The Movie & TV Guests of FACTS Spring 2026: The Padaleckis

Spring is in the air and this upcoming weekend it is time for the Spring edition of FACTS in Ghent. FACTS will take place in Flanders Expo on 11-12 April 2026 and we are really looking forward to this edition (we look forward to every FACTS convention). As always they have an amazing line up of actors and actresses and in this first article we're going to highlight two of them. They are both known for their roles in "Supernatural" and most recently "Walker". Can we hear a 'whoop whoop' for The Padeleckis!

Jared Tristan Padalecki was born on July 19, 1982, in San Antonio, Texas. He is the second of three children born to Gerald Padalecki, a tax accountant, and Sherri Padalecki, an English teacher. He grew up with his older brother Jeff and younger sister Megan in a warm, supportive household that he fondly remembers as “the best” childhood he could have asked for. Jared spent much of his youth outdoors—biking, skateboarding, skinning his knees more times than he could count, and playing basketball. He and a friend even used to place pennies on nearby train tracks just to watch them flatten under passing trains. Risky or not, Jared simply loved being outside. His parents encouraged independence and responsibility; they attended every play and basketball game, but they also made sure their children understood that nothing came without effort. Jared often refers to these lessons as “Texas values”—treating people well, working hard, and being kind.

Also in 1999, at age 17, he entered Fox TV’s nationwide “Claim to Fame” contest. Contestants had to submit a 30‑second video explaining why they should appear on stage at the Teen Choice Awards. Jared recorded his submission at a local Planet Hollywood, and out of 20,000 entries, he and a girl named Patricia were chosen as the winners. Jared flew to Los Angeles with his parents for the awards show, expecting to help backstage. Instead, he spent most of the event on stage, handing trophies to presenters and winners. The experience introduced him to the entertainment industry and allowed him to meet several agents, including Rich Beddingfield—then representing Freddie Prinze Jr.—who encouraged Jared to pursue acting. Jared was eager, and his parents were supportive, though they insisted he keep a backup plan. Back in San Antonio, Jared completed his senior year and became a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program. He graduated from James Madison High School in 2000. Although he initially planned to attend the University of Texas, he ultimately changed course and moved to Los Angeles to follow his dream of becoming an actor.

It didn’t take long for Jared to land his first major role: Dean Forester on "Gilmore Girls". The show became a hit, and Jared appeared in 63 episodes between 2000 and 2005. During this period, he also took on roles in various films and series. His real breakthrough came in 2005 when he was cast as Sam Winchester in The CW’s "Supernatural". The show revolved around brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles) as they hunted supernatural creatures, continuing their father’s legacy. The show ran for an extraordinary 15 seasons, from 2005 to 2020. Jared has often spoken about his immediate connection with Jensen during auditions—they bonded over their Texas roots and shared love of the Dallas Cowboys. But the role almost slipped away: after Jared’s first audition, show runner Eric Kripke wasn’t convinced. He didn’t see the “intelligent type”, he envisioned for Sam. Jared’s manager intervened, highlighting Jared’s academic achievements and high SAT scores. Kripke caved, offered a second audition, and the rest became television history. "Supernatural" transformed Jared’s life both professionally and personally. On set, he met actress Genevieve Cortese, who played the demon Ruby. The two married in 2010 and now have three children together (more about that later).

While working on Supernatural, Jared continued to take on additional roles, including: "House of Wax"(2005, as Wade), "Friday the 13th" (2009, as Clay Miller), "Phantom Boy" (2015, as Lt. Alex), and "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" (2016, reprising Dean Forester). Shortly after "Supernatural ended, it was announced that Jared would star as Cordell Walker in "Walker", a reboot of the 1990s series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The show quickly developed a strong fan base, and audiences embraced Jared in the lead role. Despite its popularity, the series was cancelled in 2024 due to network restructuring.

Recently, Jared appeared as Camden Casey in "Fire Country". He is also set to join his longtime friend and former co‑star Jensen Ackles in the (upcoming) 5th season of "The Boys" (8th of April on Prime Video)—and he won’t be the only "Supernatural" alum joining the cast. Misha Collins, who played Castiel, will also be joining in season 5.

