This week, Tommy is joined by acting powerhouses Jared Padalecki and Genevieve Padalecki for a rare joint interview. Jared is of course best known for his iconic role as Sam Winchester on the CW series Supernatural which ran for an incredible 15 seasons. He first gained national attention playing Rory’s charming and loyal boyfriend Dean on Gilmore Girls. Fast forward to today, he developed and stars in Walker on the CW which is airing its series finale on June 26th. His beautiful wife Gen is best known for her starring roles on the ABC Family series Wildfire, and of course the legendary Supernatural. She just finished playing Emily alongside her husband in Walker. Today Jared and Gen open up about how it has been processing the end of a show that means so much to them, what they have most learned about themselves through doing the series Walker, growing up on television in front of the world for most of their lives, the ways in which they work towards keeping their commitment and marriage strong while balancing demand jobs and a busy family life, what would make Jared say yes to a Supernatural reboot, their biggest personal and professional dreams, the importance of paying attention to our mental health, one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to Gen, and so much more.
Hey guys, welcome to I've never said this before with me, Tommy di Dario. Today is a very special episode because I have two wonderful actors on my show who also happened to be in a marriage that makes the entire world say well hashtag couple goals. The talented Jared and Jen Padlechi are here today, and man, we had so much fun chatting. I could have kept them for eight hours because the conversation just kept flowing. They are such good human beings and I loved this chat. Jared is of course best known for his iconic role as Sam Winchester on the CW series Supernatural, which ran for an incredible fifteen seasons, but he first gained national attention on Gilmour Girls, playing Rory's charming and loyal boyfriend Dean, another fan favorite character, and fast forward to today, he developed and stars in Walker on the CW, which is airing its series finale on June twenty sixth. Now, his beautiful wife, Jen is best known for her starring roles on the ABC Family series Wildfire and of course, the legendary series Supernatural. She also just finished playing Emily Walker on the hit series Walker alongside her husband, of course, and aside from gracing us with their talents on screen together, Jared and Jen are passionate about the planet and they promote a more sustainable way of living, and they really encourage us to get out in nature.
Doesn't that sound amazing?
Yeah, I'm all about peace, putting my device down, getting in nature. Sign me up today. We chat all about their fan favorite projects. We get a deeper glimpse into a relationship that so many people look up to, and we connect on some really personal levels.
We go deep. So let's see if.
We can get Jared and Jen to say something that they have never said before.
Jared and Jen, it is so good to see you guys. How you feeling today?
Feeling good? Yeah, feeling good. We were in Europe for a few weeks with kids how to Blast, so there's a bit of jet lag still so little like, where are we okay? Is it?
Yeah? A little discombobulated, I think right now.
Jet leg is real.
I go to Europe probably once a year, and I always feel like it takes me a couple of days to recover. So I appreciate you being here and showing up and happy belated Father's Day. Very happy related. Thank you, very very nice. I'm happy you guys are here, so thank you again. We have so much to get to God, we don't want to begin. I guess let's begin with the fan favorite show that is sadly coming to an end, which is Walker, and the big series finale is airing on June twenty sixth, and man, people are people are not ready for it. They're not ready for it. So Jared, we'll start with you. You know, how are you processing something like this coming to an end, something that means so much to so many people, including yourself.
I'm sure, yeah, no, thanks, thank you for the question. Funny enough, this is the first time I've really spoken about it, because I found out on a Tuesday and was asked if I would be willing to share the information with our Walker family and our extended kind of supernatural family come a girls family, this and that people who are tuned into the show. I haven't really had time to really digest it just yet, because two days later I went to Europe and got back four weeks later, essentially, so I haven't really digested it yet. It's heartbreaking. Man. I'm erect. You know, had our final mix and that was a pretty intense session. A lot of tears in the last four weeks, but I think this is important. They weren't for me, you know. They were tears for the amazing cast and crew and their families. And we just had a blast, and we went through pandemic and we went through the strikes and an incredible family not only on screen and behind screen, but the people who view and watch and have talked with the show and asked quiet and express their excitement with it. So I'll get back to you on that next time. But I haven't really had the time yet to sit and digest it. I'm kind of sometimes quick to have perception but slow to have perspective, Like I have to sleep on something, and I'll have to sleep on this a lot. But I'm so proud of the family and the friends that we got to meet and work with, and that'll be everlasting.
And Jen, I know for you, you put on Instagram that this was a dream project for you to be a part of.
Why so I.
Think, to sort of echo what Dared's saying, it really has become a family of sorts and for us to work from home, you know, to be able to take the kids to school and then either visit Jared while he's working, show our kids how our lives behave you know, when we're not at a hope to see us. You know, when we're not at home. It's not normal for them to be able to experience that. You know, when Jared was on Supernatural is when the kids we had our children, and then we moved to Austin and Jared would commute once they started school, and so they never really got to experience the day to day. And so it's been a dream because I felt like we didn't sacrifice.
A whole lot, which is a I mean, I love the sacrifice in a project, and I love we talk about sacrifice often with our kids, about you know, the sacrifices that we both make in traveling and.
Working for our family. This one was just the ultimate dream because to play a role alongside my husband and my partner and so many different levels and have so much fun with that, but also have truly the dreamiest cast and crew. I mean every cast we worked with, every crew we've worked with, is exceptional. We feel incredibly lucky and blessed to be able to really say that every you know group, it has been incredible but this one in particular for us, just because it was in our backyard and it was a collective that. I mean, they will be family for the rest of our lives, you know, like they have just left an induble mark on all of us and our kids and our family, and it's just it's been dreaming on so many different levels.
