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Jared Padalecki facts for kids

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Jared Padalecki
Jared Padalecki at MEGACON Orlando 2025.png
Padalecki at MegaCon Orlando in 2025
Born
Jared Tristan Padalecki

(1982-07-19) July 19, 1982 (age 43)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 2010)
Children 3

Jared Tristan Padalecki (born July 19, 1982) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Sam Winchester in the long-running TV series Supernatural.

Many people also know him as Dean Forester from the show Gilmore Girls. He became well-known in the early 2000s and has also starred in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen and the 2009 version of Friday the 13th.

Early Life and School Days

Jared Padalecki was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents are Gerald and Sherri Padalecki. His father's family is from Poland, and his mother's family has German, Scottish, French, and English roots.

In high school, Jared was a very smart student. He was a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program, an award for top high school students in the United States. In 1998, he and his partner won a national championship in Duo Interpretation, a type of acting competition for students.

After graduating in 2000, he planned to go to the University of Texas. However, he decided to move to Los Angeles, California, to become an actor instead.

Acting Career

Jared Padalecki by Gage Skidmore
Padalecki at San Diego Comic-Con in 2011

Jared's acting career started after he won a contest called the "Claim to Fame Contest" in 1999. This led him to the Teen Choice Awards, where he met an agent who helped him find acting jobs. His first part was a small role in the 1999 movie A Little Inside.

Getting Started with Gilmore Girls

In 2000, Jared was cast as Dean Forester in the popular TV show Gilmore Girls. He played this character until 2005. This role made him a familiar face to many TV viewers. During this time, he also acted in several TV movies.

He had a small, uncredited role as a bully in the 2003 comedy Cheaper by the Dozen. His friend, actor Tom Welling, asked him to play the part. In 2005, he starred in the horror movie House of Wax with other famous actors like Elisha Cuthbert and Chad Michael Murray.

Becoming Sam Winchester in Supernatural

Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles (28572560062)
Padalecki and his Supernatural costar Jensen Ackles at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016

In 2005, Jared landed his most famous role as Sam Winchester in the TV series Supernatural. He starred alongside Jensen Ackles, who played his brother, Dean Winchester. The show is about two brothers who hunt monsters, demons, and other supernatural beings.

Supernatural was a huge success and ran for fifteen seasons, ending in 2020. It became the longest-running science fiction series in North American history.

Recent Roles

After Supernatural ended, Jared took on a new leading role. In 2021, he began starring as Cordell Walker in the TV series Walker, a new version of the show Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran for four seasons before it was cancelled in 2024.

In August 2024, it was announced that Jared would be a guest star on the TV show Fire Country. He also agreed to appear in the superhero show The Boys, which was created by Eric Kripke, the same person who created Supernatural.

Personal Life

Jared met actress Genevieve Cortese on the set of Supernatural. She was a guest star playing the character Ruby in the show's fourth season. They got engaged in 2009.

Jared proposed to Genevieve at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He asked her to marry him in front of their favorite painting, Joan of Arc. They got married on February 27, 2010, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The couple has three children together.

Always Keep Fighting Campaign

In 2015, Jared started a campaign called "Always Keep Fighting." He has been open about his own experiences with feeling sad or anxious and wanted to help others. The campaign raised money for charities that support people dealing with depression, addiction, and other mental health challenges.

He worked with his Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles on a second campaign. Together, they sold shirts to raise money for their own charity fund. The campaigns were very successful, selling tens of thousands of shirts.

At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, fans showed their support for Jared. During the Supernatural panel, over 6,000 fans held up small lights for him. It was a surprise to thank him for sharing his story and helping others.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jared Padalecki para niños

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