Genevieve Nicole Cortese was born on January 8, 1981 in Danville, California (US). There isn’t much to be found about her parents, but we do know that she has three siblings; two brothers (Johnny & Ben) and a sister (Sarah). When she was about 13 years old, the family moved to Montana and eventually to Sun Valley, Idaho (US). The area is known for winter sports and Genevieve recalls learning survival skills (like building a snow cave) at high school and she also learned to treat nature with respect. From a young age Genevieve had an interest in the performing arts and after finishing high school she moved to New York to pursue a formal training in the arts. Genevieve enrolled at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU), which is one of the nation’s leading centers for the study of performing, cinematic and emerging media arts. Genevieve decided to pursue a dual academic track in Drama and English. This dual track was quite demanding and meant that she wasn’t just training as a performer but she was also developing strong analytical and literary skills. Tish School for the Arts is known for studio based training systems, which means that students were placed in professional style acting studios. Here they would train intensive acting techniques, physical acting and movement, theater production work and speech and voice training. Besides the renowned training environment, another advantage of studying at New York University is the proximity to the entertainment industry. This is perfect to network and play in indie productions. In 2003, Genevieve graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Drama and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English. She was ready to pursue a professional acting career and started auditioning.

In 2004 she read the script for a new ABC Family show named “Wildfire” and she immediately felt attached to the character of Kris Furillo. One of the things that spoke to her, was the fact that in the script Kris rides up Diablo Mountain in the Bay Area, which is were Genevieve grew up. She rode up Diablo Mountain herself, so she got where Kris was from. Besides this Kris reminded her of her mom. Before Genevieve knew she had a chance, she started training and riding horses. The auditioning process took quite some time. She auditioned and then had to wait a month before she had to read at ABC Family. Two days later (on Friday) she got a call that they loved her and that it was between Genevieve and another girl. She had to wait until Monday before they called her to tell her she landed the role of Kris. The other girl turned out to be Nicole Tubiola and she got the role of Dani (one of the other main characters). ‘Wildfire’ ran from 2005 until 2008 and immediately after "Wildfire", she landed another role on a TV show. Genevieve took on the role of demon Ruby in season 4 of "Supernatural". She took over the role from Katie Cassidy, who had introduced the character in season 3. While working on the show Genevieve began dating co-star Jared Padalecki (who plays Sam Winchester).

In 2009, the couple went to the New York Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and Jared proposed in front of a painting they both admired. Genevieve said ‘yes’ and the couple got married in Sun Valley, Idaho in 2010. Genevieve played the role of Ruby in 11 episodes in Season 4 (2008–2009) and came back for one episode in season 6 (2011) and one episode in season 15 (2020).  

In 2009/2010, Genevieve played Tracy Stark in 10 episodes of the sci-fi series “Flashforward.” In 2012, she played Veronica in the drama movie “Hated.” In 2012, Jared and Genevieve also welcomed their first child (a son named Tom). Genevieve stepped back from acting and shifted towards a private family life while Jared was still working on “Supernatural.” They chose to base their family life in Austin, Texas, because of the more grounded and outdoor-oriented lifestyle. Their second son (Austin) was born in 2013, followed by a daughter (Odette) in 2017. Genevieve wanted a strong role in raising the children, which influenced her decision to step back from acting full time. 

In 2021, however, things changed when Jared landed the title role in “Walker” (which serves as a reboot of the 90s TV show “Walker Texas Ranger”). Filming of the show took place in their hometown Austin (Texas). Showrunner Anna Fricke came with the idea for Genevieve to return to the TV screen. Genevieve remembers that she and Jared were celebrating their 10th Wedding anniversary and Jared’s phone kept ringing during their anniversary diner. Jared stepped outside to pick up the phone and when he came back, he asked her how she would feel about playing his wife (part of Emily Walker). She said she really did not have to think about it. The show was filming in Austin, so she wouldn’t be away from home for a long time. Another reason to say yes was that she would be part of Jared’s journey in the new show. Not long after she said yes, the nerves kicked in and she was doubting if she would be able to return to the world she left behind a decade ago. Before “Walker” started filming, Genevieve was asked to reprise her role as Ruby in an episode of the final season of “Supernatural.” Despite of this, she kept on feeling insecure about playing Emily Walker. This changed when she stepped into the make up chair and Emily’s shoes. When she got on set, Genevieve remembered how much she loved and missed acting. She played Emily in 12 episodes from 2021 until 2024. Also in 2024, she played the role of Rema Brooder in “Consumed.” At the moment acting is still not Genevieve’s primary focus, but she chooses projects that fit her life (as a mother).