So for the finale, are you both satisfied with how it wraps up? And now you can't share too much, but are you happy with how it ends?
That's a great question. Yes. So we knew while filming the finale that it might be the series finale, and we took that into account. There are many meetings behind the scenes about like what should we do with these characters? Those characters. I feel like every character has a proper final moment, so to speak. So I am happy with the finale. I'm not happy that it's the finale, but I am happy the characters all get a proper send off, which we were prepared for. We weren't expecting it, but we weren't. We knew it was a possibility. You know, we remained the most watch show on the network, and we came in under budget, and we weren't their most expensive. So we were like, okay, cool, like we can come back and play again in the sandbox. That didn't happen is what it is. But yes, yeah, I love the melopy. I watched it last night as a matter of factor, and lots of tears, all tears. I watched most of it. It was blurry at times because I was trying to wipe tears away. But yeah, it's very horribleming.
You know, with every new project, with everything that we take on, it's like a new chapter of our lives, right and the Walker chapter for you both, I'm sure you grew a lot, you learned a lot, you discovered a lot. So is there something that you can both think of that you feel like you learned about yourself through doing this series or through being a part of it for you know, the last few years.
Yeah, God, great question. So Walker was hatched in twenty nineteen and my trailer season fourteen of Supernatural because we Jenson and I had talked about season fifteen the next year being the last season of Supernatural, and I was sort of like, well, maybe I retire, like I've been doing TV like Gilmore Girls. It was gonna be a twenty year career. I was like, cool, I missed my family. I'd like to get to know them. Then COVID happened in twenty twenty, and so I was down here with Jen and our kids. We still had about two or three weeks to shoot Supernatural to wrap it up, but we knew Walker was coming next. I'm coming in Austin, and so I had a lot of time to think and spend time with the family, and a lot happened. And I hate talk about myself, but this is a funny situation because like Kilmore Girls for five years, I left to do Supernatural, and then Supernatural we knew it was ending season fifteen. We announced it, Hey, this could be the final season. But Walker was kind of like the rug got pulled out. So I always had a job coming up, something to work for, and so I think one of the things that I'm realizing and I'm still kind of fresh into it because it's been less than a month since finding out we're not come. It's weird because this time, you know, mid June, I'm always not working. That's a strange way to say it, but it's usually like, oh, we're prepping for the next season. So yeah, it's time off. Kids are in summer, I'm home, we're traveling here maybe hopefully. So it hasn't really hit yet. I think once like August, September, October come around and I'm like, why am I not like memorizing lines to go to work. Then it'll probably hit again, you know. But it hasn't really hit. But I feel life goes on and it's not always how you expect. And so, kind of to your prior question about our thoughts on the finale, it occurred to me that if Walker ended after any episode in the four seasons, I'd be satisfied, you know, because the riders, the brilliant riders behind the scenes every episode wonderfully, Like we weren't writing to have some big, oh my gosh, like what's happening next, Like it's what's right for the characters. So it just felt like this is life, and we're going to go through life, and this is this episode, this is the next But it wasn't like we were trying to trick people into got to tune in next week, got to tune in the following week. It was sort of like, hey, here's here's a week in the life of the Walker family. Their friends, their colleagues, et cetera. And so to some extent, I'm kind of right now thinking about life in general, and sometimes, you know, it goes longer than you'd expect. Sometimes it doesn't go as long as you'd hope, and just kind of do your best along the way because you never know. And I think we all did our best. So I'm trying to hang my hat on that.
I love that. And what about you, Jen Gosh, I.
Learned I mean on every job. I think, at every adventure in life, you know, or every fork in the road or project. I think, no matter what, I hopefully you continue to learn from it. And I think particularly with this one. You know, we met on Supernatural, which filmed in Vancouver, got married, started a family. My career took a back seat while we had kids, and you know, Jared was working, and then when our kids started school, I was really full time in Austin and he would commute from Vancouver to Austin. And I had a set way of life and a certain structure to things and the way that the kids were being raised, and you know.
That particular flow and for me, Walker was sort of all encompassing because it really incorporated our family life into our work life, and then on top of that, as our kids have grown up a bit more, it's also given me more space to find more creative pursuits as well. So I think within that Walker space, I've been able to play again as far as my acting is concerned, have a voice. We co produce, although that's really your line and share with Walker, but yeah, I mean, he's so generous with saying that he's the lines there of producing Walker. But yes, it's been I've sat and been part of those meetings and privy to those meetings, and sort of to preface that, I'm kind of one of those people that feels like they have to go to college to like have some sort of voice in a situation like I have to go to college. I have to get my masters to be able to be a producer, you know, even though I've also been in this industry for I guess twenty twenty.
