Lindsey – As cool as you hoped she would be
I had the pleasure of talking with Lindsey McKeon, known to Supernatural fans as Tessa, our favorite reaper (Okay, maybe second favorite. Ahem. Hi Death! *waveswhilesmiling*). She’s been acting since she was 11, after harassing her parents to take her to auditions. She brought a warmth to Tessa that we could relate to, but strong and confident enough to go toe to toe with the boys club on SPN, especially with Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the character she had most of her interactions with over the years.
We laughed a lot. This lady is fun!
Right off the top of my head, have you ever been to any of the conventions?
I have done one Supernatural convention, and that was in Birmingham, and then I did a One Tree Hill convention in Paris, and that was it, that’s all I’ve done.
That was probably two very different experiences.
They definitely were. Somewhat different and somewhat the same. There were a lot of younger girls at the One Tree Hill. Going back to our hotel it was like we were Michael Jackson and Rhianna. That last day everybody knew what hotel we were at, and they would wait out front, and out back by the car, and they were swarming the car as we were trying to leave the garage. The guards wouldn’t let us out of the car… We were like, guys, this is crazy, we are NOT Michael Jackson!
Who knew they were that crazy in Paris.
I know!
I went over to IMDB, and I see you have been working for a long time. How old were you when you started working?
I was about 10 or 11 when I gt into commercials, and 11 or 12 when I started theatrical work, and got onto SBTB: The New Class when I was 13.
Wow, you were 13 when you did that.
Yeah, (laughs) I was a baby!
So, that was awfully young to start, so I am wondering when you decided that it was something you really wanted to do, or did you just like it from the beginning and take off running?
Uhh, my parents totally pressured me. (LAUGHTER) Just kidding.
More laughing from me. (she may have accused me of cackling)
Your laughing! You are an awful person!
After even more laughing, Lindsey talks about how she asked her mom, who worked in commercials and modeling, to take her to auditions, and after her mom protested several times, finally relented. Her mom introduced her to her agent who was happy to represent her. She started taking classes and soon found a manager. She credits her parents with helping teach her discipline by making sure she stuck to her commitments that she made, and giving her the option to go be a kid if she ended up not liking the work. A good lesson for a kid to learn. She credits acting for totally changing her life, as she was a kid who had a very difficult time in school. (I hear that!)
Meet cute?
All right, now I am gonna ask you about Supernatual, because I can’t help myself. When you were first cast as Tessa, which was 2006, hardly anyone knew about the show. Did you know about it?
Oh, I don’t even remember, it was so long ago. (laughs)
(laughs) It was a long time ago. So you get this job, and you fly up to Vancouver, and you find out you’re wearing these crazy yellow contact lenses.
Hahaha, that was fun.
I used to put lenses like that on actors a few years ago, that was my job.
Oh my god, that was my first time wearing lenses! I couldn’t see through them at all.
(laughing) That’s what I was gonna ask, it looked like you couldn’t see through them.
No, I could see nothing. Someone, probably a PA or somebody, had to hold my hand after they put them on in the makeup room and walk me to the set, and I had to have full faith that they were leading me in the right direction, and I was wasn’t gonna trip and fall. And then the scenes from the outtakes, working with Jensen, it took me a million times to find his face! (laughs)
Yeah, those are some funny outtakes, actually.
(Laughs) It was like, where you? I can’t see! They even had a sandbag in back for my feet, so when I turned around I would hit the bag and know, that’s my cue! And I would put up my hand to find his face, and still… I had a very difficult time with that one. It was a challenge. (laughs)
So, you have these lenses on, sitting on set blind, are thinking what have I gotten myself into?
(laughs) No, no, no. The only time I think that as an actor, is when it winter time, we’re outside, and they put me in a pool or some form of water that is only 50 degrees. That is the only time I question why I do what I do.
After a silly tangent about makeup rooms and fake tattoo removal we get back to Supernatural.
