NEWS/JENSEN: Articles circa 1998-2000
A casual scrutiny of Jensen fansites didn't turn these up, so hopefully these are new to most if not all of you. :) I love reading old interviews and seeing where stars came from. I hope to do features like this with Jared, too.
In no particular order...
From The Toronto Star; May 2, 1998.
Having the days of his life
By Carolyn Hinsey
Teen love is in budding on Days Of Our Lives after Sami's twin brother Eric went out on his first date last week.
"Finally," says Eric's portrayer Jensen Ackles. "She's a model named Nicole. I think they want to play with (the romance) to see where they want to take it. It's going to be a long, building relationship."
While bracing for his first on-screen kiss, the actor is also struggling with off-screen fame.
"I wasn't tuned in to how big a following these shows have, so when I went on my first public appearance, it was overwhelming," he confesses. "I was speechless. Good thing I was with Alison Sweeney (Sami), so she kind of took the mike and guided me through it. This has been such a rollercoaster ride." (A ride that includes Ackles' first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor.)
In addition to Sweeney, Ackles says his on-screen mom (Deidre Hall, Marlena) and dad (Josh Taylor, Roman) have been showing him the ropes. "I love Josh," beams Ackles. "He's like my second dad. He really looks out for me. And Deidre has been super great to me. She calls me her boy. I love her to death."
Ackles is also getting support from real-life pal LeAnn Rimes, who debuted Friday in a short-term role of Madison, a homeless girl befriended by Eric.
"She's a good friend of mine," Ackles explains. "She's very, very mature for her age, which is incredibly needed in this business with what she goes through. She handles it so well."
Rimes is a big Days fan, but Ackles had only watched Days' competition prior to landing his job last summer.
"My mother has watched All My Children since college," he reports. "So I grew up with that. I was never a viewer, I just knew the characters and what was going on. Every now and then I'd sit down and watch it with her. But never Days."
That changed, of course. "I got the job in May, but I didn't start until July," he explains. "So I watched the show in June to bring myself up to par with the storylines."
When Eric was brought on, he was described as having a secret. Will we ever learn what it is? "I'm sure that'll come out sooner or later," Ackles says demurely.
MADE MARION: Ackles' mom will love this story: Horny troublemaker Marian Colby (played by Jennifer Bassey) has finally met her match in sweet, naive Stuart Chandler (David Canary) on All My Children.
"How can you not love him?" Bassey gushes in character. "He is the best lover I ever had! I am totally disarmed by this man because he is so real and so honest. The other day he put a blanket over me and said, 'Warm enough?' And I said, 'Warm enough for what?' I just love him."
Unfortunately for town pariah Marian, no one believes her feelings are genuine. "I have scenes with (my daughter) Liza where I say, 'I really care about him,' and she says, 'Oh, you don't care about anyone, Mother. You go through men like a tornado.' No one will believe Marian when she says this is different!"
Could a wedding be in the offing?
"I don't know," responds Bassey. "(Stuart's twin brother) Adam hates Marian and wants her out of Stuart's life. Liza and Adam are trying to keep her away from Stuart. They think she is going to ruin his life. Which she probably will."
Hinsey is executive editor of Soap Opera Digest.
From Texas Monthly; March, 1998.
FACE;Jensen Ackles
SCOTT M. AUSTIN; EDITED BY EVAN SMITH
As a kid, Jensen Ackles used to poke fun at the "mushy" daytime dramas his mother regularly watched, but not anymore. Since last June, the Richardson native has starred on the hit NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives as Eric Brady, a mature-for-his-age teen who keeps his emotions bottled up. "He's not bitter, but if anybody messes with him, he'll be out to get 'em," says Ackles, who turns twenty on March 1. Only four years ago the hazel-eyed blond was a sophomore at Richardson Berkner High School and a sometime model for Dallas department stores, but after he was discovered at a talent search, his stock soared. When he graduated in 1996, he moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a string of TV roles, including a recurring spot on the sitcom Mr. Rhodes. Now under contract for three years at Days, Ackles has the typically heady life of a Hollywood heartthrob (he was LeAnn Rimes's escort to January's American Music Awards), though he hasn't left his home state behind. Texas flags hang inside his San Fernando Valley home, and he has a German shepherd-rottweiler mix named Dallas. "People here know I'm a Texan within the first five minutes of conversation," he says. "My use of 'y'all' or 'fixin' to' usually gives it away."
From the Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada); March 8, 1998.
