Supernatural's Genevieve Padalecki on Stepping Back Into Ruby's 'Badass' Shoes, Reuniting With Sam and Dean
How’s this for awkward? The demon who manipulated Sam into drinking demon blood on Supernatural may hold the key to solving the Winchesters’ problems.
On Monday’s episode (The CW, 8/7c), Genevieve Padalecki reprises her role as Ruby, when the “search for the one thing that may give the Winchesters an edge against God leads Sam and Dean to Jo’s (guest star Danneel Ackles) door and to a secret that may have died with Ruby,” per the official synopsis.
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Below, the tight-lipped Padalecki teases Ruby’s “scary” reunion with Sam and Dean, and opens up about what it was like to return to acting while being a full-time mom to her three children with Supernatural leading man Jared Padalecki.
TVLINE | I know death doesn’t mean the end on Supernatural, but it has been 11 seasons since Ruby died. Did you think you would ever get to play her again?
I think I was always really hopeful, especially after coming back in “The French Mistake” and having so much fun. I was always hopeful that I would get the opportunity again to come back and play Ruby. I don’t know if I expected it, but I was definitely keeping my fingers crossed.
TVLINE | Was it something that you talked about with Jared or the producers over the years?
No, but I think around the time after “The French Mistake,” I always made it known that when the show was coming to a close or if there was a certain story plot or storyline, I would always love to come back. The show, for me, personally [and] selfishly, has always been such an important part of my family that I always wanted to be a part of it in the end. I always made that known to the producers and Jared and everyone. So I felt really grateful when there was an opportunity for me to come back.
TVLINE | How did it feel to be back on set as Ruby? I’m sure you’ve been back on set in other capacities over the years…
It was really cool. It was really special. It’s definitely a different feeling coming on as my husband’s wife and saying “hi,” in his work environment. [It is] a totally other experience when you’re stepping on the set as a character, and seeing people in a work environment and feeling part of the crew and the team. So that is such an exciting feeling. I really enjoyed being on set. I love to work, I love acting. So for me, being able to have my family and have three kids and then be able to jump right back in and start working in this capacity, I couldn’t ask for a better scenario. It was a dream come true for me. It was a lot of fun, and I just definitely felt like I jumped right back in and I was part of the team again.
TVLINE | What did you miss most about playing Ruby?
I missed her kind of grit and darkness. And I missed how she can be a bit of a badass and a little bit conniving. She’s got an agenda. I think Gen, myself, can be a little bit like, “Let’s look on the bright side!” [Laughs] I’m scatterbrained at times, so I love that she’s focused on the prize. I just enjoyed stepping back in those shoes. Plus, she always gets to wear high heels. I don’t get to do that often anymore with three kids, so that was fun.
TVLINE | Since it’s been so long since we’ve seen Ruby, what can you say about what she’s been up to in that time, and how she’s changed or not in that time?
That’s a tough one, because I don’t want to give too much away in terms of when you see her. I think that you’ll definitely see her badass [side], the demon character that she plays and the toughness and stuff. We’ve seen vulnerability in different ways from her, and I think you’ll see a little bit of that as well. So that’ll be an interesting change.
TVLINE | We do know that she sort of re-enters the picture through Jo. Do Jo and Ruby have a history as an angel and a demon?
You’ll have to find out! [Laughs] But I think you’ll definitely be able to see how they’re similar and how they’re different, and how they kind of play off of each other, and you can kind of make your own assumptions from there, I guess.
TVLINE | Did you and Danneel campaign to have a storyline together? Or was that pure coincidence?
No, that was actually a coincidence, which was such a great situation for us, because we’re so busy with our kids. Even though we live so close to each other [in Austin, Texas], I feel like getting to spend the episode with her was such a gift. We don’t get to hang out as often as we’d like with our busy schedules, so that was super fun.
TVLINE | We don’t really know what Ruby’s feelings are at this point about God. Is that something that’s explored in the episode?
I think she’ll definitely be part of the storyline, and I know that God’s a big arc. So I think she’ll play to that. I think you can make judgments either way. I don’t know if it’s as black and white.
TVLINE | Ruby was a very clever demon who manipulated Sam for a long time to free Lucifer and was an enemy of the Winchesters. So would she even want to help them out, if she had the resources to?
I feel like everyone’s now doing it. She was the OG, who was like the original “I’ve got a plan, I’m sticking to it, and I’m not going to apologize for it.” Now everyone seems to be following suit. I don’t know. I think if there was an agenda involved, and she can see the goal, especially in dire times, I think she would go for it.
TVLINE | The Winchesters and Ruby did not leave things on a nice note, to put it mildly. Last time we saw her, they killed her. Is there anything you can tease about what the reunion looks like between them?
The reunion looks… scary. [Laughs] No, I don’t know. I think she is in dire straits. I don’t want to say too much about any reunions. Just wait and see. [Laughs]
TVLINE | Sam and Ruby, obviously, have a complicated relationship. Do you think that she still has maybe some deeper feelings for him?
I’m sure she’ll always have fond memories of the relationship. I would think that even though he betrayed her, I think she understands that in a way, because she probably would have done the same thing. So I think she’ll probably always have fond memories of him.
TVLINE | One of the fun things that the promo teased was that we’re going to meet a Sam and Dean from another world. Did you get to witness Jared and Jensen [Ackles] playing these other versions of Sam and Dean while you were on set?
I didn’t get to be on set, but I got to FaceTime an awful lot, and my children had a lot of fun seeing their dad dressed up in this alternate universe. They thought it was pretty funny and were asking lots of questions about the set stuff. We’re definitely trying to get our middle son to rock that man bun.
TVLINE | You mentioned that you love acting, and you love being on set. Did this episode spark a desire in you to do more acting in the future?
Yeah, definitely. I’ve been a full-time mom, and I’ve been running a blog, which has been so fun and such an amazing creative outlet. But to get back on set and to actually be working as an actor again definitely ignited a creative spark in me that I absolutely hope to pursue a bit in the future.
Launch Gallery: <I>Supernatural</I>: Dean and Sam's Deaths
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