It's been a really rough year for Bobby on "Supernatural."
As if the upcoming apocalypse isn't bad enough, he lost the use of his legs, had two dear friends die, and in this week's (March 25) episode, he has to deal with the return of his dead wife.
Korbi TV caught up with Jim Beaver (Bobby) to get his take on the hour, how life in a wheelchair is treating his character and if he'll have to choose between Sam and Dean...
Finally, "Supernatural" is back! Were you hearing from a lot of anxious fans while the show was off the air?
Jim Beaver: "I kinda guessed it was maybe the Olympics [that caused the break], but I'm not sure. They don't run schedule plans past the actors. I just spent the past month telling people, 'Don't worry, we'll be back. We'll be back'... I got a lot of messages from people who referred to it as the 'hellatus.' Yeah, I heard quite a bit from fans." [Laughs]
And you return with a big episode for Bobby. His dead wife is back, but I can't imagine this is a good thing.
JB: "Well, it's 'Supernatural.' We don't let death get in the way of seeing someone again. It's a really strong mix of supernatural lore and the kind of exciting events that we're used to on the show. And it's a very personal and emotional story. I think they did a really good job of weaving the two together in this episode. I haven't actually seen it yet, but if it comes out like it felt when we were making it, it's very probable [it's] my favorite episode. The fact that the camera was pointed at me all the time is always part of that."
And why shouldn't a Bobby-centric episode be one of the best of the series? That is completely fair, in my opinion.
JB: "I don't want to take it too far. Bobby is very central to the emotional core of the story, but make no mistake, Sam and Dean are the center of the show and the center of this episode. It's nice to get some focus turned my way, but we all know who the hunks are"
Fans adore all three characters. In fact, we've had a hard time seeing the hardships Bobby's endured this season. How are you doing with the wheelchair? Is it a difficult or a fun change, from an acting standpoint?
JB: "I don't know about fun. It's given me some really strong, rich scenes to play. On the other hand, Bobby gets left behind a lot this season and that's no fun for him, and not necessarily all that much fun for me. But it's always fun to take your character and make a big left turn with him and see what he's like under different circumstances. So that's good. [However] I get tired of trying to wheel that chair over cables and hit my mark when I can't see it. You know, all the technical stuff. The bottom line is at the end of the day, I can get out of the chair. And I always keep in mind the fact that [in real life] people in those chairs can't, and I'm going to be very respectful of that. It's tough. I'd love to see something happen to change it. But then again, it's 'Supernatural,' you have to be careful for what you wish for."
It's better to be in the chair than to be in a box.
JB: "That's true. I think I may get that tattoo."
But, as you said, it's "Supernatural," so do you think Bobby may get out of the chair in the future?
JB: "Well, you've got a show where the two leads have died and come back to life. Pretty much anything is possible. Doing a song and dance here, but I don't know. Here's a noncommittal answer: wait and see."
Fair enough. How about Bobby's emotional state? Are we going to see him deal with the deaths of Jo and Ellen?
JB: "There is an apocalypse going on. There's a lot of business to be taken care of and I think, without giving too much away, I think the focus is going to be dealing with this deal with the upcoming Armageddon. Sometimes you have to wait until the war is over until you sit and grieve."
The season seems to be leading up to an epic battle between Dean and Sam. Is Bobby going to have to choose a side?
JB: "Well, that's the question I had in my head as we approached the end of the season. I was really surprised -- and pleasantly surprised-- to see where [creator] Eric [Kripke] and the writers took that particular aspect. It's-- I can't afford to give too much away, but that particular question of yours, the answer to it is not probably what you would expect. That's probably the most I could say about it."
The writers are amazing at taking the show in places you don't see it going.
JB: "Yeah, one of the hallmarks of really good writing is to take something in a dramatic direction that no one was suspecting and then when it's done, have everyone look at it and go, 'Of course, that's the way it should have gone.' I know a lot of people are going to be thinking that about the way this season wraps up and how it sets up what's coming in the future."
Before we let you go, we have to ask whether you have any plans to write another book. We know the paperback version of your memoir "Life's That Way" is being released on April 6.
JB: "Yes. Well, anything is possible. That was a very particular and special project in a lot of ways, but one of the ways it was special was that I finished it. I have a lot of projects that are half-done around the house. It means a lot to me to write. I haven't really [had] the time I used to, mainly because Kripke keeps giving me work. But I like that, that's okay. I'm not complaining. I don't have anything along those lines planned at the moment but one never knows."
