Sizzling Soap Stars

[Shma]

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Copyright © 1999 by Nancy Krulik

Excerpt
Chapter 1

Jensen Ackles
(Eric Brady, Days of Our Lives)

Doesn't it seem like Jensen Ackles has it all? He's got good looks, a great-paying job on a hot TV soap, and beautiful women to work with every day. What more could a guy want?

How about some good Texas barbecue?

"The chili and barbecue here [in Los Angeles, where Days of Our Lives is filmed] just aren't up to snuff," he complains. "If I go to a restaurant here and I see 'Texas-style,' I know it isn't going to be as good as at home. It never is, but I still have to order it."

Oh well. Guess you can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy. Although Jensen has been in L.A. for a few years now, there are still things about his home state that he misses.

"The biggest differences between Dallas and L.A. are that Dallas is more open, the traffic's not so bad, and of course there's the smog. Dallas is a lot cleaner."

Still, there are things and people you can see in Los Angeles that you won't find anywhere else. For instance, there was that one night when Jensen was shopping in a supermarket and heard an older man singing in the aisles.

"I went up to him, shook his hand, and said, 'I just had to meet you, Mr. Hope,'" Jensen recalls. Bob Hope in a grocery store — now there's something even the Lone Star State can't offer.

Jensen has developed a few ways to keep Texas in his heart and home, however. For starters, both of his roommates are friends from high school, so Texas accents abound in Jensen's L.A. bachelor pad.

"We have Texas flags all over the place," he says, describing the apartment. "We have a nasty case of Texas pride."

And how about the family he left behind? Do the folks in Texas have a nasty case of Jensen pride?

"My older brother [Joshua] is like 'whoopee doo, so you're on a soap,'" Jensen says. "And it's not that big a deal to my [younger] sister [Mackenzie], either."

But Jensen's grandmother is sure glad Jensen's on Days. It's her favorite soap. "My grandmother says, 'Now I get to see you every day,'" he laughs.

Jensen's Dallas Days

Jensen Ackles was born in Dallas, Texas, but he was raised in Richardson, a Dallas suburb. Unlike other young soap stars, Jensen isn't the first member of his family to get bitten by the acting bug. His father, Alan Ackles, has always been "one of the best-known actors in Dallas," says Jensen's manager, Craig Wargo.

Jensen's dad never hid the tough side of the business from his children. But Jensen also got to see the good side of the acting world.

"My dad's done really well for himself as an actor," Jensen says. "He didn't have a nine-to-five routine like the other fathers, so he came to my football games and spent a lot of time with me and my brother and sister. I see now why my father stuck to it. It's a challenging career, but it also gives you something very valuable — time. There aren't many jobs that give you that kind of freedom."

Of course, not all actors are as talented — or lucky — as Jensen and his dad have been. But for them, things have worked out very well. From the time he was a child, Jensen's striking good looks and outgoing personality have given him a distinct advantage with acting and modeling agents. At age four he began appearing in print and TV ads in the Dallas area. Before long he was doing national commercials as well, for companies like Walmart, Nabisco, and Radio Shack. In high school, he was not only a hot commercial actor, he scored the lead role of Tony in his senior class production of West Side Story. (Surprise! Jensen can sing, too!)

But acting was never Jensen's first love. Sports were his true high school passion. He played a lot of football. (When he first left Texas to try acting in Los Angeles, Jensen figured that if things didn't work out, he could always go to college for a degree in sports medicine. Guess those injured athletes are going to have to get well without him!)

"I wasn't one of those people who knew from childhood that I wanted to be an actor. It was just something I did for fun," he says.

Jensen's Texas life took a turn toward the West Coast in the spring of 1995. That's when he attended an acting seminar in Dallas. It was a Friday night, and Jensen wasn't even one of the actors who was invited to the workshop. He just came as the guest of a friend. What happened next was a tale right out of the soaps.

"I spotted a young actor I had invited to attend," Craig Wargo recalls. "He introduced me to a friend whom he had brought along with him — Jensen Ackles. Soon after our introduction, the rest of our staff noticed Jensen as a standout at the seminar."

After the workshop, Craig met Jensen's family, and asked them to let their son move out to Los Angeles after he graduated from high school. It took some convincing, but the Ackleses finally agreed. Jensen hopped a flight to L.A. right after graduation.

But even with a manager who believed in him, Jensen still wasn't sure he wanted to be an actor full time. "I really just came out [to Los Angeles] to please them [the managers at Talent Management Associates]. They were very insistent on me coming out and trying. I figured, 'Oh, I'll just go out and please these guys for a couple of months and move back home.' Little did I know..."


Success from the Start

Jensen's very first Los Angeles audition was for a guest-starring part on a syndicated TV show called Sweet Valley High. Jensen walked into the audition room an unemployed actor and walked out with the part! If Jensen had headed to L.A. just to test the waters, it was obvious that it was smooth sailing.

