Disney starlet Meg Donnelly, best known for her roles in the “Zombies” franchise and “HSMTS” Season 3, knew all too well the pressures associated with entering the sacred space of beloved franchises like The CW’s “Supernatural.” The actress will lead the prequel series “The Winchesters,” playing Mary Campbell, the eventual mother of fan-favorite characters Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki).
“Playing Mary has been a lot of fun,” Donnelly told TheWrap in an interview. “I think I learned a lot about myself in the process. It was definitely nerve-wracking at first because it’s so different from me in real life, so I was like, Am I able to do something like this?,
Outside of Disney, Donnelly appeared in ABC’s 2016 sitcom “American Housewife,” which ran for five seasons, and opposite Sis King in the 2017 indie drama “The Broken Ones.” But “The Winchesters” marks her first major role as well, with a performance that relies heavily on the interiority and, naturally, the stunts that come with a fantasy genre series (her favorite part).
,[‘The Winchesters’ is] certainly much more mature and [has] A much heavier subject than any project I’ve done,” she said. “I think I’m maturing a little bit with it. It’s a different take because most of the characters I’ve played before were very light-hearted, and I just said what was on my mind and was jovial. [But] Mary is very particular on what she says, and everything is very calculated, and she hides a lot. He is very stone-cold. It’s definitely been interesting and as we’ve been filming episodes, it just got easier to do. I’m having a lot of fun doing this – it feels so human. ,
During the audition process, Donnelly said she was immediately struck by the show’s script and the duality of her character: her ability to balance both vulnerability and edge. “Because she’s been through a lot, she has a hard shell,” she explained.
When she got the part and read the chemistry with her scene partner, Drake Rodger (who plays John Winchester and his character’s love interest), “it felt like it was meant to be,” Donnelly said.
“Supernatural” is just an amazing franchise and to be a part of this franchise, but then to portray iconic characters like Mary and John Winchester, and this was also in the ’70s – I was like, OK, that’s great.,
To prepare for the role, she exchanged Twitter DMs with Samantha Smith, who debuted the role of Mary in the 15-season-long original. Then, of course, there were the binge of typical “supernatural” episodes, especially from Season 1, where the spinoff mostly draws its lore.
“Our show goes back and pays a lot of tribute to Season 1,” Donnelly said. “Just watching specific episodes throughout all seasons, especially just to gain knowledge on some of the demons and some of the lingo they use — Latin exorcism in particular — helps a lot.”
Ackles, who served as an omniscient narrator for his parents’ love story on the show, was also on set with Robbie Thompson to lend a hand, who executive produced the show and produced “Supernatural”. were heavily involved in.
“It was just incredible to have Jensen on set the whole time,” Donnelly said, “but also Drake — Drake is a huge ‘Supernatural’ fan through and through. He’s also like my mentor.”
It was 1972 when “The Winchesters” began with the return of John shocked by the Vietnam War. On a night out, while trying to piece together his place in the world as a veteran, he stumbles upon a demonic figure – and Mary, who saves him from certain doom. Raised to be a hunter, lone wolf Mary is on a mission to find her missing father and is reluctant to accept John into her circle. But John, on a similar quest to uncover his origins, is adamant to join the magical world that was kept secret from him. However, as evidenced by series trailerHe has a way to go before he encounters Mary in battle.
“I really hope people see Mary as a really strong, confident woman,” Donnelly said. “It is wonderful and I am very honored that I got the opportunity to play a character like him. Every time we’re making an episode or reading scripts and everything, we always have ‘supernatural’ fans in our minds, like, What would they think about this? It’s definitely our own perspective on the ‘supernatural’ universe, but I really think people will love it. And we’re very open to feedback, and we really care about fans’ opinions because we’re fans too. ,
Off-screen, Donnelly has embarked on an illustrious musical career, being named one of Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing artists and in 2019 released her debut album “Trust”, featuring Fetty Wap and Kota There are tracks with The Friend. She also performed for acts such as Steve Aoki, the Jonas Brothers and Avril Lavigne, as well as Alessia Cara.
While the singer said it can be “challenging” to balance both acting and music, she “wouldn’t have it any other way.” In between filming “The Winchesters” in New Orleans, Donnelly makes sure to schedule in Zoom music sessions and hopes to release new tracks by the end of the year.
“I try to make time for both of them because music is something I’m really passionate about too,” she said. “Whenever I have vacation here to shoot ‘The Winchesters,’ I’ll do a music session and try to get him there. The music really helps me blow off steam, so it kind of works But at the same time it’s definitely like therapy. It’s just part of my daily routine to do just that.”
When in and out of the studio, Donnelly is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, having partnered with nonprofits and hospitals such as the Children’s Health Fund and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as an ambassador.
The musician said she has long dealt with anxiety and panic attacks, which were “really bad” at the age of eight. During the pandemic, she noticed that more young people were starting to think about their own well-being for the first time and decided to speak up.
“Everyone was locked in, and the kids were starting to understand what they were going through, and it’s so scary,” Donnelly explained. “I was never really open about my anxiety or panic attacks or anything like that, and then I was like, Well maybe if I can talk about it, if I can help just one person, maybe it will be worth it.,
a January 2022 Trends Report The American Psychological Association has compiled a list of surveys and research data that point children’s mental health distress and inability to access services at an “all-time high.”
“I never in a million years thought I’d ever do what I’m doing. I thought [my anxiety] would be so crippled that I couldn’t really do anything,” concluded Donnelly. “I just want to make sure [that] Little kids especially know that it can definitely require a little extra work because not only are you struggling with stuff in life and at work and at school, but also in your mind, but it’s 100% is possible and [can] Get better with help… and you can totally accomplish whatever you want to achieve.”
“The Winchesters” premieres October 11 on The CW.