Years, I guess. But I think what this has done has been like a really gentle introduction for me into the other side of things and the inner workings of production and what goes into it and also you know, which has been really nice and that I say it it's gentle because I've been able to watch and be a part of these meetings and now you know, we're also in the process of producing projects together that we're sort of bringing to life, the seed to the next chapter, next chapter, but also to be able to wear the hat of a mother and producer and heart and so as you. But it's just I didn't I wasn't in that place before. I believe, you know, I would jump into supernatural here and there, but I didn't really do anything other than that. I just didn't have the space and we just didn't have you know, our marriage and our family really comes first, so we had to make sure that that was intact and really strong in that, you know, in order for that, you know, for me to be able to do other things or you know, find projects or wherever. We had to really make that was really solid and our kids were really solid. So for Walker, it just developmentally for me, was just a way for me to feel confident in really expanding my wings, so to speak.
Well, that is so fulfilling.
I love when I hear things like that, because you know, a lot of people feel that way.
A lot of people feel.
Like, oh, I didn't necessarily study something so I can't possibly pursue it or I'm not going to be taken seriously. But it's it's not about that, and so many of us feel that way. In fact, my husband is an anchor on Good Morning America. It's like he reached his highest dream ever and he still says, oh, I always wish I went to a better university, And it's like, well, why, like why, what does that have to do with anything? Look at what you're doing, you know. So I feel you Gen on that. I think a lot of people feel you on that. But it's so cool that both of you have created this life together where you are able to do the work you love and you are able to put yourselves as a couple and as a family first and seemingly you know, manage it the best that you can. And we're going to get into that in a BIX. I'm so interested in the dynamics of all of that with any relationship. But something that came to mind when you both were talking is that you've both been in this industry for most of your lives. You've grown up in front of people essentially right, You've been working, working, working, and even gen even though you've taken breaks to you know, raise your family. You've been doing it like you've been doing it from an early age too, So how the hell did the two of you grow up on TV and in the spotlight? Because I would be a hot mess.
Well we are hot messes, or at least we're messes. You're hot, we're messages. A fair question. I think what's funny is that these days, and with our kids, we have a twelve year old boy, a ten year old boy, seen year old girl, we're seeing how rapid things are happening with like social media and everybody has a device and people are growing so rapidly. I think for Gen and me both, it was kind of like I joke that I'm like that twenty four year overnight success. Like it was slow, like when Gilmore Girls, I was seventeen years old in two thousand, left college to do four episodes of a show, and I'm doing eighty or something, but there was no Netflix, there was no streaming app there was no DVR yet, Like we were recording it on vhs, like on a v to go back and try and watch. So it was very slow, Like I didn't get recognized until probably season two or three of Gilmore Girls, so I was like able to pay my bills. I wasn't driving fancy cars. I'm not driving in fans cars now. But I'm saying like I was a working actor at the time. But by no means was it like, Okay, this is going to be a viable job for me to do. Like we'll see, and we'll see. I'll get back to because something she said and we've talked about just today makes me think of that. But it happened really slowly. And then I think because of the shows we've done, the movies we've worked on, it's not like somebody in the street sees us and goes like, oh, you were part of that scandal blah blah blah blah, take a picture. Like people either don't know who the hell we are and don't give a shit and we're human beings, or they're like, hey, I love that show you did. Hey, my daughter and I watched Gilmore Girls and we bonded. Hey, my brother and I watched Supernatural and we bonded. Hey, my family watches or wildfire Walker or whatever. So it's not like when someone comes up to take a picture or say hi, it's not like, hey, someone said you're famous. Let's do a picture so I can get some likes on social media. It's like, hey, that scene where you talk to your brother or father or son or friend or whatever, like it meant a lot to me, and I thought about it and that it meant something, and so I feel like our level of fame or a celebrity, however you would try and quantify or measure that has been commensurate with the work we've put into it. So people don't come up to us and say like, hey, I here a you're famous. They come up and say like, hey, I love that show you did, Like I bonded with some other human being over some project you did. And that makes me think about like bands I loved growing up, or sports teams or TV shows or movies, and it's like, oh, you look that too, like let's talk and you get to meet somebody. And so it wasn't like we, you know, blasted into infamy like some kids these days that I feel for the teenagers and twenty some things that all of a sudden are enormously famous and their life changes and they haven't been to really gradually deal with it, you know. The progression of it. The in Criminal Progression, I.
Will say, I literally came out of college and got a lead of a TV show and I had never been on.
TV, which is crazy.
It's so crazy, and I'm so that really was for me. I'm so grateful to Lloyd Segen and Sean and Michael Piller who believed in me, because I don't know who else would hire some person who's never been on TV before. But I'm so grateful because I was so I was so lucky, but I was so green. And I also at the time thought I've made it, like, you know, I'm number one on a call sheet, and then I ate some humble pie because I got right off of Wildfire, and then I was back to auditioning again, you know. So I'm really grateful for those experiences because that, you know, this industry is full of humble pie. And I think it's a lesson that we teach our kids often or echo it and repeat it often, which is kindness is free. So you know, on Wildfire, you know, I'm still I'm grateful that I wasn't a little shit, but I definitely, you know what, I thought, I was pretty cool being number one, and I'm grateful for the relationships that I have. I just feel like it's allowed me to be open because every experience, in every situation is so different, and you know, to if we're a bunch of carnies and just to be a part of that circus together and you know those orbits, and it's just it's really it's really special.
Well, one thing that definitely strikes me is the two of you are both you lead your lives with gratitude and you're humble and you appreciate all the opportunities that have come your ways. And that's very cute and saying that. You know, you have a lower profile than you actually do. But when I announced you guys as my guest, the questions flooded in and people were so excited and they were like, oh my god, we've been waiting for this forever.
