Rising Star
The Soap World Always Knew That Jensen Ackles Would Make It Big. Now, The Rest Of The Industry Is Finding Out, Too.
“There have definitely been moments over the last couple of years when I seriously thought about coming back”, confess Jensen Ackles, who left DAYS OF OUR LIVES in the summer of 2000 after a three-year run as Eric. “There have been times when I thought, ‘I want to go back’, and as soon as I built up the courage to say something, I’d get a job.” And how. Since his departure from Salem, the Texas charmer has appeared in the series DARK ANGEL, the miniseries BLONDE, is currently airing on DAWSON’S CREEK and is filming a much-talked-about pilot for Fox called STILL LIFE.
Ackles started on DAYS in 1997, nabbed a Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Male Newcomer the following year, and received Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Younger Actor for every year he was on the show. But when his contract came up, the actor knew it was time to move on. “Even if I do go back someday, I still think it was the right decision because I’ve been able to go out there, do different things, play different characters, learn about the business and learn about myself,” he reflects.
Like many daytime actors who have sought stardom elsewhere, Ackles faced some obstacles because of his soap roots. “It was kind of hard to break,” he admits. “I definitely carried that around for a while. People would see me, and I would be ‘that soap guy’. But I think after I was able to get things under my belt, they couldn’t just see the soap guy. I’ve been able to shake it.”