Long tall Texan misses home cookin'
LILANA NOVAKOVICH, FOR SOUTHAM NEWSPAPERS
Jensen Ackles is the epitome of long, tall Texan.
Ackles, who plays Eric Brady on Days Of Our Lives, loves his horse all right, but he would much rather be romancing a girl. He finds it hard -- neigh impossible -- in Los Angeles.
The prerequisites are: she must be a Dallas Cowboys fan, must like fishing and hanging out and must like to ride horses and listen to country music.
"Call me crazy, but I would love a girl who can ride a horse. I even moved near the equestrian centre."
Ackles is a native of Richardson, near Dallas, and intends to hang on to his Texas roots.
"I have too many not to," he explains. "I have two roommates from Texas; they're both high-school buddies. We have Texas flags all over the place. We have a nasty, nasty case of Texas pride.
"I love Dallas; I miss it tremendously. L.A. is so big; it's so crowded."
What he really misses is the cooking back home. The chili and barbecue just don't cut it in L.A.
"If I go to a restaurant in L.A.," he complains, "I see 'Texas-style,' and I know it's not going to be as good as it is back home. It never is, but I still have to order it."
Back home in the Lone Star state, he grew up the middle child in a tight-knit family. His father is an actor who does commercials in Dallas. His mother is a homemaker and soap fan. Ackles, who turned 20 on March 1st, has a 23-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister.
He claims he didn't really want to be an actor. He just kinda moseyed along into it.
"I wasn't one of those guys who has wanted to be an actor all his life. Even after I got a few jobs, I wasn't sure. I know that's odd, but that's me. I've always been a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy. You know, whatever. . . ."
Ackles auditioned for Days after the cancellation of Mr. Rhodes, the sitcom in which he co-starred. He took it in stride. After all, he'd appeared in the syndicated teen show Sweet Valley High and had a guest shot on Cybill as her godson. But then nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada.
"I was like, 'Ok, now what?' " he recalls. "I'm going to stick around for a little while longer. If something comes along, great. If not, I'm not going to sit out here and bust my butt and do nothing. I'd gotten the audition for Days a few months after Mr. Rhodes. I figured, Ok, cool, but I didn't hear for two weeks. I was thinking, 'Well, that's that. I could always go back to Texas and go to school.' "
He'd always be welcome. His family has always been supportive.
"They briefed me big time when I moved to L.A.," he allows. "It was look out for this; look out for that. Mom was a little nervous and Dad was a little concerned, but they knew it was something I wanted to do. So my grandmother packed up a whole lot of cookies and my dad and I packed up all my stuff and we just drove out to L.A. in my '88 Pathfinder."
Now if only his grandmother could send him some of that genuine Texas chili and barbecue.
Have you heard: Country and pop singing sensation and 1997's top-selling recording artist, LeAnn Rimes, will guest-star on Days for a few episodes this spring and will not be playing herself. She is the real-life pal and neighbor of Days' star Jensen Ackles (Eric) who hails from the same town in Texas. . . .
From USA Today; April 9, 1998.
Rimes tests romance, song with runaway role on 'Days'
Sue Facter
LeAnn Rimes has had a love affair with Days of Our Lives ever
since she was 2 years old and sat on her grandma's lap to watch
the soap.
The romance plays on. Wednesday, the country star was in Burbank,
Calif., to tape 12 pages of dialogue in the role of Madison, a
teen runaway. Today: 23 pages.
Yes, the runaway sings. Rimes will unveil Looking Through Your
Eyes, the theme song of the animated film Quest for Camelot.
The 15-year-old also gives teen heartthrob Jensen Ackles, 20,
his first on-air kiss in a fantasy scene in which she becomes
Cinderella. Ackles and Rimes have been pals since June when they
discovered they both grew up in the town of Richardson, Texas.
"We're friends," he says.
The shows air April 29 and 30 and May 1.
From the Edmonton Journal (Alberta); July 30, 2000.
Ackles' Days numbered: He bids adieu to Eric and says hello to new ABC development deal
Lilana Novakovich
Now you see Jensen Ackles, now you don't.
His Days are numbered; Ackles is leaving his post as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives on Monday to embark on his development deal with ABC.
"ABC hasn't decided where they're going to take me," he allows. "They could end up not using me and the contract would just go down and I'd be free. But they're in heavy meetings right now, talking about what they're going to do with the people that they've got on their list of those they want to put on their shows -- me being one of them."
It was a calculated risk, after only being on the soap for three years. It was in 1997 when Days fans were introduced to Eric, Sami Brady's eagerly anticipated twin brother. TV Guide dubbed Ackles "the casting coup of the summer of 1997."
