If you caught "Supernatural" last Thursday, then you know the secret of how Dean escaped Hell.
He was touched by an angel.
Not some touchy-feely spirit, mind you. He was rescued by a soldier of the Big Guy Upstairs.
Misha Collins is playing the angel in question, and he was kind enough to chat for a bit about the role, and life on the "Supernatural" set.
On his part:
I am playing Castiel, an angel of the Lord, who is not an angel I was expecting an angel to be, actually. He's got some wrath, some smiting tendencies, a bit of vengeance in him. But he's also a very peaceful and kind person at the same time. So there's a lot to work with on him. Not to mention that I've got pretty good CGI-wings to work with.
On how he was cast:
I went in and audition for ["Supernatural" creator and executive producer Eric] Kripke. I just had one reading. The audition sides I got before going in were for a demon on the show. So I'd seen an episode of "Supernatural" and watched a demon's behavior and I thought I'd do something snarky and menacing. So I went in and I read the side in a snarky and menacing manner, and Kripke said, "That was great. Except this character is an angel, not a demon. We didn't want word to get out that we were putting an angel on the show, so we had to keep it on the down low. So can you try again, and this time be an angel?" So I did. Evidently he liked my work, so I'm an angel.
On why Castiel rescued Dean specifically:
That is a great question and one I don't have an answer for, other than the fact that Dean is going to be instrumental in fighting the rise of Satan.
Could it really be....Satan? Are we going to see him on the show?
If I actually knew the answer to that, I would tell you.
On whether Castiel will interact with more than just Dean:
For the first three episodes, I had the same question. I was starting to wonder if I was just a figment of Dean's imagination. But I do actually interact with Sam and another angel in one of the episodes further on. So yes, I'm not just a figment of Dean's imagination and I do interact with other characters.
On how do angels fit into the show's overall scheme of things:
For a long time, angels were out of the fray because I think things hadn't gotten bad enough for angels to intervene. In the show, this is the first time angels have come down to meddle in human affairs in 2,000 years. So up until this point, the boys were going it alone, because the higher powers didn't deem it necessary for them to interfere. But now the threat is sufficient for angels to be involved. The armies of Hell are on the move.
On whether the Winchesters can rest easy with an angel having their backs:
No, because it's not my or other angels' full-time job to protect the boys. As I put it in a later episode, there is a bigger picture. We are not just there to perch on Dean's shoulder. He still has to take care of himself. We will occasionally show up but we have our hands full with other battles.
On how Dean's affected by the presence of an angel:
It really throws Dean for a loop, because Dean has not been a believer in God or I think really in goodness. He's been a pretty cynical guy. But really you should ask ?? because I'm not sure.
On his inspiration for his character:
I draw on really good writing from Kripke and his team. And also, I understand the publicist for the show sent out copies of Revelation before the show opened as a press kit. It's funny they did that because I've been reading Revelation on my own and drawing on to inform my character, which is fascinating. Revelation, it's full of fire and brimstone and angels smiting a third of the global population. Really angels in Revelation do a lot of bad stuff. They're not the fluffy, puffy, cherubic little beings we've come to know in contemporary culture. Other than that, I kind of drew on my younger brother, Sasha. There's something incredibly angelic about him, so I sort of copy my little brother too.
On his upcoming appearances:
I think I'm slated to do two more, and I've shot four so far.
On other angels:
There's another angel who is going to show up...named Uriel. Uriel has an itchy trigger finger. He's more of the smite-and-destroy school of angel. So yeah, I'm not the only one. 
On whether we'll see Castiel handing out some angelic beatdown:
I don't know. I haven't smote yet.
On what the show's like behind he scenes:
It's a great show to work on. A lot of time coming on as a guest star or a recurring star, it can feel like the new kid at school. Everybody knows each other and they've been working together for four or five years and it's hard to figure out how you fit in. But this is an incredibly warm and welcoming, very talented crew and cast. It's been great stepping in, despite the fact that everyone is pulling 15 hour days working their fingers to the nub. In my opinion, they're doing really amazing work and they seem to stay pretty upbeat and they all seem to like one another, which is a great environment to work in. A lot of times people can get tired and ornery. But that's not the case on this set. It's a great set to work on.
- posted by Raoul
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