The Winchesters Bringing Back A Favorite Trickster From Supernatural
Richard Speight, Jr., best known for playing Gabriel/Loki in Supernatural. is reprising the role for the spinoff series The Winchesters.
The Winchesters are calling on a familiar face to stir things up in their first season. According to a report by TV Insider, Richard Speight Jr. will appear in the season’s eighth episode, reprising his role of the Norse demigod Loki (aka the archangel Gabriel) from Supernatural. The episode will likely air in December, although an exact date hasn’t been set for the CW series, a Supernatural spinoff based on the exploits of hunters John and Mary Winchester, played by Drake Rodger (The In Between) and Meg Donnelly (American Housewife).
Richard Speight appeared in just 12 episodes of Supernatural, but he loomed large in the series, and he remains a fan-favorite foil of the Winchester brothers, played by Jared Padalecki (Sam) and Jensen Ackles (Dean). His first appearance was in the second season’s 15th episode, “Tall Tales,” when Sam and Dean find their investigation on a college campus foiled by Speight’s Trickster. He is currently scheduled to appear in only one episode of The Winchesters, but if the series is extended, a return appearance isn’t out of the question.
While Speight’s character was initially known as the Trickster, and then Loki, but was later revealed to be the archangel Gabriel. He currently hosts a podcast called Supernatural Then and Now in which he re-watches episodes of Supernatural and discusses his experiences on the show, alongside co-host and former co-star Rob Benedict (who appeared in several roles, including God).
Back in March, Speight joked in an interview that he actually expected to appear, as his character would be a perfect fit in the series, which is executive produced by Ackles and his wife Danneel, who also appeared in Supernatural as Anael/Sister Jo. The Winchesters showrunner Robbie Thompson revealed that Speight’s appearance was always in their plans. “Richard’s an old friend of mine, so it was a question of when, not if,” he said.
Thompson revealed that Speight’s appearance was actually the idea of the show writing staff, who found a unique way to bring him back in a way fans of Supernatural may not expect.
At The New York Comic Con earlier this month, it was revealed that Speight was going to direct a few episodes of The Winchesters, but his appearance on-screen was kept a secret until now. Speight directed 11 episodes of Supernatural, and went on to direct episodes of Lucifer, Walker, and Kung Fu.
Speight’s acting career dates back to the 1980s, with of small roles in TV and film, including Freddy’s Nightmares and Earnest Goes to Camp. He went on to appear in TV series including ER, Party of Five, and films like Independence Day and Speed 2: Cruise Control. Besides Supernatural, he is prehaps best known for his role as Warren (Skip) Muck in HBO’s landmark Emmy-winning series Band of Brothers. More recently, he appeared on Jericho, Justified, and Longmire. He was also producer of the series Kings of Con.
The Winchesters premiered earlier this month and has quickly become a hit for the CW Network. It airs on Tuesday nights at 8/7 Central.
