Not many actors can say they’ve exorcised demons in “Supernatural,” played a twisted superhero in “The Boys,” and starred in a forgotten sci-fi show from cinema legend James Cameron. But Jensen Ackles can.
He appeared opposite Jessica Alba in “Dark Angel,” which was co-created by Cameron and ran for two seasons on Fox from 2000 to 2002. Alba led the futuristic series as Max Guevara, a genetically engineered teenager running from a shady military group.
Ackles appeared in the Season 1 episode “Pollo Loco” as a super-soldier escapee and serial killer called Ben. The episode ended with Max killing Ben, but that didn’t stop the writers from bringing Ackles back in Season 2 as his twin brother, Alec. He quickly became an integral part of Max’s team and helped build a safe haven for other superpowered people like them.
Jensen Ackles did his own stunts on Dark Angel
Before Jensen Ackles joined “Dark Angel,” audiences knew him predominantly as teenager Eric Brady in the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” a role he played for three years (and more than 400 episodes) from 1997 to 2000. He also racked up smaller roles in sitcoms like NBC’s “Mr. Rhodes” and CBS’ “Cybill.” When he joined “Dark Angel,” it marked a pivot to edgier roles for the actor.
In fact, Ackles’ time on “Dark Angel” got him interested in stunt work and practical fight scenes, skills he later used on shows like “Smallville” and “Supernatural.” In a documentary about “Dark Angel,” Ackles said, “I got to do a lot of physical acting and a lot of stunts, I actually probably did 90% of it myself, I tried to.”
He added: “The stunt double hated me because he had to get makeup, hair, wardrobe and just sit on the sideline and watch me do it all. That was really fun for me, I liked trying to do as much as I could.” Ackles later told Men’s Health that his interest in stunt work only increased on “Supernatural,” because he wanted to make the action look “cinematic” rather than perform stunts for his own ego.
“Dark Angel” was ultimately canceled on a cliffhanger at the end of Season 2.
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