So it's very cute.
But I'm here to say, you guys are the shit, So settle down with that and let's feel here for a minute.
But you know what's.
So cool about the two of you two is you you have developed these amazing careers and lives and personal and professional lives. I want to say, because it's not just about the work, it's about having that personal life that is fulfilling as well.
But it's so.
Challenging in any career when you have two busy people and you're trying to balance it all, right, So how do you keep that commitment so strong without burning out or without letting it fall to the back burner, because that is something that you know a lot of people struggle.
With out there.
There are I mean, there's several things that we do and I will say it's it's seasonal too. It's not that this is what we do every Monday. It's sort of seasonally where are we in our own individual headspace and then where are we together and where the kids and you know, so there's a lot that goes into that. I will say a big part of that is therapy. We're very open about being in therapy. Our kids are in therapy. It's important for us to have that outlet to check in and be honest and work on things in our relationship, having conversations with each other and being open and honest. And I think for me, what I had to do was give up feeling like this is how a nuclear family lives, and I need to live like a nuclear family and I'm going to raise my kids this way. And we show up every night for dinner together, and I make dinner and he sits down and we all talk about this and he alps with the mathwork. We don't have that kind of life, you know, or even parenting styles. We have very different parenting styles. And sometimes, you know, in the beginning, sometimes I would get frustrated because Jared would come in from Vancouver and he would be the fun dad and I was like, well, it's bedtime.
Who wants.
And I think, at least for me, I want to speak for you. But I had to go, where am I?
What do I love?
What are the things that I love?
Where?
You know, I love this human so much, he's not the things that I infrustrated by are the things I actually love about him? And so you also for me, you had to say I had to let go of certain things about the perfection of it all and about living our lives in a nuclear way, like we just don't have that lifestyle. We chose this lifestyle. We chose to get into this acting industry. Granted we didn't.
I don't think we thought, oh wow, we'll be forty with three kids and a mortgage, and you know, like there's some real stuff with life that we.
Have to deal with. But we don't have a traditional life and that's okay. And so I think for me, I had to let go of some of that traditional parenting, traditional marriage and ideals, and not to say that we don't have you know, we have our contract, we have our relationship, we have our marriage. You know that that is at the core and very important to us. But you know, he can't be it in there every weekend, even every night with the kids, and so when we do have that time, it's very important, it's very sacred to us. But you know, it's challenging because it's not every Thursday night or something. You know, it's it's evolving and so sometimes sort of our friends and friend group that can be challenging because we cannot be consistent all the time and I've just had to make plans. Yeah, it's hard.
Well, yeah, I think to our point, I think it's it's interesting. And as you get older and your life goes here and there, you realize that there are certain people in your world that they're around when you do what's best for them, and then there are those in your world that when you do what's best for you, they're even more excited and that becomes even better for them than doing what they think might be best for them. And however, many aspects, So you're talking about other people, like other professionals who are going through this, and that they're in a relationship or they're not, and things seem high and low. Tattoo it says if it's a poem by Rudyard Kipling, and there's a great couplet in it that says, if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. And so I think that's where I kind of try and live, you know, like right now I'm jobless for the first time in twenty four years, Like I've always had a job to look forward to. So seemingly it's a disaster, right like, oh shit, I don't have any work, Like I'm not reading through a script, so it's seemingly a disaster. It'll change, and so there are highs and lows, and especially in a relationship, she'll have highs and lows because she's a human being. I'll have highs and lows because I'm human being. If we seek to communicate with each other, and there might be times where she's like, hey, maybe I'm overly doting or something, and she's like, I just eat some space. It's like, got it, and it's not about me, it's about her, and vice versa, when she wants to do this or that, and I'm like, hey, I don't want to be a Debbie downer. I just need to stay home, like I'm going to go go for a walk or listen to album I love or something, and she gets it. And so that mutual trust of like growing alongside each other but also realizing you're not growing at the same speed at the same rate, like sometimes I'm here, she's there. Sometimes vice versa, and often we're here, but just listening and communicating, being like, hey, can I do anything? No, you need you time? Cool, take you time. I'll hang with kids or whatever. Get out your hair, and not taking offense by you know, like we're all humans, like we all we're all gonna have highs and lows. Otherwise, what's the point of living, right if you're not going to have your highs and your lows and hopefully find some balance.
One hundred percent, I couldn't agree more so this is something that I was very interested in, you know, as I was thinking about our conversation today, and I want your both of your perspective on this. So, for one, you mentioned thinking about retiring from acting, So is that something you're still considering or is that kind of on the back burner or you're you don't know.
I'm always considering it. There are some stories I really want to tell, want to help tell. Like I know, I've even really considered myself an actor. I consider myself a storyteller and there happened to be a camera pointed at me or something. So I love the process. I love developing things. I love reading a book and going, oh my god, this would be amazing as a TV show, as a limited series, as a movie. Like, people who aren't often readers still need to see these tropes, these archetypes delivered in this way. I'm not retired from acting. I'm excited about some stuff we have coming up, but I'm not excited about the industry. I guess so if it can be done in such a way. There was another wonderful think about Walker is when Mark Pettwitz was running CW. He kind of said, like, what kind of stories would you hope to tell if you could, And we went through some ideas. I went through Walker and He's like, I like that, and so we developed this and now we have this family and that kind of situation. I'm less eager to sell parts of my life that I hold so dear now and you, you know, do what you do with GEO. There are a lot of sacrifices and I'm not complaining. I signed up for this, Like Jen said earlier, we signed up for this, and it's amazing and the people I've met and the stories I've been able to be a part of the relationships I've been fortunate enough to grow. There are still some things like, Hey, you can't take your kid to camp. Hey you can't be there for their birthday. Hey you can't be there when they're crying. It Like, there are just some sacrifices that I need to measure, like what's what's worth it?
