Gentle spoilers for the lethal first episode of Countdown are under, so be warned for those who haven’t but watched.
Whereas I’m personally most invested in seeing Jensen Ackles’ return as The Boys’ Soldier Boy within the superhero satire’s upcoming Vought Rebellion spinoff, the actor has one other high-stakes collection that’ll hopefully maintain his fanbase sated all through the summer season months. Ackles is heading up the dramatic thriller Countdown, whose first three episodes turned accessible with an Amazon Prime subscription, with the remainder of the eps hitting the 2025 TV schedule weekly.
Ackles stars as LAPD detective Mark Meachum throughout what is probably going probably the most hectic time of the investigator’s life. He’s pulled right into a job pressure whose purpose is to not solely observe down a assassin, but in addition to establish after which cease an enormous risk that’s focusing on Los Angeles. To not point out his personal nagging medical subject: Mark was recognized with a mind tumor, so he’s racing the clock in each which method.
Regardless of his ailing well being, Mark doesn’t draw back from getting his arms soiled, and to that finish, Jensen Ackles didn’t balk at taking over the collection’ stunts as a lot as potential, regardless of not precisely having everybody’s assured assist on the set. Talking with Collider, the actor stated there have been some preliminary naysayers who didn’t grasp how real his eagerness was with regard to getting bodily within the position. In his phrases:
They’re like, ‘Oh, no method.’ They don’t need me to get damage as a result of it’s sort of on them. So, I’d say that I really like that half. I really like the bodily facet of those characters that I’ve gotten to play. I wish to push the envelope on the stunts, and I wish to attempt to make it as gritty and as actual as potential.
Now, no judgment handed on any of the stunt coordinators or any producers who have been possible hesitant to present Ackles full permission to handles any stunts he wished. It would not do anybody any good for the actor to unintentionally injure himself filming the primary episode if his character continues to be meant to appear like an motion hero for the remainder of the season. That is a particular worst-case situation.
Ackles amusingly identified how others react each time he is holding his personal throughout a stunt sequence, saying:
What might go mistaken? In the meantime, they’re all holding their breath, hoping I don’t break an ankle or one thing. However, as I’ve gotten older, knowledge is now taking part in into the issues that I do and the issues that I’m keen to do. I additionally sort of can form it now.
Understandably, with Ackles being in his mid-40s, he has a good suggestion of what sorts of motion sequences he is in a position to deal with, and which of them he is possibly keen to take a danger on. He is additionally at some extent in his profession the place, if he probably has an concept for the right way to tweak a scene or stunt to lean extra into his favor, he has the clout to theoretically result in change.
It’s deepened my reference to my stunt double, I’ll inform you that a lot. I’d say I’m most likely a little bit safer than I was, however that’s not saying a lot as a result of I used to be fairly dangerous in stunts.
Actors can usually develop distinctive pleasant relationships with their stunt doubles, and it is not unusual for particular pairs to proceed working collectively from one undertaking to the subsequent. In any case, that sort of partnership is one which revolves completely round belief, with each performers’ security on the middle of all of it. It is most likely a terrific factor for all concerned that Ackles is extra risk-averse now than he was throughout Supernatural‘s heyday.
Past serving as a conventional drama between Ackles’ Soldier Boy performances, Countdown additionally serves as what may very well be certainly one of co-star Eric Dane’s last main TV roles after his ALS analysis. (Ackles had nothing however reward for Dane on the collection’ premiere screening occasion.) Solely time will inform what occurs there, and solely Amazon’s execs will be capable to inform whether or not or not Countdown will get a second season.
Countdown drops new episodes on Prime Video each Wednesday morning.