Jensen's next audition was for the role of Malcolm on the NBC series Mr. Rhodes. Now what are the chances Jensen would land both of his first two Hollywood auditions? Pretty slim. But that's just what happened. Jensen played Malcolm for all of the series' thirteen episodes.

"It [Mr. Rhodes] didn't get picked up for a second season, but it was a great gig. Prime time, I mean, whoa!" Jensen exclaims.

Still, after NBC canceled Mr. Rhodes, it seemed as though Jensen had emptied his good-luck pot of gold. He went on literally hundreds of auditions between February and May of 1997. All he got was one small role as Cybill Shepherd's godson on an episode of the CBS comedy Cybill.

Finally, he found himself in the office of Fran Bascom, who does the casting for Days of Our Lives. Jensen remembers that his life-altering audition didn't feel threatening at all.

"I went in and read and it was really nice because Fran didn't get right to the sсript," he recently recalled in Soap Opera News. "We had a conversation, so it made it comfortable for me to read in front of her. Then, when I came back to read for her again, it was like reading with a friend."

Jensen had never gone through anything as lengthy as the audition process for Days before. He had to read with several of the actors before he was finally chosen for the coveted role of Eric Brady, Marlena's long-lost son, and twin brother to Days's most conniving female, Sami.

"I loved him instantly," recalls Deidre Hall, who plays Marlena. "He's clever, funny, slightly outrageous, yet respectful. He's sweet, confident, and boyish. The crew loved him before we rolled tape on his first scene. We knew this guy was solid."

If Deidre ever gets tired of being one of the most talented actresses in daytime, she should consider becoming a casting director. Her intuition about Jensen was right on. In fact, soon after Jensen's June 1997 debut on Days, TV Guide called him "the talent discovery of the summer."

The fans caught on quickly, too — especially one little girl from Texas. Maybe you've heard of her — her name's LeAnn Rimes. Ever since Jensen started on Days, the country singer has been singing his praises. She even went so far as to tell Entertainment Tonight that she has a crush on Jensen. Later, LeAnn fulfilled one of her big dreams by appearing in a few scenes with Jensen on Days. And as if that weren't enough, LeAnn asked Jensen to accompany her to the American Music Awards, which he did. Of course, both stars insist they are just buddies.

Jensen soon started winning awards. After appearing on Days of Our Lives for just four months, Jensen was nominated for an award as Outstanding Male Newcomer by Soap Opera Digest. Thanks to fan support, he won the honor at the magazine's annual February awards show. In 1998, he was nominated for a daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Younger Actor category. To be nominated for his first few months on the series was quite an honor. Jensen wasn't too disappointed when he lost out to Jonathan Jackson (General Hospital's Lucky) for the top honors. After all, he knows he has lots of years to try again.

The sudden attention was flattering, but also overwhelming. Jensen found himself the object of female-fan attention like he never imagined. Whole chat rooms were dedicated to his new shorter haircut. Girls were stopping him on the street and acting like they knew him. Jensen was shocked, but he treated the fans with the respect only a true southern gentleman could.

"It's kind of odd," he says of his fan encounters. "Somebody came up to me recently when I was shopping and asked for an autograph. It's kind of like an out-of-body experience. Like, is this really happening to me?"

Jensen has discovered that even when he is out in public, the fans expect him to be at least a little like Eric. So, while he doesn't always dress like his TV counterpart, Jensen does borrow some of Eric's clothing for his own wardrobe, which saves him a bit in the budget department.

Not that Jensen has to worry about cash much these days. His Days of Our Lives checks are definitely rolling in. But don't expect this Texan to go Hollywood and start buying mansions. So far, all he's bought himself is a new couch.

"I had this three-hundred-dollar garage-sale piece of junk that smelled rank, had stains, and was a total bachelor couch," he says. "I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to get a nice couch.' So I went out and bought a set. That was my big purchase."

New fans, new clothes, new couches — his first year on Days was definitely a banner one for Jensen Ackles. But it wasn't so great for Eric Brady. After all, the only two available females in his age range were his sisters, Carrie and Sami.


Enter Arianne...and Katherine

Once the producers of Days realized that the show's fans saw Jensen as a major romantic hunk, they decided to give Eric Brady a sexy leading lady with secrets all her own. Her name is Nicole.

The role of Nicole was scripted to be a waitress who had dreams of a modeling career, which meant that the actress playing Nicole had to look like a model. Arianne Zucker fit that bill perfectly. The young actress had been modeling for seven years, since she was sixteen years old.

Like Jensen, Arianne had to go through several auditions before she finally landed the role of Nicole. She started by reading the sсript for the producers. Then she got called back for a screen test with Jensen. The producers needed Jensen to test with Arianne to see if their chemistry would work on screen.

Because Arianne was a very busy model at the time she auditioned for the role of Nicole, she hadn't seen Days of Our Lives in a while. TV just didn't fit into her schedule. So the first time she saw Jensen act was when he came to be part of her screen test. But she took to him immediately. "Jensen is a great actor," Arianne declares. "I am so fortunate to be with an all-around great guy. From the beginning I felt so comfortable with him."