Yeah, I get that you kind of want to do it on your own terms. And yeah, and Jen, do you feel the itch to get more into the acting world again or you're loving the direction that your life is taking.
I love acting, I really do. In storytelling. I love the whole process of it and creating a character. And you know, I feel like you learned or I learned so much about myself in the same way that you read a book, like whether you relate to it or not, you find something that resonates with it you and that discovery and learning about people and cultures and all of it. I really enjoy that, and how they interact with other people and things and problems, and I really enjoy that that part a lot. We're in the process now of sort of forging a path of creating some projects that we can.
Own.
Yeah, so I'm really excited about that adventure. And I don't know if it's a control thing, but more of like being able to tell these stories and in a collaborative process and be more m Yeah, I suppose in control, you know, not just being told go here here, stand here, do this, and you'll go here, you know, but being more of like, hey, I want to be part of the community and help figure out who's in that community.
We're having a vote instead of an opinion.
Yeah.
Well, I'm sure you're both at a point where you want more ownership, right.
Yes, and not for the sake of being called a co owner. It's more like Hey, I love this story. I'd love to help tell it. If it changes too much, then that's not really the story I want to tell. Like, let's tell this story, and let's do it in the best possible way where it's all, you know, good faith, we're all going to work together, we all realize we still have lives off set, and so the ownership is a funny word, and that's probably the best placeholder. But it's it's not exactly ownership. It's it's having the vote over having an opinion, you know, not like hey, Tommy, what do you think. I think it's a bad idea. Well, cool, good for you. We're doing it anyways, but like, no, my vote is I'm one of two votes and my vote is no, you know, like having that to go like I didn't. You know, we've both we've talked about it between each other. We've both been in situations on sets where something happens and you're like, I don't feel like this is not what I expected and I don't feel comfortable with this, but they're like, hey, they're ready on set and you got to go do it. It's like, well, the script that I signed up for this was the scene and now I have these new pages, but don't I don't like this. I don't feel comfortable here. It's like, well, too bad, they're waiting, you know. And so that situation is not my favorite if it serves the story. Because also it happens when it's like, hey, where should change the scene? Because and the lasting the episode, this is a better tease for it. You're like, oh, bad ass, Like cool, let's do it. Then sometimes you're like this is superfluous, you know, like this is not necessary for the story that I care about. And so trying to avoid those situations, I think is something that we're both interested in.
All right, So here's the million dollar question, and it involves both of you because as a family, you make these decisions, right, Yeah, obviously everyone and their mother asks you, Jared about a Supernatural reboot, and I believe you've said, if and when the time is right, you might entertain it. So would that be something you really would think about doing, even if that means it would take on the next five years of your life assuming it's a success, because everyone who watched the original would be tuning into this.
Is that something as.
A family you both would be ready for and wanting to make happen.
I will say to this, I don't want to do another fifteen years of Supernatural. I don't want to do another five years of Supernatural. I am dying to do a reboot of Supernatural, akin to like the Gilmore Girls reboot. You know, it's like, here are four one and a half hour episodes. We'll shoot it in three months. I think Jensen and I both said in twenty twenty, we love to revisit these characters this world. Give us five years, which is next year. And I see him often, we talk often. I think he and I are both really eager to do it. We love the characters, we grew up together. I've met my wife on the show. I'm certain I'll put the flannel on again and place in Winchester. Not for like a linear television kind of situation that I'm not interested in, but something that can be strained and not take nine months out of the year, ten months out of the year for the next five six years of my life. Yeah, I can't wait.
And you're you're on board?
Yeah I am. I mean I would. That show has been such a gift for a family. I mean, I met my husband, we started a family. Uh, you know, it's such a great story, the writers, the actors, everyone involved, the crew. You know, it was amazing. So I would I would definitely be on board. I think again, like with Jared's saying projection wise, like what does that mean and what does that entail? But you know, like it would be so fun and especially the fan base too. It's given us family that yeah, or the family, So I would be really excited about it, right.
Good.
I think you made a lot of people happy with that answer, and that makes sense too. I like, I like doing something that's a little different it right, not not necessarily a huge another five years series, because like you said, there's other hopes and ambitions and goals you have, but but revisiting that is super fun. And we live in the day and age of nostalgia, right and even though it hasn't been that long, people love when things come back.
So that's that's really cool. All right.
I am going to ask you guys a few rapid fire couples questions.
All right, what is.
The one item that your partner would take on a deserted island, not kids, not people, not each other?
What is one item?
I know this one?
I think Jen would take something to read. Let's say a book.
You took the high Row one. I thought you were going to say Bravo.
Oh yeah, the streaming Bravo device.
But book is a book.
She spends more time with books than anything else.
What you would bring. He's got a treble fan.
That's right, best present of a time.
I need more information.
He used to go get it, all right.
I'll get it.
