In April, Las Vegas welcomed the Supernatural convention to the Rio, where thousands of fans gathered to talk shop about all things involved with the CW’s dramatic sci-fi, fantasy TV series. Las Vegas Magazine’s Kiko Miyasato got to sit down with actor Misha Collins (who plays Castiel) during the convention and discuss the impact the show has had on his life, and how he feels about the fanfare surrounding the show.
Q: What’s your take on the huge Supernatural fan base?
A: It’s an amazing phenomenon and one that I absolutely did not expect. I was only peripherally aware that there were these fan bases out there before I got on Supernatural. But now that I’m swept up in (the show), it’s bigger than I could ever have imagined it would be. It’s quite something. Here we are in Las Vegas and 2,000 people are screaming like we’re rock stars. It’s lovely and bizarre at the same time.
Q: Why do you think there’s such a huge fan base?
A: I think it’s a perfect storm of different factors that made the show really something that people follow passionately. It’s sci-fi, which tends to aggregate a big fan base from the get-go. And it also weaves in a personal, relatable family story line with the two brothers, so I think it’s accessible emotionally for people … Add to that the fact there are a few hunky guys on the show and … (laughs).
Q: The convention is in Las Vegas this year. Have you been here before?
A: I have spent shockingly, dismayingly, such little time in Las Vegas—this is only my second time. The first time, I was on my way to L.A. 13 years ago, and I just drove through the city. It’s amazing how much it’s grown. There’s so much that I want to see and experience here; I want to see it all. I’ll be shocked if we’re not back again next year with this convention. It’s been a huge success.
Q: So, do you believe in the supernatural?
A: Yes, in a sense. I think that there are things that are outside of the normal realm of perception that are happening all the time that could easily fall into the category of supernatural. … I think a lot of the stuff you see on our show is not real. But, there are things that are intangible and beyond our powers of perception that I think are happening out there.
Q: How has being on a hit TV show affected your life?
A: It’s actually been much more significant than I would have expected and it’s because of this fan community. I dialed into this fan base and saw quickly that there was a lot of creative energy and people were devoting a lot of their lives to it. That got me to thinking that if they’re putting that much energy into being fans, then maybe I could somehow try and put that to more benevolent use. So I started a charity with fans and they have taken it to amazing lengths and it’s grown and we’ve done some projects that I’m incredibly proud of.
Q: You’re talking about your nonprofit, Random Acts. Tell me more about it.
A: It fell together rather easily. Some fans, and others, were interested in helping out and then someone I knew had a nonprofit that they were willing to hand over to me so I didn’t have to go through the process of starting a 501(c)(3). There were all these things that came together … and it’s been going gangbusters and growing really fast. Now, we’re partnering with some large corporations and doing projects that I’m really super proud of. Our core message is that you can make a difference in people’s lives with even small contributions; it’s an effort to get people to be less apathetic and a little bit more involved. People don’t have to dramatically change the course of their lives to make a change in someone else’s life. I grew up with a single mom on welfare and there were some instances in my childhood where the kindness of strangers made a huge difference in our lives and made a lasting impact on me. We were homeless at one point and living in a tent and someone gave us a gift certificate so we could go and have breakfast in a restaurant, and it was such a big deal to us. It was such a lovely morning for us and for someone else it was $14, like nothing. So, the core mission is to carry that spirit forward, encouraging people to make small contributions that make a big difference.
