There are only a few cons that I can drive to, and the one in northern New Jersey is one of them. I hate driving, so this is both a blessing and a curse – but I also hate paying for airfare, so of course I drove to this one in scenic Whippany. (I don’t actually know if Whippany is scenic, tbh). It’s a familiar drive from many trips to Rutgers, and this hotel was conveniently right off the NJ Turnpike, so I got there with less stress than last year – and last year’s parking lot debacle had left me with the coveted knowledge of where the extra parking spaces were too. What last year’s debacle did not tell me was that somehow this parking lot does not have an elevator from the lower floors – so I ended up dragging suitcases full of books up multiple flights of stairs and just about had a heart attack by the time I actually got to the hotel. ARGH.
Sweaty and exhausted but a few dollars richer at least from not flying, I got there on Friday afternoon and managed to catch some of the Friday people onstage, so there’s that. Jared Padalecki was unable to be at this con because he was at Matt Barr’s wedding in Cancun – we missed him ALOT but I’m so glad he could be there with all the Walker Independence cast celebrating such a joyous occasion.
David Haydn Jones and Gil McKinney were onstage when I finally got to the ballroom.
The two were contemplating the possible impact of AI on acting when I arrived. (More ARGH). (Not Gil and David).
David: My favorite episode was when Ketch and Dean were on the mountain. Jensen and I tried to add to the scene.
And apparently it snowed just long enough for them to film – the snow melted right after their scenes were done!
I love that David always tries to dress the part of wherever the con is, looking kinda Bruce Springsteen for Jersey. And love Gil’s stylish hat!
David: When I got the role of Ketch, I watched the Supernatural top 20 episodes, and I was like whoa, they’re really leaning into the absurd comedy.
(Mystery Spot and The French Mistake cases in point!)
Gil pledged to go back and watch all of David’s episodes. David pledged to do the same.
Gil: I only have two!
Gil told the story of finding out that Henry Winchester’s name was in the pilot of The Winchesters, and then getting the call from Jensen to ask if he wanted to play Henry again.
(You can read the whole story in our exclusive interview with Gil here on Fangasm last month)
David: At the wrap party (that they were finally able to have in Vancouver years later), Jensen and I were spitballing about Ketch’s granddad in The Winchesters.
He then proceeded to do an Austin Powers Ketch imitation lol
What weapon would David have taken from SPN?
David: The grenade launcher! It actually had a quarter charge in it, and that was a practical explosion with real fire and glass!
Gil reminisced about having to break Baby’s window on SPN.
Gil: That was really fun, but I didn’t know how much that would upset people. I nailed it on one take, like F yeah!
Another memorable scene was when Henry and Dean took that drive in the Impala.
Gil: Jensen and I got into the Impala, and he did a full 180 in the middle of the street – I didn’t know it was closed off! Jensen was like, do you need new shorts?
(Yes lol)
David said that Ketch was originally supposed to sound more like Billy Butcher on The Boys.
He also reminisced about some pranks, like trying to say his lines while someone was holding the mic like this and “fondling the balls in my hand” which I can imagine was… challenging…
As actors with experience on lots of other shows, they both had heartfelt positive things to say about working on Supernatural.
Gil: I’ve never worked on a show so nice and professional as Supernatural, and that’s because of Jared and Jensen. The Winchesters felt like a continuation of that.
We finally had Richard Speight, Jr. back as emcee for this con – he’s been so busy directing that it’s been a while – and he joked when he introduced Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster and Kim was like ‘who are you?’
Richard: Hi, I’m the new guy.
Lol
A fan asked about the Wayward Podcast, which they now record live at cons with some fans joining them. So you never know what you’re gonna get.
Briana: When we think of something we want to talk about on the Podcast, we usually do!