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Zap2it On the Scene: PaleyFest 2011
'Supernatural's' Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Cortese on their on-screen reunion
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Never fear, loyal Zap2it readers -- when we caught up with Jared Padalecki at the PaleyFest event in Los Angeles, we made sure to get your most burning "Supernatural" question answered:"No, I do not have a tanning bed in my house," Jared confirms. "As you can probably tell right now. I look like I haven't been outside in thirty years... I do not have a tanning bed in my house, nor pictures of myself on my walls."
We were just kidding, of course.
We were mostly curious about how Jared's wife, Genevieve Padalacki (née Cortese) responded to the idea of returning to "Supernatural" for the meta episode, in which she played a highly exaggerated version of herself. Jared and his co-star Jensen Ackles have generally kept their private lives away from extensive media scrutiny, so we were surprised to see them give viewers a glimpse into even a (very) fictionalized version of their lives.
"It was fun to go 'Hey, we're going to bring your wife back, because Gen played Ruby in Season 4, so to bring her back as herself. I was like, 'Hey baby, would you be up for coming back to 'Supernatural?' And at first she was like, 'No.'"
Genevieve explains that when she first joined the "Supernatural" family in Season 4, she had a rough time stepping into the role of Ruby, previously portrayed by fan favorite Katie Cassidy. Producers asked her to give the character her own spin instead of trying to emulate Cassidy's mannerisms, which didn't go over too well with many fans. The criticism of her performance made her hesitate to return to the show.
"I was just more nervous because it was a very intense experience for me to take over Katie's shoes. We all decided to do it in a different way than how she did it, and there was a lot of backlash. I don't take criticism well," she admits. "I was like, 'What do you mean? I'm doing my job!'"
After Ruby died, Genevieve had no plans to be on the show again. "I got kind of nervous," she says, "And then we got married, and I thought, 'Well this is his show.'"
Once she realized that she wouldn't be playing Ruby, she was immediately on board. "She goes, 'Really? Cool!'" Padalecki says. "She was a great sport, and she had a fun time making fun of ourselves and actors and actresses in general."
"The way [Jared] presented it was so funny," Genevieve adds. "I was like, any chance to make fun of myself, and to make fun of the industry, I'm so there."
Speaking of the industry, Genevieve tells us that she decided to take a year off after their Feb. 27 wedding, but she's ready to get back in the game. "It's pilot season right now, so it's now back to the grind and hoping something pops," she says.
Catch the video interview with the Padaleckis below to hear about their real-life alpaca connection. (No, they don't have one in their backyard.) Stay tuned to Zap2it for tons more from your favorite "Supernatural" stars and in the meantime, sound off in our comments!
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HATED her as Ruby. My goodness. Absolutely loved her on Wildfire, but could not stand her portrayal as Ruby. It had nothing to do with me loving Katie in the roll either. I'm usually very receptive to recasts. But her? Nope. She made a very likable character unlikable with the flip of a switch.
@hmm
I agree with HATING her as Ruby and I too liked her as Kris on Wildfire (a show that I'm rewatching now with my sister who hadn't seen it before) and we both agree, she's so much better as Kris than Ruby.
Her portrayal of Ruby made me like Katie's so much more. I still have a hard time watching her scenes.
I wish she'd just remained firm in her 'NO'. I didn't find her at all endearing or funny in the meta ep. Some people should just stay gone once they leave a show.
Wow, cam, stunning journalism, as usual.
You do know that Genevieve did NOT change her stage/professional name, right? They only credited her as "Padalecki" on that ONE episode. She's still listed as "Cortese" on her IMDbPro profile. Perhaps you should fact check before you write your articles?
I think she's delusional if she thinks she'll be hired for any pilots that are coming up.
I loved Gen as Ruby. I may be in a minority but that's tough. I don't understand the level of hatred that some fans express toward Gen's Ruby, but I find it even harder to comprehend the hate for Gen. I thought she was great in The French Mistake, and I wish her well in her future career. Thanks for the great article and the interview.
Whine Moar, Gennifer!
And stop blaming everyone but yourself for your sucky Ruby portrayal.
I loved Gen's Ruby too, Jillyanne! She was one of my fave characters ever, so it's awesome to hear from her. Thanks for another great article, Carina!
All these commenters are so jealous it's insane. She is a beautiful woman and seems like an amazing person. I didn't love her Ruby but she had mad chemistry with Sam and she is a brilliant little actress in her own right, see Flash Forward.
Shut up and grow up you haters, and nice article Miss Macenzie you are knocking them out of the park over and over!
Some of you women need to get off your high and mighty *** and grow some brain and maturity. Being hateful towards a person you don't know simply because you can't separate her from her character is quite pathetic. Ironically, the attitude displayed by you hate spewing vermins is all to similar to that of the hateful Ruby. You only hate what reminds you of yourself right?