SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of Countdown, “Your People Are in Danger,” now streaming on Prime Video.
For more than three decades, Jensen Ackles has built one of the most consistent careers in television. He first caught attention in the late ’90s as Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives, earning three consecutive Daytime Emmy nominations. From there, he became known for brooding, complex roles across different genres — from Dark Angel to Dawson’s Creek to Smallville.
But it was in 2005 that his life changed forever, when he stepped into the role of Dean Winchester on Supernatural. Alongside Jared Padalecki, Ackles spent 15 years shaping one of fantasy television’s most iconic brotherly duos.
Since then, he has kept busy. Ackles narrated and executive produced The Winchesters, starred in Big Sky, voiced Batman in animated DC projects, and re-teamed with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke on The Boys as Soldier Boy. Now, he’s at the center of a new Prime Video series: Countdown.
Created by Derek Haas, the show follows LAPD detective Mark Meachum (Ackles), who joins a covert task force led by Eric Dane’s Nathan Blythe to stop a Belarusian extremist. The title works two ways — Meachum is racing against terrorists while also grappling with an inoperable brain tumor.
Playing a Man Who Lives for His Job
Ackles says Meachum is defined by his work.
“He is one of these people that identifies himself through his job, and it’s what gives him worth,” Ackles explains. “If he’s not at work, he’s thinking about work. He’s got an itch that he can’t ever scratch enough.”
Even with a devastating diagnosis, Meachum doesn’t retreat. Instead, he doubles down. “He was going to do what he knows how to do, and that’s to bury himself in the case and find the bad guys,” Ackles says.
Wrestling With Mortality
One of the most compelling aspects of Meachum’s story is how he confronts his own mortality.
“Life happens — real struggle happens. You can’t plan for these kinds of things,” Ackles reflects. “When you challenge a character that people maybe can relate to, then you get good drama.”
The diagnosis, he says, gave Meachum new perspective. “There’s maybe a little bit more grace that injected itself into the way he sees things… Given a second chance, he maybe wants to try and do things a little bit better, a little less off the cuff.”
Found Family and a Cliffhanger Ending
Much like Supernatural, Countdown explores themes of found family. Meachum’s bond with Oliveras (Jessica Camacho) is central — and the finale leaves her kidnapped, setting up a dangerous rescue.
“At the end of the season, when she goes missing, all bets are off. He’s going to go full force. This is somebody he truly cares about,” Ackles says.
As for the finale’s dramatic cliffhanger, Ackles credits showrunner Derek Haas for making a bold choice. “I think it was designed to lead into Season 2,” he says. “Obviously, it would suck if it just ends there!”
Soldier Boy and a Supernatural Reunion
Even while filming Countdown, Ackles stepped back into Soldier Boy’s boots for The Boys prequel Vought Rising. Exploring the character in the 1950s, he leaned into the time period with research into films and documentaries.
“It’s fun to show the origin of how this guy became who he is,” Ackles says. “Not necessarily an innocence, but certainly traits that predate how we see him in modern day.”
The final season of The Boys also reunites him with Padalecki and Misha Collins. “Look, we’re going to have fun no matter what venue we’re operating in,” Ackles says. “There’s just a camaraderie there that you get when you’ve spent 20 years together.”
Returning to Tracker and Looking Back at 30 Years
Ackles also reprised his role on Tracker as Russell Shaw, brother to Justin Hartley’s Colter. Their scenes brought a mix of humor and intensity. “Justin and I chopped it up pretty good,” he says. “Now that we have this new information about our family, is that going to bond them further, or is it going to drive more of a wedge between them?”
With nearly 1,000 episodes of television behind him, Ackles credits his longevity to passion and persistence. “I often say to myself, ‘I don’t have to do this. I get to do this,’” he explains. “Every day you go to set, you are tasked with a new challenge. I still genuinely enjoy collaborating with just hyper-intelligent people and learning.”
What’s Next
Through Chaos Machine, the production company he runs with wife Danneel Ackles, he’s diving deeper into producing, with projects at Amazon and a One Tree Hill revival in the works.
And at home, Countdown has earned him new bragging rights. “They just love that when they sign into Prime Video anywhere… dad’s face is right there on the front,” he says of his kids.
As for what comes next — whether it’s more Countdown, more The Boys, or another reunion with his Supernatural family — Ackles is clear: he’s just getting started.