Jared Padalecki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jared Padalecki
Padalecki at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017
Born	Jared Tristan Padalecki (1982-07-19) July 19, 1982 (age 42) San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Genevieve Cortese ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	3

Jared Tristan Padalecki (born July 19, 1982) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Sam Winchester in the TV series Supernatural. He became well-known in the early 2000s. Before Supernatural, he appeared in the TV show Gilmore Girls (2000–2005). He also acted in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and Friday the 13th (2009).

Early Life

Jared Padalecki was born in San Antonio, Texas. His parents are Gerald and Sherri Padalecki. His family background includes Polish, German, Scottish, French, and English roots.

Jared was a very good student. In 1998, he won a national speaking contest called the National Forensic League national championship in Duo Interpretation. After finishing high school in 2000, he planned to go to the University of Texas. However, he decided to move to Los Angeles County, California instead. He wanted to become an actor.

Becoming an Actor

Padalecki at San Diego Comic-Con in 2011

In 1999, Jared won a contest called "Claim to Fame Contest" by Fox Broadcasting. This led him to the Teen Choice Awards, where he met an agent who helps actors find roles. His first small acting job was in the 1999 movie A Little Inside.

In 2000, he got a big role as Dean Forester in the TV series Gilmore Girls. He played this character until 2005. During the early 2000s, he also appeared in several TV movies. These included Silent Witness, Close to Home, and the Disney Channel movie A Ring of Endless Light.

Jared had a small, uncredited part in the 2003 comedy Cheaper by the Dozen. He played a high school bully. He got this role because his friend, actor Tom Welling, and the director asked him to. Jared had actually tried out for Tom Welling's role first. But he decided to film a TV pilot called Young MacGyver instead, which was never made into a full series.

In 2004, he was in the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen comedy New York Minute. He played Trey Lipton, a boy the Olsen twins' characters liked. He also had a role in the thriller Flight of the Phoenix with Dennis Quaid and Hugh Laurie. In 2005, Jared starred in the horror movie House of Wax as Wade. He also appeared in another horror film, Cry Wolf, playing Tom.

Famous Roles

Padalecki and his Supernatural costar Jensen Ackles at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016

Also in 2005, Jared got the role of Sam Winchester in the TV series Supernatural. This show became very popular and lasted for fifteen seasons, ending in 2020. It is known as one of the longest-running sci-fi series in North American history.

In 2007, Jared hosted a horror reality show for MTV called Room 401.

He played the main character, Thomas Kinkade, in the 2008 movie Christmas Cottage. He acted alongside the famous actor Peter O'Toole.

Jared also had the lead role in the 2009 movie Friday the 13th. He played Clay Miller, who searches for his missing sister at Camp Crystal Lake.

In 2019, it was announced that Jared would star in Walker. This show is a new version of the old series Walker, Texas Ranger. Walker started in January 2021 and ran for four seasons. After Walker ended, Jared agreed to be a guest star on The Boys, a superhero show on Amazon Prime Video. In 2024, he also joined the cast of Fire Country for a few episodes.

Beyond Acting

Jared Padalecki got engaged to his Supernatural co-star Genevieve Cortese in January 2010. They met when Genevieve played the character Ruby on the show. They got married on February 27, 2010, and now have three children.

Always Keep Fighting

In March 2015, Jared started a campaign called "Always Keep Fighting". This campaign helps people who are struggling with mental health issues like depression. Jared has openly talked about his own experiences with depression, which makes this cause very important to him.

For the second part of his campaign, Jared worked with his Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles. They released a special shirt together, and the money raised went to their new charity fund. They sold over 70,000 shirts! Jared later launched a third campaign, selling even more shirts.

At San Diego Comic-Con in 2015, over 6,000 fans showed their support for Jared. They held up candles for him during the Supernatural panel. This happened after he had shared his struggles with depression earlier that year. It was a very touching moment.

Movies and TV Shows

Film

Television

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Jared Padalecki para niños