♥ Supernatural
♥ Friday the 13th
Jared Padalecki has confronted plenty of strange creatures playing Sam Winchester on the hit CW series Supernatural, but now he’s facing up to one on the big screen.
In the remake of the horror classic Friday the 13th, Padalecki goes head to head with one of Hollywood’s most recognizable villains, Jason Voorhees. And talking to him about his on-screen encounters with evil-doers, the lead role in the updated horror flick was a perfect fit.
Q: What’s the secret to acting in a horror film?
A: As a guy, you kind of learn early not to scream in a high-pitched voice because it doesn’t look too good. You have to scream tough. Then you get ready for some long, crazy nights getting chased and running and hooting and hollering. At least you don’t have to learn a lot of lines.
Q: I’m guessing you saw the original Friday the 13th.
A: Nearly every kid I grew up with did. I remember the first time was with my friend Eric. We watched both Friday the 13th and The Exorcist the same night and we were trying to act cool. We were like, ‘Oh, that’s not that scary. Let’s go walk in the woods.’ ‘All right, I will if you will.’ ‘But I’m kind of tired.’ ‘Yeah, I’m kind of tired, too.’
Q: What does scare you?
A: Not noises in the night because I usually think there’s an explanation like, ‘Oh, the house is shifting.’ But I think a wild animal like a bear would scare me. What’s funny is it almost feels like Derek Mears as Jason is a bear. He can swim. He can climb trees. He’s faster than you. There’s no escaping him.
Q: Do you ever feel a little silly as an actor doing those scenes where everybody but you knows you shouldn’t be there because Jason is right around the corner?
A: Of course. I’m like, ‘This is the part where the audience is going to go, ‘You’re an idiot. You’re stupid. Don’t go in there.’ But I’m not paid to think. I’m paid to say the lines that are on the page and obey the director. So I just kind of go, ‘Whatever,’ and try and make it real in the midst of people being gagged, beaten, stabbed and having their heads chopped off.
Q: You’ve seen plenty of blood and gore on Supernatural, too. Does it ever get to you?
A: Not after you’ve seen demons bite people’s heads off. We just shot some stuff recently where my shirt is completely soaked in another person’s blood and I sort of forgot how weird it looks. I have to remember I can’t give anyone a hug because I’ve got fake blood all over me. It is interesting when people come in to lunch and they have slit throats or a huge gash on their heads. You’re kind of going, ‘You know what? I’m not that hungry.’ It’s sort of like the horror diet plan.