"I was still kind of on the fence," Ackles explains about his exit move. "I was like, 'Well, do I need to give up such a great gig?' You know, people die for this kind of stuff. It's just such a wonderful job I've got now, but maybe I should try it, and hopefully if it doesn't work out, I could always come back.
"When this opportunity presented itself, I said, 'OK, let's give it a shot.' I've gotten some nibbles in different areas and maybe I should go out and try and see what can come out of it. They are sending that character away with me and if it doesn't work out, then hopefully there'll be a spot for me back on Days."
He's done well in his three years. Ackles has had three consecutive Younger Actor Daytime Emmy nominations and won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Male Newcomer in 1998. As much as they hate to lose him, there are no hard feelings among the brass at Days.
"I talked to the producers of Days and they were pretty understanding. They kind of expected it and were totally supportive, which was great. Just having them say, 'You're gonna do great, and we don't blame you for leaving.' "
Ackles is going to miss his co-stars -- especially his two leading ladies, Arianne Zuker (Nicole) and Jullianne Morris (Greta) -- and his alter ego, Eric. The character was a good fit -- with some minor adjustments.
"Eric's a little more conservative than I am but he's definitely someone I could hang out with. I don't know if I'd be best friends with him or anything; my buddies are a little more crazy. He's the guy with the conscience, the good guy. I don't know how close we'd be."
Not that Ackles is exactly a bad guy himself. He still hangs around with his friends from back home in Texas.
His parents and two siblings still live in his home town, Richardson, Tex. His father is an actor whose credits include Walker, Texas Ranger and Dallas.
Ackles started in the biz in Dallas at age four doing print work and commercials for Nabisco, Wal-Mart and Radio Shack. While attending an actor's workshop in Dallas during the spring of '95, he was discovered by two talent managers and an agent, who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles after high school.
Ackles followed their advice --- which was spot-on. Almost immediately after arriving in L.A. in July 1996, he booked a regular role in the sitcom Mr. Rhodes.
"I would love to do another comedy," he says. "It's so much fun and so different-- it's almost like doing theatre once a week because you have the live audience in front of you. You can feel the energy and the pressure gets put on you and I like that. It's a high for me to have that kind of adrenaline rush."
Please Note: If you run a fansite and want to use these, please help yourself. I would appreciate a comment notification/link and a link back to the community if possible. :)
In no particular order...
From The Toronto Star; May 2, 1998.
Having the days of his life
By Carolyn Hinsey
Teen love is in budding on Days Of Our Lives after Sami's twin brother Eric went out on his first date last week.
"Finally," says Eric's portrayer Jensen Ackles. "She's a model named Nicole. I think they want to play with (the romance) to see where they want to take it. It's going to be a long, building relationship."
While bracing for his first on-screen kiss, the actor is also struggling with off-screen fame.
"I wasn't tuned in to how big a following these shows have, so when I went on my first public appearance, it was overwhelming," he confesses. "I was speechless. Good thing I was with Alison Sweeney (Sami), so she kind of took the mike and guided me through it. This has been such a rollercoaster ride." (A ride that includes Ackles' first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor.)
In addition to Sweeney, Ackles says his on-screen mom (Deidre Hall, Marlena) and dad (Josh Taylor, Roman) have been showing him the ropes. "I love Josh," beams Ackles. "He's like my second dad. He really looks out for me. And Deidre has been super great to me. She calls me her boy. I love her to death."
Ackles is also getting support from real-life pal LeAnn Rimes, who debuted Friday in a short-term role of Madison, a homeless girl befriended by Eric.
"She's a good friend of mine," Ackles explains. "She's very, very mature for her age, which is incredibly needed in this business with what she goes through. She handles it so well."
Rimes is a big Days fan, but Ackles had only watched Days' competition prior to landing his job last summer.
"My mother has watched All My Children since college," he reports. "So I grew up with that. I was never a viewer, I just knew the characters and what was going on. Every now and then I'd sit down and watch it with her. But never Days."
That changed, of course. "I got the job in May, but I didn't start until July," he explains. "So I watched the show in June to bring myself up to par with the storylines."
When Eric was brought on, he was described as having a secret. Will we ever learn what it is? "I'm sure that'll come out sooner or later," Ackles says demurely.
MADE MARION: Ackles' mom will love this story: Horny troublemaker Marian Colby (played by Jennifer Bassey) has finally met her match in sweet, naive Stuart Chandler (David Canary) on All My Children.
