5 Facts about Supernatural's Richard Speight Jr. you probably didn't know

It feels like it’s been for-ev-er since we last saw Richard Speight Jr. on Supernatural. And it’s kind of true: We haven’t seen him since Season 9’s “Meta Fiction,” and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I sorely miss both the actor and the character(s) he played.

Leading into the mid-winter finale, Speight is back — in the director’s chair! In honor of the five episodes he’s been in — and the sixth he’s directing — here’s some fun facts about our favorite Trickster (or angel, whichever you prefer).

1. Speight is no newbie to TV and movies

According to IMDb, he has over 60 acting credits to his name, with some of his earliest roles being Love Leads the Way: A True Story, Ernest Goes to Camp and ER. He also played roles in Independence Day, Band of Brothers, Thank You for Smoking and Jericho.

This isn’t his first time directing, either. In 2013, he wrote and directed a short called America 101.

2. Time on Supernatural

Speight has appeared in less than one percent of the entire show (#cry), and both he and the characters he played quickly became fan favorites. In fact, when the archangel Gabriel (aka the Trickster) was written out in Season 5, a petition was started to bring him back. To the excitement of the fans, Gabriel came back in Season 9 for a quick cameo.

Interestingly, in the episode, Gabriel was nothing more than an illusion (that’s still open for debate). Between Gabriel and the Trickster, both of whom manipulated people’s perceptions of reality, Speight couldn’t have been given a better episode to direct. Tonight’s episode features a new character who is the imaginary friend of Sam Winchester.

More: Proof that Supernatural has the most dedicated fan base

3. He is co-creating a short series

In the spring, Speight and Rob Benedict, another actor who had a run on Supernatural (although they were never in the same episode), announced they were writing, producing and acting in a web series called Kings of Con. When it was first launched on Indiegogo, the campaign met its goal of $100,000 in two days. The cast and the crew of Supernatural were, and are, super supportive and have made cameo appearances in the teasers/trailers.

4. He gets to attend the Supernatural conventions — like, a lot of them

Yes, there are conventions dedicated to just Supernatural, and they’re worldwide. His first appearance was at Chicago Con 2008 and has been an emcee for 73 conventions and counting.

Both he and Louden Swain, the house band led by Benedict, bring some serious energy to a packed room of fans. Nothing gets you more amped up for the day than the made-up “Rules & Regulations” song sung each morning.

More: Exactly how you’ll feel at a Supernatural convention — in GIFs

5. Real-world Trickster?

Sometime after appearing in Supernatural, Speight was in a few Pepsi Max commercials. In the second one, he’s seen doing a very Gabriel-esque snap, and the fandom joked around that Gabriel was hiding out in the real world. At ChiCon 2010, Speight came out dressed completely in Pepsi Max clothes, and fans nicknamed him the Pepsi Angel.

Bonus: A parting GIF(t)

When you have a show that has such a large, active and devoted fan base, you’re naturally going to have fan fiction. And of course, there are very descriptive terms for physical features, especially the eyes. Parts of the fandom describe his as “sunshine going through a glass of whiskey.” #swoon

More: 17 Signs you’re so obsessed with Supernatural, it’s unnatural

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Reinaldo Massengill

Update: 2024-10-05

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