one older brother, Joshua, and one younger sister, Mackenzie.

Ackles modeled, off and on, beginning at age four. At Texas Tech (University), he had planned to study sports medicine, until a friend suggested he attend an acting seminar during his sophomore year. After that, he moved to L.A. to pursue a career as an actor.

Throughout 1996 and 1997, Jensen played guest roles on shows such as Mr. Rhodes, Sweet Valley High, and Cybill. Then, in 1997, he landed a recurring role on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, playing Eric Brady, trouble-finder Sammy Brady’s good twin. His well-played role on Days earned Ackles the 1998 Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Male Newcomer, three consecutive nominations (1998, 1999, and 2000) for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2001, Jensen appeared in Blonde, a mini-series about Marilyn Monroe, and auditioned for the role of Clark Kent on Smallville. He then appeared as a guest star on one first season episode of Dark Angel as Ben/X5-493, the psychopathic “brother” of Jessica Alba’s character, Max/X5-452. Although Ben/X5-493 died in that episode, Ackles was written back into the second season of Dark Angel as Ben’s twin, Alec/X5-494, who managed to live through, and appear in, the remainder of the series, until it was canceled in 2002.

In 2003, Ackles appeared in the final season of Dawson’s Creek on The WB, as Jen’s lover, CJ. Ackles played Max Morgan in a new series Still Life, but the Fox Network canceled the show before it even aired. The 2004 short film The Plight of Clownana featured Ackles in a small role, alongside television peers Christian Kane (Angel) and fellow Dark Angel and Dawson’s Creek alum Nicole Bilderback. Interestingly, Ackles declined a role in the second season of Tru Calling, but the show’s creators liked his name so much, they re-named the character to “Jensen”.

In 2004, Ackles took the role of Assistant Football Coach Jason Teague on The WB’s Smallville. Teague was a regular character, appearing in 22 episodes of Smallville’s fourth season. Jensen and his father, Alan Ackles, portrayed father and son roles in the 2005 horror film Devour.

In 2005, of course, Eric Kripke cast Jensen as Dean Winchester in the WB/CW series Supernatural.

Ackles appears plays Priestly in the 2006 independent film Ten Inch Hero. TIH is still looking to get picked up for general distribution, but screenings at festivals, beginning in 2007, have led critics and audiences to praise the film, and Ackles in particular for his fantastic comedic delivery.

In June 2007, Jensen Ackles starred as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the Fort Worth, Texas production of A Few Good Men at Casa Mañana Theatre, along with Lou Diamond Phillips. In this, his first professional stage production, Ackles received yet more critical acclaim.

Filmography

More Screen Time: Film, Television

Contact Information

Jensen Ackles
c/o Jensen Ackles Fan Club
PO Box 850812
Richardson TX 75085-0812
USA

Jensen Ackles
Supernatural
c/o Warner Bros
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank CA 91522
USA

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