It's a travel fan that we got him for Yeah, Father's Day last year. He needs one white noise when he sleeps like it doesn't matter where we are. He never asked permission. He just turns it on, so we've all gotten used to it. So he he needs the white noise. But he also runs really hot. So in our house we did a remodel and I never put any fans in and he was very bummed out. So I ended up getting him a travel fan that he can use.
While we're by the way. We have no association. I don't even know what the company is. Venti Venti. This is. I literally have not gone to bed without this in years since you got it.
Oh my god, that's amazing.
I sweat in the snow. I'm just a sweater, and so they have like a little.
Text text me your address, I will send you one.
It is us, Like, you don't understand. So we we run hot. You should see in our bedroom. It's like there, it's sixty.
Five air is the air.
We have a sound machine, a white noise machine. We have a fan running. We used to have a second sound machine. And then I'm like, okay, if like our fire alarm goes off, we're dead because you can't hear anything outside of our apartment. So now we're like one sound machine.
What's your uh, what's your White Noise app? So I have the White Noise.
No, no, no, it's not an app. It's a machine from Amazon.
No way.
Oh yeah, so no, this is hardcore. I don't do an app.
Oh no way. Well what if you forget it? What if you're traveling?
Oh, I have a travel version.
Okay, send me info and I'll send you infoo on the app I use because I have a little portable charger with my phone, and I use the White Noise app, but I use Brown Noise. They're like a hundred different. Some are like construction, like who the fuck wants this? Sorry?
Right right right? No, it's amazing. My god, we're like spirit animals.
I love that for sure.
For sure, that's amazing.
All right, next question, I felt this was a fun one who takes the longest to get ready me hands down you it's trying to get chairs out.
Yeah, I mean, but in fairness, she does not take a long time get ready. But I like, I haven't showered today, I have a beanie on and time out.
So I'm usually getting myself ready and plus three best so I take the lion's share of that, and then like I'm worry, I'm warning, and I'm like I'm putting shoes on children.
I have to say, dang shirts and pants and socks. So I am not an exciting fashionista by any means. She does not take a long time at all. But I'm just sort of like, where are we going to a gala? All right? Let me grab my waterproof boots.
But also I'm like, laid out his outfit ahead of time for him, So I mean, yeah, but yes, I mean I take longer, but I would say, in the grand scheme of things, and I probably take I could take anywhere from ten minutes to thirty.
Yeah, that's nothing, that's nothing.
I don't know a FEELI it. Oh my god, you don't protest too much.
Oh I stirred up a little something. That's for after the conversation.
I'm gonna be outside thanks.
To You can hassle that out on your own time.
All right, one more, let's go with Okay, if your partner would perform one song live at Madison Square Garden, what song would they choose?
Oh? God, she would do Baby Got Back.
That's amazing.
That's because our daughter started singing her basically and Terre It almost died. He's like, what I've only I have. I will dance all day long. I have not a lot of rhythm. But I did want to dance recital in seventh grade and it was a Baby Got Back? And like, thankfully my mom did not record it. I don't even know if my mom went, but I'm gonna find it. She said she didn't go. I just when she came last time, She's like, you know I didn't go. Did that because I was like, why would you let me wear this outfit? And what song would you sing? Probably something my Pearl jam or just Breathe or that John primesng you that you love so much.
Clay Pigeons.
I don't know if you'd seen it, though, I think you would probably sing.
Actually, yeah, there's a song called Clay Pigeons by John Prime that I love.
Oh, I'll look it up.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's like a huge like.
No, he's not. He's not known for being Adele esque vocalister because Stapleton style by any means he's just real and raw and you can hear the pain the life lessons. Yeah, Clay Pigeons by John Prime. I want to turn back? What would you do?
What do you mean? What would I do? What song?
What would you do? Msg?
Oh? Bon Jovi Dead are alive?
Oh my god, that's amazing.
Jersey boy, Jersey boy.
I had to stay drunk nights with that song growing up, where perhaps my shirt ripped off.
So yes, amazing.
Yeah, yeah, I like, Oh my god, I wish that happens.
That would be at John. I have not met John.
No, he's one of the few people I've never met, but I would love to meet him.
Oh my god.
I did a movie with him twenty one years ago. No way, Yeah, he's the.
Nicest guy I hear. He's the best, I mean, the best of the best. He's I mean all his music.
He wasn't bon job You wouldn't know he's bon Jovi. It's just like, yeah, he did something. We were shooting movie in Richmond, Virginia at the time. It was pretty dangerous and it was a low budget film and they got him like the nicest room at whatever hotel was there. I don't think it was some massive place, but it was like a very nice room. And he talked to the producer after we checked in. He was like, Hey, I don't need that big room, Like it's just me, my kids, my family's not here, Like, can I get a smaller room? And our producer was like are you sure. He's like, yeah, man, I'm not low maintenance. I'm no maintenance. Like just give me a normal room. You don't pay for this, because he knew we were a small budget film. Like that was the way it started. He's just the nicest guy.
See Jersey in the house.
I love that representing.
Yeah, that's amazing.
We have come to that point of the show where I ask every single guest who comes on, what is one thing that you have never said before? So whatever you're comfortable with sharing. I know you guys over the years have done so many interviews and have talked about so many things, so it might be challenging, but can you think of anything that you have never said.
