Supernatural’s 15th season is rapidly approaching its curtain call, and ahead of its bittersweet finale, stars Elizabeth Blackmore and Mark Sheppard looked back on the hit series and their time on it during Supanova in Brisbane.
Elizabeth Blackmore
“My time on the set of Supernatural was great. I actually booked Supernatural from Australia. I was back in Sydney at the time when the audition came through, and I jumped on a plane within 24 hours and was in Vancouver shooting. So it was a pretty whirlwind experience.
The fandom for this show is like nothing I’ve ever encountered in my life. The community that it’s created within the show and the community that’s created with you all together… As an actor, I’m such a small part of this Supernatural world, that, honestly, there is no greater privilege than being a part of something like that and to experience it. I couldn’t hope for anything more than to be a part of something like that.
I remember seeing the #spnfamily when I joined the show, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cute. That’s what they call themselves.’ But now I’ve experienced what that actually is.”
Mark Sheppard
“I don’t think you’re going to find a show where the entire cast and crew, who have been together for so long, all believe in the same thing: just trying to be kind and help each other. It’s a phenomenal movement.
This is a very cruel world. It’s incredibly harsh out there. I used to mess up, do stupid stuff, and nobody ever caught it on camera. Nobody ever had videos of it. We’re dealing with a lot of anxiety and depression and ADHD and OCD. And dealing with that in such a hard place, it’s really rough. And the thing about Supernatural that makes it so wonderful is that the themes are about togetherness and sticking together and not being alone, fighting difficulty and helping each other out. Those themes are just wonderful themes to have.
I’ve seen so many people come together under the Supernatural banner and help each other. The idea that you’re not alone, that there are like-minded souls out there who have the same issues as you do, they survive it together. Every single day of my life since I started [this] show, I will hear someone say to me, ‘Thank you for helping me,’ or, ‘You saved my life.’ I have to keep reminding people, you did it. We’re just very proud to have helped you on the way. We’re just trying to be kind.
You know, I’ve made fun of Misha [Collins] on a daily basis. The guy builds hospitals and schools. [Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles] put their money where their mouth is and have supported some incredible causes. The most beautiful thing is that you guys come up behind that. The impact is massive. Your support is massive. Your support of each other is what matters. I think it’s the most wonderful antidote to harsh times. So if you’re struggling and having a hard time, you turn around in here.
We’re the aliens. We’re the odd ones. We’re the geeks that actually inherit the Earth.
The truth is, we’re all helping each other. If you’re alone, and you’re having difficulty, put your hand up. There’s probably 20 or 30 around you going through the same thing. You don’t have to do it on your own. If you feel different, if you feel alone, you feel you don’t fit, welcome to the club, you’ve got a room full of us here. So, just remember, put your hand out, and I want you to talk about these unifying themes, believe in these unifying themes. It’s the great antidote to the cruelty of our generation. I love you all for it so much.”
Lead image: Elizabeth Blackmore and Mark Sheppard at Supanova 2019 – Brisbane. Photo by Ewan Ly.
