MEN’S HEALTH: COUNTDOWN Star Jensen Ackles Kicks Things into High Gear

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As the star of SUPERNATURAL and THE BOYS, Jensen Ackles is used to playing mavericks, but his new Amazon crime thriller, Countdown, takes the archetype and turns it into a time bomb as Mark Meachum, a renegade detective with a death wish.

For the latest edition of MH FLEX, MEN’S HEALTH checked in with Ackles in the middle of COUNTDOWN’s inaugural season to talk about the twist that he says brings something new to the genre, tease a return as Soldier Boy in the final season of THE BOYS and its upcoming prequel series, and to reflects on how SUPERNATURAL changed his life—from its supportive fandom to his brotherly bond with Jared Padalecki. 

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On what it’s like to portray Detective Mark Meachum in Countdown, a character operating with less concern for his life and livelihood due to an incurable cancer diagnosis:

I loved it from a storytelling perspective. A lot of those types of characters—Mel Gibson as Riggs in Lethal Weapon or Gerard Butler as Big Nick in Den of Thieves—are these maverick cops who are just wired crazy. There’s no real reason for it other than they’re black sheep. I love that Meachum actually has a reason for why he’s acting so cavalier at work. He doesn’t give a shit because he’s dying. He’s taking risks that he wouldn’t necessarily take if he was of sound mind and body. That brought great context to why he is the way he is, as opposed to just being a leather jacket–wearing cool guy who won’t bend to authority. This guy’s got some shit going on. I like how that moves the story and relationships in a certain direction. People think, Can we trust this guy? And it’s not because he’s just got a death wish. It’s because he’s already dying.

On what he enjoys most about playing Soldier Boy, his character on The Boys:

It’s wild to play a character who is effectively the most powerful guy in the room, to walk into any room and know no one is a threat to me. It’s fun to play that confidence and assuredness, especially while also playing this really out-of-date character. I have to channel my inner grumpy grandpa and expand on that to an offensive level.

On what his experience has been with different fandoms over the years:

“Fans show up. They follow you. They follow your career. They take a vested interest in the characters and the actors who play them, and the writers and directors. I’m fascinated by that. And also humbled and inspired by it.

“If you’re on Broadway and you walk out onto that stage, you have an immediate audience reaction. You don’t get that on a film or TV set. You’ve got a camera that’s giving you nothing. You might have a few crew members who chuckle if you land a laugh, but you’re not getting the energy of an audience. But when you get to go to a Comic-Con, you’re finally getting the feedback that you don’t ever get in front of a camera.”

On whether he’d return to Supernatural—which marks its 20th anniversary this year—if he could bring back the show in any way he wanted:

“If I had my druthers, I’d want someone like Kripke [who created Supernatural] or Andrew Dabb or Jeremy Carver [both writers and executive producers on the show] at the helm—somebody who was truly in the trenches with us and understands the heart of the show and all the lore. I would feel comfortable if any one of those guys were to come back with an idea to crank up the Impala again. But everybody’s off doing their own thing. And everybody’s doing very well, thankfully. The stars will really have to align for that to happen.”

On how his friendship with Supernatural costar Jared Padalecki has evolved over the years:

“You’re talking about two young guys who all of a sudden got thrown together, moved away from their lives, [were] put up in Vancouver, Canada, and just told: ‘You’re both going to be working your asses off for the next 15 years.’ That created a bond early on, and it’s evolved as we’ve grown up and matured in our real lives. What started out as a couple of buddies in their 20s getting into a little too much trouble, having a little too much fun on set, has now evolved into two fathers with six kids between them. We’ve grown into men. We’ve got wives, children, and mortgages. We’ve got a lot of responsibility outside of just showing up to work on time. And we did all that together. There is a brotherly bond that still exists today. We still talk all the time; we still see each other all the time. He’s on my short list of the people I can call if I ever need anything, and I’m on his as well. I don’t know many people who could have facilitated that kind of relationship for that many years. I’m very thankful it was him.”

On his “brotherly bond” with Countdown costar Eric Dane:

“Eric’s a total pro. He’s a TV icon. In our first meeting, I stuck out my hand and he gave me a hug instead. From that moment, I thought, This has a chance to be good. I wanted to earn his respect. He was the big dog on the set, and I wasn’t trying to out-alpha-dog him. There was room for both of us.

“Obviously, he’s dealing with what he’s dealing with. I’m checking in on him quite frequently, letting him know that if there’s anything he needs from me, I’ll be there. He’s very appreciative, but he’s already surrounded himself with the right people, and that’s important when you’re going through something like that.”

On whether we will be seeing them both again in a Countdown season 2:

“I’m absolutely pushing for it. I had one of the best times I’ve ever had working on a set while we were on this show.”

[Photo Credit: Rona Ahdout for Men’s Health Magazine]

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