"How can you not love him?" Bassey gushes in character. "He is the best lover I ever had! I am totally disarmed by this man because he is so real and so honest. The other day he put a blanket over me and said, 'Warm enough?' And I said, 'Warm enough for what?' I just love him."
Unfortunately for town pariah Marian, no one believes her feelings are genuine. "I have scenes with (my daughter) Liza where I say, 'I really care about him,' and she says, 'Oh, you don't care about anyone, Mother. You go through men like a tornado.' No one will believe Marian when she says this is different!"
Could a wedding be in the offing?
"I don't know," responds Bassey. "(Stuart's twin brother) Adam hates Marian and wants her out of Stuart's life. Liza and Adam are trying to keep her away from Stuart. They think she is going to ruin his life. Which she probably will."
Hinsey is executive editor of Soap Opera Digest.
From Texas Monthly; March, 1998.
FACE;Jensen Ackles
SCOTT M. AUSTIN; EDITED BY EVAN SMITH
As a kid, Jensen Ackles used to poke fun at the "mushy" daytime dramas his mother regularly watched, but not anymore. Since last June, the Richardson native has starred on the hit NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives as Eric Brady, a mature-for-his-age teen who keeps his emotions bottled up. "He's not bitter, but if anybody messes with him, he'll be out to get 'em," says Ackles, who turns twenty on March 1. Only four years ago the hazel-eyed blond was a sophomore at Richardson Berkner High School and a sometime model for Dallas department stores, but after he was discovered at a talent search, his stock soared. When he graduated in 1996, he moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a string of TV roles, including a recurring spot on the sitcom Mr. Rhodes. Now under contract for three years at Days, Ackles has the typically heady life of a Hollywood heartthrob (he was LeAnn Rimes's escort to January's American Music Awards), though he hasn't left his home state behind. Texas flags hang inside his San Fernando Valley home, and he has a German shepherd-rottweiler mix named Dallas. "People here know I'm a Texan within the first five minutes of conversation," he says. "My use of 'y'all' or 'fixin' to' usually gives it away."
From the Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada); March 8, 1998.
Long tall Texan misses home cookin'
LILANA NOVAKOVICH, FOR SOUTHAM NEWSPAPERS
Jensen Ackles is the epitome of long, tall Texan.
Ackles, who plays Eric Brady on Days Of Our Lives, loves his horse all right, but he would much rather be romancing a girl. He finds it hard -- neigh impossible -- in Los Angeles.
The prerequisites are: she must be a Dallas Cowboys fan, must like fishing and hanging out and must like to ride horses and listen to country music.
"Call me crazy, but I would love a girl who can ride a horse. I even moved near the equestrian centre."
Ackles is a native of Richardson, near Dallas, and intends to hang on to his Texas roots.
"I have too many not to," he explains. "I have two roommates from Texas; they're both high-school buddies. We have Texas flags all over the place. We have a nasty, nasty case of Texas pride.
"I love Dallas; I miss it tremendously. L.A. is so big; it's so crowded."
What he really misses is the cooking back home. The chili and barbecue just don't cut it in L.A.
"If I go to a restaurant in L.A.," he complains, "I see 'Texas-style,' and I know it's not going to be as good as it is back home. It never is, but I still have to order it."
Back home in the Lone Star state, he grew up the middle child in a tight-knit family. His father is an actor who does commercials in Dallas. His mother is a homemaker and soap fan. Ackles, who turned 20 on March 1st, has a 23-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister.
He claims he didn't really want to be an actor. He just kinda moseyed along into it.
"I wasn't one of those guys who has wanted to be an actor all his life. Even after I got a few jobs, I wasn't sure. I know that's odd, but that's me. I've always been a roll-with-the-punches kind of guy. You know, whatever. . . ."
Ackles auditioned for Days after the cancellation of Mr. Rhodes, the sitcom in which he co-starred. He took it in stride. After all, he'd appeared in the syndicated teen show Sweet Valley High and had a guest shot on Cybill as her godson. But then nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada.
"I was like, 'Ok, now what?' " he recalls. "I'm going to stick around for a little while longer. If something comes along, great. If not, I'm not going to sit out here and bust my butt and do nothing. I'd gotten the audition for Days a few months after Mr. Rhodes. I figured, Ok, cool, but I didn't hear for two weeks. I was thinking, 'Well, that's that. I could always go back to Texas and go to school.' "
He'd always be welcome. His family has always been supportive.