As if the upcoming apocalypse isn't bad enough, he lost the use of his legs, had two dear friends die, and in this week's (March 25) episode, he has to deal with the return of his dead wife.
Korbi TV caught up with Jim Beaver (Bobby) to get his take on the hour, how life in a wheelchair is treating his character and if he'll have to choose between Sam and Dean...
Finally, "Supernatural" is back! Were you hearing from a lot of anxious fans while the show was off the air?
Jim Beaver: "I kinda guessed it was maybe the Olympics [that caused the break], but I'm not sure. They don't run schedule plans past the actors. I just spent the past month telling people, 'Don't worry, we'll be back. We'll be back'... I got a lot of messages from people who referred to it as the 'hellatus.' Yeah, I heard quite a bit from fans." [Laughs]
And you return with a big episode for Bobby. His dead wife is back, but I can't imagine this is a good thing.
JB: "Well, it's 'Supernatural.' We don't let death get in the way of seeing someone again. It's a really strong mix of supernatural lore and the kind of exciting events that we're used to on the show. And it's a very personal and emotional story. I think they did a really good job of weaving the two together in this episode. I haven't actually seen it yet, but if it comes out like it felt when we were making it, it's very probable [it's] my favorite episode. The fact that the camera was pointed at me all the time is always part of that."
And why shouldn't a Bobby-centric episode be one of the best of the series? That is completely fair, in my opinion.
JB: "I don't want to take it too far. Bobby is very central to the emotional core of the story, but make no mistake, Sam and Dean are the center of the show and the center of this episode. It's nice to get some focus turned my way, but we all know who the hunks are"
Fans adore all three characters. In fact, we've had a hard time seeing the hardships Bobby's endured this season. How are you doing with the wheelchair? Is it a difficult or a fun change, from an acting standpoint?
JB: "I don't know about fun. It's given me some really strong, rich scenes to play. On the other hand, Bobby gets left behind a lot this season and that's no fun for him, and not necessarily all that much fun for me. But it's always fun to take your character and make a big left turn with him and see what he's like under different circumstances. So that's good. [However] I get tired of trying to wheel that chair over cables and hit my mark when I can't see it. You know, all the technical stuff. The bottom line is at the end of the day, I can get out of the chair. And I always keep in mind the fact that [in real life] people in those chairs can't, and I'm going to be very respectful of that. It's tough. I'd love to see something happen to change it. But then again, it's 'Supernatural,' you have to be careful for what you wish for."
It's better to be in the chair than to be in a box.
JB: "That's true. I think I may get that tattoo."
But, as you said, it's "Supernatural," so do you think Bobby may get out of the chair in the future?
JB: "Well, you've got a show where the two leads have died and come back to life. Pretty much anything is possible. Doing a song and dance here, but I don't know. Here's a noncommittal answer: wait and see."
Fair enough. How about Bobby's emotional state? Are we going to see him deal with the deaths of Jo and Ellen?
JB: "There is an apocalypse going on. There's a lot of business to be taken care of and I think, without giving too much away, I think the focus is going to be dealing with this deal with the upcoming Armageddon. Sometimes you have to wait until the war is over until you sit and grieve."
The season seems to be leading up to an epic battle between Dean and Sam. Is Bobby going to have to choose a side?
JB: "Well, that's the question I had in my head as we approached the end of the season. I was really surprised -- and pleasantly surprised-- to see where [creator] Eric [Kripke] and the writers took that particular aspect. It's-- I can't afford to give too much away, but that particular question of yours, the answer to it is not probably what you would expect. That's probably the most I could say about it."
The writers are amazing at taking the show in places you don't see it going.
JB: "Yeah, one of the hallmarks of really good writing is to take something in a dramatic direction that no one was suspecting and then when it's done, have everyone look at it and go, 'Of course, that's the way it should have gone.' I know a lot of people are going to be thinking that about the way this season wraps up and how it sets up what's coming in the future."
Before we let you go, we have to ask whether you have any plans to write another book. We know the paperback version of your memoir "Life's That Way" is being released on April 6.
JB: "Yes. Well, anything is possible. That was a very particular and special project in a lot of ways, but one of the ways it was special was that I finished it. I have a lot of projects that are half-done around the house. It means a lot to me to write. I haven't really [had] the time I used to, mainly because Kripke keeps giving me work. But I like that, that's okay. I'm not complaining. I don't have anything along those lines planned at the moment but one never knows."
