Misha Collins originally auditioned to play a demon on Supernatural, so it’s understandable that it took him some time to fully settle into Castiel, the angelic role that ultimately defined his career on the show. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Collins joined co-stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki to reflect on his Supernatural debut, revealing a surprising behind-the-scenes detail about having to reshoot his very first scene.
Castiel makes his unforgettable entrance in season 4’s “Lazarus Rising,” an episode widely regarded as one of Supernatural’s finest. The moment sees the angel storm into a building where Dean and Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) are hiding, calmly absorbing a barrage of bullets as he approaches them without flinching. While the scene has since become iconic, it turns out the show’s creators were not satisfied with Collins’ early takes. As the actor recalled:
“My debut performance on ‘Supernatural’ was so substandard that we did a reshoot the next day, because they got the dailies back of my creepy performance and they were like…”
Despite being deeply involved in the scene, Jensen Ackles didn’t remember being called back for any reshoots, suggesting that Collins was the only actor asked to redo his performance at the time. Still, any early doubts clearly faded. Collins went on to become a central figure on the series through season 15, a sign that the creative team ultimately embraced his portrayal of Castiel. Even so, those initial reshoots were minor compared to the more serious toll the role would later take on his health.
Playing Castiel on Supernatural led to Misha Collins suffering lasting physical pain
Although his first appearance as Castiel didn’t immediately impress the creators, Misha Collins quickly grew into the role and approached it with total commitment. That dedication, however, came at a cost. The distinct voice he adopted for the angel ended up causing lasting damage to his vocal cords, leaving him with ongoing pain long after the show concluded. Speaking to TVInsider, Collins explained:
“So I went to the doctor and was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I have a sore throat that’s not going away.’ I got checked for strep, and it’s not strep. I was literally causing damage to my vocal cords. So, that’s something that I carried with me from Castiel. Actual physical trauma.”
Collins admitted that he never expected to become a long-term fixture on Supernatural after his debut, and he may have taken steps to protect his voice had he known how long he would be playing Castiel. Even so, the actor remains grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a successful and enduring series, suggesting that the experience was worth the sacrifice.
