Richard Speight, Jr. dives deep into his ‘Supernatural’ journey

Richard Speight, Jr. is an actor, musician and director extraordinaire. He is a “Supernatural” fan favorite that has become a big part of the fandom since he started hosting the Creation Entertainment’s “Supernatural” conventions. With the hugely popular CW show coming to an end, it was imperative to speak to a man that has been with the and fandom for years, both in front and behind the camera. He is someone with great talents and is great with words. Speight spoke with Nerd Alert News at the New Jersey Creation Entertainment convention about his journey on “Supernatural” and much more.

Jadeen Mercado: Bring me back to the day you found out that you were going to be on a little show called “Supernatural.”

Richard Speight, Jr.: Well, I’d never heard of the show. I got a phone call from my agent asking me if I wanted to be on a show. I’d been offered a role in a show called “Supernatural” where I play a janitor. Shooting in Vancouver- that was what I was excited about. Everybody I knew had shot in Vancouver. I never had so I was like oh my gosh, I get to go to Vancouver, and I thought that was super cool. I was excited to have a job and I was excited to go to Vancouver, and I didn’t really care that it was on a show called “Supernatural” because I’d never heard of it. Then I got the script and I was like wow, this is actually a really interesting role; this is not a janitor. I mean he was playing a janitor but he wasn’t just a janitor. I immediately got along with the crew and I immediately realized it was a cool group of people. I didn’t think I’d still be talking to them or hanging out with them 15 years later, but this was a rare guest spot where the lead guys are really nice and normal. We were talking about college football right away. I immediately became buddies with Ron in props, and Creeser our camera operator. It was a really chill and fun group. I knew it was different from your average guest spot.

JM: Why did you think this one was special for the fans and for the actors?

RSJ: I think for me personally, it was a better role than what you get with guest star stuff. A lot of guest star stuff is you’re the first suspect in a crime and you didn’t do it. Or, you’re the nice neighbor who turns out to be the one who did the crime. Or your some small part that’s maybe not that interesting but helps move the story along. This show provides guest stars with phenomenal opportunities. Not just me, I mean I’m directing episodes this season, and I won’t give anything away, but I direct an episode with a guest star who’s fantastic and hasn’t been on the show before. She’s a person of fantastic talent, so the script allows her to be as talented as she is. Guest stars are giving great opportunities.

JM: What have been some defining moments in your “Supernatural” career that have changed you?

RSJ: I think the fact that the show brought me back because when the show started out, as fun as it was, it was one episode of TV and I really didn’t think twice about it. That was unique to get a call randomly to come back to do that character, and the more they used that character, the more they involved that character in the overall development of the show. I have a purpose here; not just comedic relief. Not just that one story point, I’m part of the overall picture of the show–which was cool to feel valued as a performer.

I thought it was cool to be directed by Kim Manners. I didn’t realize how rare that was at the time, but in hindsight, it was a rare opportunity. And then the friendships that I’ve built around that show are enormous and long-lasting. That’s with Jared, and Jensen, and Misha, and so many of the crew and cast. But also with the “con buddies.” Rob Benedict is a “con-buddy.” I don’t know him from the show; I know him from the conventions. Billy Moran is a “con-buddy.” I know Louden Swain from doing conventions. I know Gil McKinney too. I only worked with a handful of actors. I got to know most of them on the road and it has been unique and special and I’ve really forged some great friendships. THAT’s super unique. Most shows don’t have that. Most shows don’t have a convention circuit that’s as powerful as “Supernatural’s,” and as long-lasting as “Supernatural’s” and as self-sustaining as “Supernatural’s.” We’re on the road together and we’re around each other’s highs and lows, successes, and failures, and that’s made for some great bonding.

JM: Well, speaking of friends, this is going to get personal. You saved your friend’s life. How has that friendship changed and affected you?

RSJ: Before Rob had a stroke, the stroke wasn’t a byproduct of the friendship, it was just something that happened along the way. Rob and I got along really well because we immediately recognized each other as guys who have had a similar journey, and we’re almost the same age–a year apart–both of us not from Los Angeles, both of us had ideas of what we wanted to do and what we wanted to achieve. We’re similar enough to be connected and different enough to appreciate each other’s differences and senses of humor and different enough to make each other laugh hard. That’s been really cool.

The fact that he was stricken with a bizarre ailment on the road was awful. It was just good fortune that we happen to be in a position that we could capitalize on having hospitals nearby that could handle that kind of thing. We were in Toronto near a stroke center. It was very fortuitous that we knew each other well enough for me to be able to recognize the change in his personality indicating to me that something wasn’t right.

But that friendship has been a great asset, and great to be buddies with him. You know the older you get, the fewer great friendships you make, typically you’re kind of set in your ways and set in your social circles. It was a great surprise to meet him and a bunch of other dudes. Rob and Matt Cohen were the first great buddies that came out of this group, and then I teamed up with Rob in “Kings of Con“. Then to be able to play music with those guys, which as been an unspoken but great gift for me, because I loved playing in bands before Louden Swain ever let me come on stage and play with them. When they first said come and play I was super nervous because I hadn’t played on stage in years and years. It’s been really fun rekindling that. Rob happened to be an actor in the show and had a fantastic band on the side and that was a great score.

This interview will have two parts so that all of Speight’s words and thoughts can be shared properly. Be sure to read PART TWO of the Richard Speight, Jr. interview.

Written by Jadeen Mercado