So, you get an episode into Supernatural, and then you get called back, and now you are a recurring character. How does that differ from all the other stuff you’ve done, you’ve done series, and film.
What’s nice about it is, it gives you some freedom of not being tied down to a series, it’s not your only form of work, but at the same time gives you that familiarity and family-like comfort with the people you are working with. So its not as uncomfortable as just guest spotting.
I’ve heard some on some sets the crew is so tight that it’s hard to absorb a new person into the group.
Right.
But I am assuming that is not true with Supernatural?
No, oh my gosh! This is probably one of the best shows that I’ve worked with, and Jensen and I have been acquaintances with each other since he was on Days of Our Lives and I was on Saved. We worked in the same studio.
Oh okay, so you were babies together?
Yeah, we were babies together. (laughs) So now, its just like seeing an old buddy. And they’re so relaxed and playful anyway, that every time I go back I can totally sit in, and be crass, and joke around with them. It’s fun, no one takes anything personally, everyone’s having a good time. They’re just guys guys. Texas type guys, so it’s just easy and fun.
Bad-ass to the end!
When you got the job for this last episode, were Tessa dies, when did you find out Tessa was dying?
A week before the shoot I got the script and that is when I read it. She has always been a fun character for me, but these last two episodes have been the most fun, being Death’s right hand reaper, coming in and teaching and scolding Dean, and showing him what he thinks is so easy and frivolous, and it’s not that at all. So when I read it I was incredibly excited. As much as Tessa was in pain, the reasoning she’s offing herself, there is something almost samurai in her choosing to take her own life. And it’s not like she is a human being trying to get out of the world, she is another type of being stuck in a realm he shouldn’t be in anyway. And there is something magical about her and the way she did it, in my opinion.
Tessa is such a kick-ass woman character, it’s always nice to have a lady telling Dean or Sam what to do, but to see this other side of her where she is vulnerable and things are awful, I thought was really interesting. And then they killed her off, and I was surprized, but it really turned out to be interesting for the story.
Really interesting for the story, but some people are really upset, why does Supernatural keep killing off the strong female characters? I talked with the director, and we were both on the same page with her being emotional. So I love that she was able to get into that aspect and touch Dean, and have Dean see something different. At the same time she is still a kick-ass character, and is someone strong enough to make this huge decision that could be wrong to God, or whoever, but in the long run she still has the cojones to do it.
I said to somebody that I am usually on Dean’s side, but this season I am on Sam’s side, it’s so weird for me.
Interesting.
I’m usually, Sam, quit being so Sam!
Right, Dean’s like, Sam, I’m fighting this fight. This season [Dean’s] off his rocker!
Sam’s being reasonable. Listen to Sam!
Right. Dean’s gone to the dark side!
You have been on some really good episodes. Especially with Dean.You and Jensen work really well together.
Thank you! I absolutely love and adore working with him.
You guys have shipping fans online, where people want Dean and Tessa to get together.
I think that would be so cool though. It’s so wrong, it could be so right at the same time. (laughs) The way they bicker and challenge each other, but the way they both kind of understand and respect each other at the same time. They’re both so strong, yet have this vulnerable likeablity about them, you kind of want to see what they would do together, because she wouldn’t just follow him, and he wouldn’t just follow her.
It would be a great sitcom.
(LAUGHTER) A little bit.
So, of course I have to ask, what is going to happen on the finale?
(LAUGHS) Oh my goodness, let me tell you, because I am allowed… I think its gonna be something major.
Okay, so you are done with Supernatural for now. Maybe. Do you have something coming up you are excited about?
I do! A film, Indigenous , that is a horror film, that premiered at Tribeca, and is now being sold in Cannes. And then a comedy called Flock of Dudes, which could sound really bad, but is a funny bromance and romantic comedy that’s coming out at the end of the year.
Thank you, Lindsey! I had a really good time talking to you.
The finale of Supernatural, season 9 (!!) airs Tuesday, May 20th at 9pm on the CW.