"They briefed me big time when I moved to L.A.," he allows. "It was look out for this; look out for that. Mom was a little nervous and Dad was a little concerned, but they knew it was something I wanted to do. So my grandmother packed up a whole lot of cookies and my dad and I packed up all my stuff and we just drove out to L.A. in my '88 Pathfinder."
Now if only his grandmother could send him some of that genuine Texas chili and barbecue.
Have you heard: Country and pop singing sensation and 1997's top-selling recording artist, LeAnn Rimes, will guest-star on Days for a few episodes this spring and will not be playing herself. She is the real-life pal and neighbor of Days' star Jensen Ackles (Eric) who hails from the same town in Texas. . . .
From USA Today; April 9, 1998.
Rimes tests romance, song with runaway role on 'Days'
Sue Facter
LeAnn Rimes has had a love affair with Days of Our Lives ever
since she was 2 years old and sat on her grandma's lap to watch
the soap.
The romance plays on. Wednesday, the country star was in Burbank,
Calif., to tape 12 pages of dialogue in the role of Madison, a
teen runaway. Today: 23 pages.
Yes, the runaway sings. Rimes will unveil Looking Through Your
Eyes, the theme song of the animated film Quest for Camelot.
The 15-year-old also gives teen heartthrob Jensen Ackles, 20,
his first on-air kiss in a fantasy scene in which she becomes
Cinderella. Ackles and Rimes have been pals since June when they
discovered they both grew up in the town of Richardson, Texas.
"We're friends," he says.
The shows air April 29 and 30 and May 1.
From the Edmonton Journal (Alberta); July 30, 2000.
Ackles' Days numbered: He bids adieu to Eric and says hello to new ABC development deal
Lilana Novakovich
Now you see Jensen Ackles, now you don't.
His Days are numbered; Ackles is leaving his post as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives on Monday to embark on his development deal with ABC.
"ABC hasn't decided where they're going to take me," he allows. "They could end up not using me and the contract would just go down and I'd be free. But they're in heavy meetings right now, talking about what they're going to do with the people that they've got on their list of those they want to put on their shows -- me being one of them."
It was a calculated risk, after only being on the soap for three years. It was in 1997 when Days fans were introduced to Eric, Sami Brady's eagerly anticipated twin brother. TV Guide dubbed Ackles "the casting coup of the summer of 1997."
"I was still kind of on the fence," Ackles explains about his exit move. "I was like, 'Well, do I need to give up such a great gig?' You know, people die for this kind of stuff. It's just such a wonderful job I've got now, but maybe I should try it, and hopefully if it doesn't work out, I could always come back.
"When this opportunity presented itself, I said, 'OK, let's give it a shot.' I've gotten some nibbles in different areas and maybe I should go out and try and see what can come out of it. They are sending that character away with me and if it doesn't work out, then hopefully there'll be a spot for me back on Days."
He's done well in his three years. Ackles has had three consecutive Younger Actor Daytime Emmy nominations and won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Male Newcomer in 1998. As much as they hate to lose him, there are no hard feelings among the brass at Days.
"I talked to the producers of Days and they were pretty understanding. They kind of expected it and were totally supportive, which was great. Just having them say, 'You're gonna do great, and we don't blame you for leaving.' "
Ackles is going to miss his co-stars -- especially his two leading ladies, Arianne Zuker (Nicole) and Jullianne Morris (Greta) -- and his alter ego, Eric. The character was a good fit -- with some minor adjustments.
"Eric's a little more conservative than I am but he's definitely someone I could hang out with. I don't know if I'd be best friends with him or anything; my buddies are a little more crazy. He's the guy with the conscience, the good guy. I don't know how close we'd be."
Not that Ackles is exactly a bad guy himself. He still hangs around with his friends from back home in Texas.
His parents and two siblings still live in his home town, Richardson, Tex. His father is an actor whose credits include Walker, Texas Ranger and Dallas.
Ackles started in the biz in Dallas at age four doing print work and commercials for Nabisco, Wal-Mart and Radio Shack. While attending an actor's workshop in Dallas during the spring of '95, he was discovered by two talent managers and an agent, who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles after high school.
Ackles followed their advice --- which was spot-on. Almost immediately after arriving in L.A. in July 1996, he booked a regular role in the sitcom Mr. Rhodes.
"I would love to do another comedy," he says. "It's so much fun and so different-- it's almost like doing theatre once a week because you have the live audience in front of you. You can feel the energy and the pressure gets put on you and I like that. It's a high for me to have that kind of adrenaline rush."
Please Note: If you run a fansite and want to use these, please help yourself. I would appreciate a comment notification/link and a link back to the community if possible. :)