Before, never said before. I've been proudly open about my own relationship with mental health, and that Always Keep Funding campaign has been a great help for me, and I think for many others that have expressed that it's helped them. So I'll say this. It was twenty fifteen, at a really low moment. I was open about going back and going to therapy and going to a clinic, but I was letting my thoughts kind of take over and go into a place of like dramatic suicidal ideation, and called my wife and she said get home, And so at home, went to a clinic for a couple of weeks and looked into it and haven't been suicidal since, not not for a moment that hadn't been said. There are still highs and lows that we talked about earlier, like you're not you're a human, I'm a human, She's a human. Everybody who's listening to this presumably as a human going to be a human. So there are highs and lows, and I don't know about what I have never said, but I will say this for now, as I said here today, today's a low just and I'm fine, nothing to worry about, but there's a lot of I have a lot of sadness about Walker the family, and again my tears aren't for myself. But I know I'll be fine because I'm talking to you about it. I talked to Jen about it, I talked to my friends about it. And so just to please please be open, please share, Please find somebody, whether it's a friend or professional, and speak and speak your truth. And just because you're low now, you know, meet with triumph and disaster and with those two imposters just the same, I know the other shoe will drop. And I have friends I love, a new friend I love, and family I love. So just excited to be up there, be open, and something you said earlier or Jen said earlier, will see just those two words or one contraction and one word, but we'll see, you know, something seems great, might not be. We'll see something seems terrible. We'll see. Like keeping an open mind and looking to tomorrow, looking to next week, next month, next year has helped a lot. So just that, just thinking about like, hey, we'll see.
Thank you for opening up about that.
Yeah, and Jim, before we get to you, Jared, I think that it's so impoor and more and more people talk about that. And you brought up something specifically that I do want to touch on a little further because I don't think a lot of people would feel safe or often enough to reveal that. And you mentioned a clinic, and I presume that's a place you actually went for a period of time to get some help. And I don't know, I don't know if you if you've talked about that before or not, but I thank you for that because I don't think people there's such a stigma surrounding that. Still, there's a huge stigma around mental health still. I mean, I've lost a friend to her mental health struggle, which was a horrifying time in my life, and I don't think people talk about that enough, but people certainly don't talk enough about going to a place to actually get the help. So thank you for sharing that and for people listening who might feel like that's something they could never bring themselves to do, even though they might need to do that.
What would you.
Say, Well, first, I don't think everybody needs it. I got to a place where I needed it. I needed a full reset. I had spent you know, fifteen years in this industry where I was. You know, when you go to an audition or a red carpet, they don't want like, Jared, how are you doing today? Oh? Man, today was rough and like I didn't sleep. They want like, oh, it's great, like excited to be here, excited to be you know. So I had done that for so long, trying to focus, Like we talked earlier about like what's best for the person who's talking to me as opposed to like just being honest. And there's a time of place. I don't wear it as a scarlet letter, Like it's not like I'm shameful, Like, hey, I see a therapist. I've been to a clinic. I like wear proudly, like I put it on my face and like tell everybody like yeah, dude, if you're not in the situation where you need that degree of help, then don't seek it. But I needed a surgeon, not literally, but you know what I mean, Like, yeah, I needed it, and here I am, and I've never been, Like I said, today's a hard day. It's been a hard month since we found out, But I'm in a great place with my wife, our children, my friends, my family, and so I'm certain without Jen and without my time spent really going like Okay, these feelings and thoughts are real feelings and thoughts, but they're not reality, Like how do I put those over there? And like, Okay, I'm feeling really excited, that's going to change. I'm feeling really down, that's gonna change. I'm feeling really anxious. That's going to change. So just to look seek help, open up, even if you don't think you need it, Like even if you're doing it, like, hey, you're fit, you're healthy, why not talk to a nutritionist? Why not get a personal trainer to show you how to properly do the squads? Like why not, like we spend all this time, you know, we have financial planners. If you're fortunate not to have a job, you have prospit trainers or Orange theory or whatever showing you how to properly do a row, Like why not look at your brain? Like you live in your brain? You know, we don't have a brain. We are a brain and our body just follows, So why not, Like it seems so silly to not want to look into it, but not silly. I don't want to want to make it sound flippant, but if you have the opportunity, there are a lot of resources out there, so please, please please please look into it. And it's great, it feels great, that's a great work.
Again, I'm so happy you're putting that out there. That's something very important and a message that we never should get tired of hearing.
So thank you for that. And Jen, what about you?
I'm not going to mention where what city hotel is a more fun one. We went to bed and did what married couples do or couples do, and in this particular hotel room was not a configuration that I was quite used to. And I wake up.
And I realized that the door is closing on me.
And I'm in the hallway of the hotel and I'm butt naked. No, I'm asleep, he's he's sleep.
I don't know where I am, but I just know that the door just clicked and it kind of hit me in the butt, and I'm like, where am I?
Where am I? Why am I?
Where?
What is happening right now? So I'm like I'm sweating thing about I'm sweating everywhere I'm like, I'm sweating it. Well, I'm sweat dripped out my body. I'm a butt naked in the hotel. In the hallway. I'm going to go to the elevator section. There's usually a phone there. Like in my mind, I'm gonna dig myself out of this. I'm gonna figure this out. I'm gonna bang on the door. Jared's gonna come out. It's gonna be fine.
Like it's like two am. I'm the sixth floor hotel.
Don't even say don't think I'm not saying.
