Image Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage.com; Sergei Bachlakov/The CWIt’s official: Mitch Pileggi is returning to Supernatural as Sam and Dean’s presumed-dead grandpa — and not for some one-off guest stint. As I first teased in Ask Ausiello, the X-Files vet will appear in multiple episodes during season 6.
“I’m a longtime fan of Mitch’s work,” gushes executive producer/new showrunner Sera Gamble. “And we all thought he did an amazing job the first time around, so we’re excited he was game to [return].”
What brings Gramps back? “For one thing, he’s a Campbell — from Sam and Dean’s mom’s side of the family,” reminds Gamble, “which, unlike their dad’s, has actually been into hunting for a very long time. There’s a whole side of Sam and Dean’s history that they know nothing about. We’ll get to find out a bit about it this season.”
In other Supe news, the show is on the prowl for an actor in his late 30s to mid-40s to play the recurring role of Christian. Described as “capable, calm under pressure, and very good at his job,” Christian has a special relationship with Sam and Dean.
Thoughts on who this Christian character is? And are you pumped for the return of Pileggi? Hit the comments!
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Joe Flanigan for Christian!
And I’ve loved Mitch P for many years, on XFiles and SGA
This news makes me happy.
Awe! I miss Joe! LOVE him. But idk if his more lighthearted funny-guy thing would fit in SN. It’d be interesting to see him a little darker tho… !
SYKED FOR MITCH! and quite intrigued by this Christian character and the direction of the show in general, now that Kripke’s stepped back
Joe Flanigan was my first thought too! Ben Browder as well, love him. They could totally fit “late 30s to mid-40s / capable, calm under pressure, and very good at his job”.. One comment also added in Michael Shanks, but he was already in an ep of SPN..
And LOL @ some of the suggestions- but of course I’d love to see any of them (ie- Tennant, Jason Dohring, KBell, Claudia Black, Browder, Flanigan, etc) in any good role on either of my favorite awesome shows including SPN, White Collar, Human Target, etc and so on. They need to come back to tv! XD
Totally agree @ Joe Flanigan. He can do dark, and do it beautifully!
Can’t wait! Always loved Mitch Pileggi – Shocker, X-Files, Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy.
Also on SVU, Medium, SGA- Mitch always brings something good to the screen!
I suggest Chris Leavins or Kavan Smith. Both fine actors, tho Kavan is better known. Yes, he did appear in one SPN episode already, but was killed quickly so I think he’d still be acceptable.
Jason Dohring IS Christian. Has to be.
Do you know anything about the character?
Jensen Ackles, Jared P-lecki, AND Jason Dohring — all on the same screen?! Who do I have to kill to make that heaven happen?
Um, how bout we cast the character based on who’s right for the role and not who we think is zomg hot. Plus, Jason Doring is too young for the role.
I’ll tell you what, Meg – if “we” actually had anything to do with role casting, I’d consider your terms… but only if you promise to schedule your emergency stickectomy, ‘kay?
I am a newly converted Supe fan – it took me long enough, but I love, love, love this show! But who is Christian? Or did I read this wrong and this Christian character will be introduced to us in S6?
Introduced in S6 as per ‘on the prowl…to play’. “the show is on the prowl for an actor in his late-30s to mid-40s to play the recurring role of Christian”
Welcome to Supernatural love, PMD!
Sounds really interesting. So he will mostly be seen in flashbacks or is he going to be some sort of ghostly visitor?
Of course, we never really saw that Grandpa Campbell was actually dead, right? And even if he was, the angels have managed to bring people back, like Adam and Castiel, and Bobby and………
Jason Dohring, playing himself, will bring Grandpa back to the living, yes.
I’m in agreement. After watching him in Moonlight and Lie to Me, I’d love to see Jason Dohring in Supernatural.
I am hoping he is not actually Grandpa but maybe the mysterious uncle who made sure Mary had a headstone on her grave….Kripke has explored hints about the Campbells in the comics.
I’m sure they’ll think of something to bring him back alive. I also assume (hope?) he will be minus he evil-grandpa routine they left us with when last seen, remember, he had been possessed and wasn’t really grandpa anymore.
The thing is, I rewatched 5×13 and Mary explicitly tells Dean that “the last time I saw you, both my parents died” or something like that. I mean, it’d be kind of hard to miss that your dad’s dead, wouldn’t it?
Sexy Skinner! Glad to see him back on my favorite show. I think adding him as a (semi)regular and exploring more of the boys’ family history will lend an interesting spin to the season.
times our tough…if he’s going back on this show..
solid actor on a show that’s running on fumes
Disagree.
Your definition of “running on fumes” must be interesting considering the show is going into it’s 6th season.
And considering it’s likely coming back past its original 5-year plan because Dawn Ostroff had a heart attack at the idea of losing one of her core shows.
Running on fumes? What show are you watching? SN is one of the best shows on TV an it certainly is one of the very few that actually has original ideas.
Running on fumes? Haha, what a strange comment.
Skin man!
Always glad to see Mitch, he is a Class-A actor. I am thinking that Christian will be God.
chuck was god.
He is God, he can have more than one form!
I thought that Chuck just ‘ascended’ to heaven because his story/job was done… I don’t think he was God because surely Dean’s necklace would have glowed in his presence, right?
In Heaven, Joshua told them that magic amulet or not, they won’t find God. And I also believe that one of the writers (maybe Gamble?) has confirmed that Chuck was God.
ADRIAN PASDAR FOR UNCLE CHRISTIAN!
Come on. We were all thinking it in that one episode of Heroes, back when we were still watching, where he was wielding shotguns and dream-fighting Parkman. (LOL, Heroes…)
OK!
LIKE!
So, I am going to take a wild guess and say Christian is the boys’ like half uncle or something, like Grampa was saved and then with wife dead and everything, moved on a big with his life and though Mary was safe with John who was not in the hunting life.
Oh, and while I agree it was a little bit okay this is the end, I think the idea of following the Campbell side of their heritage would be interesting, like, we all know that Sam is clearly John’s son in all respects and is clearly the Winchester side of the family – we all love Dean, are we curious about the side of the family he takes after? Of course, I also have this theory that Bobby is actually Dean’s father and while neither Mary, Bobby or John were sure of this fact, it is why Bobby and John were on the outs.
Both brothers take after John
Just remember, though, that Sam has a great deal of Mary in him too. She never wanted the hunting life, just like Sam never did.
Bobby as Dean’s dad? That’s the worst theory I’ve ever heard.
Yeah, I agree. Dean and Sam are absolutely John’s kids. John was not a particularly good father, which is why Bobby didn’t like him.
Could it be grandpa fooled yellow eyed demon? Christian might be an uncle or how else would you describe the special relation with the brothers. Could I suggest Gale Harold.
Oh, yes, please.
Oh god if Gale Harold joined SPN…too much amazingness. I vote GH!!
I love Jason Dohring as much as the next girl, but he’s way too young for the age they’re looking for.
ew, no.
Gale Harold!
who cares about Mitch P, we all want Gabriel to return !!
Gabriel was amazing, but he is very dead. Happy about Mitch though!
There’s talk that Gabriel might come back…
YAY to my Skinner toooooo!