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Jensen Ackles: Mountain Man or Porn Star? Supernatural Stud Talks Big Changes Ahead

Exclusive! Dean Winchester's alter ego explains his "hiatus" scruff, calls show's move to midweek a "testament to fans" and praises new showrunner Jeremy Carver

By Kristin Dos Santos, Drusilla Moorhouse May 17, 2012 11:32 PMTags
Watch: "Supernatural" Star Talks Show's New Night

If anyone gives good face, it's Jensen Ackles.

When we caught up with the Supernatural star sporting a scruffy beard at the CW upfronts, naturally we asked some hard-hitting news questions.

For example: Is he going for mountain man or porn star with his new grizzly-guy style?

Read on to hear our two-time Alpha Male Madness champion's answer—plus his reaction to SPN's midweek move and the show's new showrunner.

MORE: Yep, Jensen won our Alpha Male Madness contest twice ...(and our Ultimate TV Character Crush too!)

"Is there a way to do both?" Dean Winchester's alter ego countered when we asked whether he was going for mountain man or porn star with his "hiatus scruff." Yes, please!

"Now I just got to come up with a name!"

Any ideas, fans? After all, Jensen always appreciates your input.

"I think it's a testament to the fans," he said about the show's move to Wednesday from Friday nights, normally a time slot "where shows go to die," he joked, before pointing out that SPN's ratings actually increased on date night. "The fact that that happened—that the fans only not followed us, but got really loud about promoting the show—it's a testament to how great our fans really are and the writing and the production and the crew and how hard we [work].

"To put us on midweek is a big pat on the back, and it's humbling."

Jensen didn't drop any clues on what to expect after tomorrow night's finale, but he promises, "I'm going to go bend the ear of our new showrunner, Jeremy Carver, when I get back out to L.A.

"I know he's got a lot of great ideas. He turned out some of the best scripts we've had, so the fact that he's now coming back and going to run the show is really exciting to everyone involved."

To hear more from Jensen, including how he and costar Jared Padalecki used some special, um, tools to manipulate fan contests, watch our full interview above!

GALLERY: Get a look at soap-opera-era Jensen in our TV Stars: Then & Now gallery