You're like, I don't want video footage to be pulled up.
I do want video to God, I don't even want to know what happened. I don't want to see this.
So I have the bag out of the door and I'm like quietly baking me have the door said, I want to wake anyone or someone looking through their people like my naked ass.
So I'm like bay out.
The door, like please please answer the door, ring the bell, nothing, and there was like a little living area, so I figured, well, he probably can't hear it.
So I start kind of walking my way down the hallway and I go through a door not even thinking about it, but our bedroom was attached to where this through the door. So I go through the door but realize it's cinder.
Block, and I'm in the stairwell and I've locked myself in the stairwell and I'm butt naked.
There is like nothing.
Around me except a cinder block, a door that's closed in a stairwell, and some insulation on the ground that I decided to.
Pick up and cover half my body with.
So I fiberglass and asbestos off my butt and this is so this is like a funny question, Like I had to like kind of cover my body and like cover half of it.
And I've had friends comment like, well, why would you cover like one boob and one butt? Shet like how did you know?
What?
Up? I have comments on my choices of what I'm coming, but I was, like I felt I was just doing my best.
So I'm like tiptoeing my way down theirs like six, six, seven, eight nine, Who knows.
How many don'ts me out to the backyard of the hotel where the pool is buck my life. So I go in and the only way in is through the.
Bar, which is very It's closed, but there's a whole cleaning crew, and it's very well lit and it's horribly lit, in fact, so much so that you can see everything.
And so I'm like, hey, anyone know where the lobby is? It just like it was like, and everything goes quiet and they're like looking at me and just like point.
Oh imagine, I've never said this before.
So I walked through the lobby. It's a lady there. She's like, can I help you? I was like, yes, can I have a rub leady as so politely like some idiot, and she's like, okay, what's She goes and I said, I left myself out of my room? Can you please a new back? And yeah, Basically she's like, what's your name? I was like Jennevie Padalaki. She's like okay, so I obviously don't like have any idea on me, and so he has to want me into the elevator.
No elevator, oh god, Like.
She like lets me into the room. I was like, no, see this is my room.
My husband's asleep over there, like and like you know, she got proof of this is my room.
I'm not some weirdo, like I swear like I know him.
I promise she woke me up. I woke up out of swords and I was also like looved. She's like I was naked outside with as bestos, but I was all over my butt. I was like, what are you like you have like a nightmare? Like she don't have night terrors. It's like what's going on on a wake up walk? Sleepwalk?
I cannot even.
Tell you the story, but I'm telling the story because mortifying, Like it's one of those moments where.
I was like, it's like when you're naked on like you dream about these moments of like being in class, like butt naked, and you know, you think of four stories, and like it fucking literally happened to me. And I'm like, okay, just go to sleep. Like it's like count to ten.
What can I do?
I have to go to say, Okay, I have to sleep. I sleep sleep. Then the next morning we have like I will say, when we checked into the hotel, there was maybe one or two people we called down for the car, and I shit, you not. I think every single person who worked for this hotel chain was all lined up just waiting for me, like it was the walk of shame, and so I just what some less is on?
And I walked my little strutted right out there with like mustard any confidence I could find.
Gone to the car and I was like, drive, we gotta go, we gotta go.
Now get.
It was just like just so wild that you have to like laugh at the at the experience of the absurdity of being in this moment.
And then what was really funny is we had a dinner with some friends and I was like, oh, my god, just just happened. And then they were all, yeah, that happened to me. I was in the elevator too, and I was like, oh.
My god, Okay, I'm got It's so funny you told the story. I was sworn to secrecy. I think I told my brother and then she found out I told him and she was like ever. I was like, okay, well that's fine. So I can't believe she just shared that with people.
Well that's a That's probably one of the best stories I've ever heard of my entire life. I think the headline that y'all are skipping over is something happened in that bedroom that put you both into trance.
So there you go, two of you that all right, it's better, Yeah, take two will be better. Well to the.
Two of you.
There's some magical shit happening over in that bed. So I see how, I see how you guys are all you guys, this, this conversation has been so much fun today. I love that we talked about, you know, the projects that people love, but really got to open up in in deep and meaningful ways. And I mean I just looked at the time and I'm so sorry I've kept you for so long, but I feel like talking to you guys could last for eight hours. So I really appreciate you coming on the show. I hope you guys wtuate it as much as I as I have.
Well huge fans of your Yeah, we just you know, we're so grateful to We feel like the ship being like, wow, Tommy has is to be on the show. We're so excited and we've been wanting to be on your show for a long time. So we feel really honored and lucky. And you just feel like an old friend and so I'm excited to hang out more.
And there are are amazing, beautiful mutual friend. Katini tomorrow spoke super highly of you, and I was like, you can't live up to that, but you surpassed. Yeah, you're a great soul. Thank you so much for being here and thanks for being a love.
Oh thank you guys.
I appreciate that you have a friend and forever fan of me now and I look forward to making some memories in the future.
Can't wait, hopefully not running naked through a hotel.
Never say never. I am from Journey and we're a little crazy, So yeah.
We'll see you.
Never know, you never know, all right, I see you guys soon and contracept I've Never Said This Before is hosted by Me Tommy Didario. This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney. I've Never Said This Before is part of the Elvis Duran podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more rate review and subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode, tell your friends. Until next time. I'm Tommy Diderio.