He really doesn't.

From most accounts, and from video on You Tube, he's charming, he's kind, he's funny. But he seems much more spontaneous and at ease when he and Jared are onstage together. When he's facing the crowd alone, he's noticeably quieter and more earnest in answering questions. From his background, it seems he was raised with "manners," and those are clearly on display when he's in public.

Appearances are part of his job and he does them, but he's had some stalkery things happen, and he's leary of the public, not without cause. Plus, I think he's much more reserved with people outside his known circle of friends and acquaintances.

I mentioned "kind" before. A fan at LA ComicCon last year reported she stood in line to get Jensen's autograph and, as he does, he asked her name. She was unable to respond, as she had laryngitis. Rushed through, as the lines are at those things, she didn't have time to explain, but when she mouthed "thank you" when he signed her picture, he signed "You're welcome" back to her. He always repeats the name of the person he's meeting, and meets their eyes. It makes them feel like he's really connecting with them, and who knows? Maybe the connection helps keep him from feeling so much like a product on display.

I do know that not all actors or celebrities observe those small niceties, so it's always made me think better of Ackles for doing it.

Jared enjoys the attention. I'm sure he gets tired and cranky and there are times he'd rather not meet 'n' greet, but for the most part, he likes being the center of attention. Another fan who has seen him twice at Florida Eyecons said it was a lesson in personality and ability to watch JP control the room, answering sincerely or jokingly as he fielded questions, steering with graceful tact away from loaded subjects and clowning to distract the crowd from pursuing embarrassing subjects any further. Studying him over several con reports and interviews, an impression forms of a nice young man who is career-driven, focused, comfortable in a position of authority, with a healthy degree of vanity and self-confidence.

I'm really interested in where their careers go, once SPN is over and they go their separate ways.

Bless. Just - bless.

(Still pondering whether I would find the All Hell Breaks Loose Con in Australia fun, or would want to run fleeing into the night from the Beatlemania thing. If they had writers and directors and techie people there for panels, that would be one thing - but this does sort of sound like a frenzy of estrogen surrounding 3 pretty actors, and I do find that fairly cringe-inducing. I do not need to have my photo taken with any of them, decorative though they are, and I don't need an autograph either. But then maybe there will be amusing anecdotes and things? Hmm.)

Meanwhile, I am horribly disarmed by both (1) watching Misha Collins doing his little clippy interviewy thing on YouTube about Castiel, and (2) the random discovery that he's a published poet. Bless. Gosh, I hope he doesn't get freaked out by fandom.

After this week's appearance on Nip/Tuck I feel safe that fandom is unlikely to show him anything freakier than his storyline on that show.

After this week's appearance on Nip/Tuck I feel safe that fandom is unlikely to show him anything freakier than his storyline on that show.

Also, wasn't he, like, an intern in the Clinton-era White House or something?

I mean, that's got to set a pretty high standard of freaktastic.

once SPN is over and they go their separate ways.

what? why would they go separate ways? This makes me want to curl up in a ball with a blanket.

I just watched PS I love you. Why did no one tell me JDM has an after shower scene? Guh AND oh dear.

JP looks awkward in those shots. Like every wanna-be youngster with no taste and clothes that wear him rather than the other way around at the clubs.

Those were dreadful photos of him. He looked uncomfortable, and that was an awful makeup job. Poor JP.

How much do I love that Jim Beaver didn't like the movie list meme so he made his own from 250 films that he has rated 10 on imdb? [link] Ha. There isn't enough of an age difference for Jim to even be my father, but his grumpy old man attitude so reminds me of my granddad.

I saw Friday the 13th ! Jared acquitted himself admirably, and was ADORABLE and huge and fighty and often muddy. And rode a motorcycle! Which was weirdly too small for him. As many things are, I suppose.

Beverly, thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I had much the same impression of JA: polite, professional, witty and charming, yet a bit reserved. Certainly the stalkery thing would explain that. How you describe JA and JP together on stage is precisely what I observed while watching the Chicago con YouTube vids. JP is definitely the more effervescent of the two and JA seems more than content to let Jared drive.

I have to add that I think this impression of JA is what made Eye of the Tiger so much fun. Seeing him really go with that and have fun was really cool.