Arianne had plenty of time during that screen test to get to know her future costar. "The screen test took five hours!" she recalls. "We did ten pages together. It had crying, laughing, kissing, and anguished emotion in one scene."

Like Jensen, Arianne was a natural actor. Even though this was her first audition, she got the part. Finally, Eric Brady had a love interest.

Of course, on Days of Our Lives, nothing is forever, and these days, Eric and Nicole find themselves fighting to stay together. There's someone new with her eye on Eric. Her name's Taylor, and she usually gets what she wants.

Taylor is played by another former model, Katherine Ellis. She may not look familiar to Eric, but she might to you. Katherine has appeared in videos for Smashing Pumpkins and Rod Stewart. If anyone can break up the lovebirds, she can!

Stay tuned ...


Jensen's Dreams

So, does this sexy Texan plan on making L.A. his permanent home? Don't bet on it. But don't bet on a quick return to the Lone Star State, either. Jensen's planning on a future in Colorado.

When he's asked where he sees himself in ten years, Jensen is likely to reply, "I'd love to be married and have a kid or two or three. I'd like to move away from Los Angeles — closer to my family — but still be active as far as movies go. I'd definitely like to be in movies."

But ten years is a long time. And a lot can happen between now and then. So, for now, Jensen is just taking things day by day. After all, these days, Days of Our Lives is giving Jensen the time of his life!


Copyright © 1999 by Nancy Krulik
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Product Details
ISBN:
9780671032876
Author:
Krulik, Nancy
Author:
Krulik
Publisher:
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Location:
New York
Subject:
Non-Classifiable
Subject:
Juvenile literature
Subject:
Soap operas
Subject:
Television actors and actresses
Subject:
Performing Arts - Television & Radio
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Pop Arts
Publication Date:
19990501
Binding:
MM
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
176
Dimensions:
6.77x4.16x.50 in. .17 lbs.
Age Level:
12-17
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Book Description
Publication Date: December 19, 2011
Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville. Ackles currently stars as Dean Winchester on the CW series Supernatural.

This book is your ultimate resource for Jensen Ackles. Here you will find the most up-to-date information, photos, and much more.

In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about his Early life, Career and Personal life right away. A quick look inside: Jensen Ackles, Devour (film), Ten Inch Hero, My Bloody Valentine 3D, Batman: Under the Red Hood, Jason Todd, Eric Brady, 1st Soap Opera Digest Awards, Blonde (film), Dark Angel (TV series), Supernatural (TV series), Dean Winchester.
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This item: The Jensen Ackles Handbook - Everything you need to know about Jensen Ackles by Emily Smith Paperback $19.95
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Product Details
Paperback: 94 pages
Publisher: Tebbo (December 19, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1743382928
ISBN-13: 978-1743382929
Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Jensen Ackles Handbook
July 21, 2012
By kittydi
Format:Paperback|
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I have been a big Supernatural fan for a while now and got my granddaughter hooked on the series. I wanted to give this to her as a gift and was very disappointed that the pages were totally unreadable. It looked like pages were printed on top of each other. I would love to give this to my granddaughter, as she loves Jensen Ackles.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Think you know everything? You don't!
October 30, 2012
By Ksheka
Format:Paperback|
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I really loved this book. I thought that I knew everything Jensen did in his career, but found out I didn't. There are things mentioned in this book that are interesting and almost up to date. Considering the date of publication, it is up to date at that time. Just read this book and you will find out things you didn't know about Jensen's life and career.



jason47.com/days/daysnewscentral.html

GREG VAUGHAN JOINS CAST AS ERIC BRADY, SAMI'S TWIN BROTHER, IN NOVEMBER


Greg Vaughan debuts as Eric Brady, Sami's twin brother, on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. Eric has not been seen since Jensen Ackles last played him in 2000, when the character moved to Colorado. Since leaving Salem, Eric has been doing philanthropy work around the world. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Vaughan said: "“I seem to be that go-to guy [for roles originated by others]. But it’s more than that. The roles speak to me. It’s such a great ensemble. Now I have the privilege of saying I’ve appeared on soaps on every network. It’s such a great medium — fast paced, and it’s trained me well.” Vaughan previously played Josh Walker on "Malibu Shores" in 1996, Cliff Yeager on "Beverly Hills, 90210" from 1996-1997, Dan Gordon on "Charmed" from 1999-2000, Diego Guttierez on "The Young and the Restless" from 2002-2003 and Lucky Spencer on "General Hospital" from 2003-2009. He was nominated for a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2003 as Outstanding Newcomer. James Gregory Vaughan Jr., 39, was born on June 15, 1973 in Dallas, Texas. He has been married to actress Touriya Haoud since June 4, 2006. They have three sons: Jathan James (born 5/4/07), Cavan Thomas (born 1/19/10) and Landan Reid (born 3/5/12).