Parting Shot

Jared Padalecki

AS THE EYES OF A RANGER RETURN TO TELEVISION, DON’T EXPECT THE NEW Walker (CW, January 21) to be anything like the original Walker, Texas Ranger. “I’ll start with what we take from the original, which is that this is a show about a guy named Walker who happens to be a Texas Ranger,” says Jared Padalecki, who stars in and executive produces the reboot. “It’s a really different show. I don’t think it could be more different than the original.” This version is more about helping “provide a voice to the voiceless.” Padalecki first found success on Gilmore Girls, followed by a 15-year-run on Supernatural. “I don’t know how to say it other than it’s really just been a series of blessings, an embarrassment of riches.” Last year’s finale of Supernatural was interrupted by the pandemic, but when they were able to film safely, it proved an emotional experience for the 38-year-old actor. “Every time I read the finale leading up to filming, I cried.” That said, in the era of reboots, he still holds out hope to return to the part. “I guess there’s still that carrot on a stick I keep in the back of my head. Hopefully one day.”

How does your version of Walker differ from the original?

This show is not really about high kicking minorities in the face like the original. It’s a very, very different character and we’re very aware of the times we live in right now. It’s important that we represent people that aren’t always represented. But this show is very much about somebody who’s a family man who happens to be a Ranger, not a Ranger who happens to have a family.

Walker was shot entirely during the pandemic. Was it difficult getting the show together during all this?

It’s definitely affected the prep of the show. All our meetings are done via Zoom and even our morale on set, which is so important to me, is just difficult because when they call “cut,” you can’t walk over to the grips or the electrics and shoot the sh*t. You’re not allowed to, and you don’t want to be responsible. If I get it, then I put a couple of hundred people out of work. So I’m just trying to be responsible.

Supernatural ran for 15 years. How do you feel about playing Sam Winchester for the last time?

Part of me hasn’t dealt with it. During the quarantine hiatus from filming, I was able to kind of wrap my head around it and say goodbye to Sam. But part of me is always going to hope and pray that we get a chance to go sit in the Impala again. I mean, I died several times on Supernatural and came back [laughs].

“It’s important that we represent people that aren’t always represented.”