Who Plays Crowley On Supernatural?
No "Supernatural" character can command the small screen like Crowley, the witty demon who stole scenes over the course of 70 episodes. The series follows brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) as they hunt monsters and demons, who are sworn enemies. But Crowley breaks the status quo, becoming a friend and ally to the brothers. His charm is just one of the many reasons why he became a fan favorite, and it's a role that put the acting talents of Mark Sheppard directly in the spotlight.
Sheppard started playing Crowley during Season 5, Episode 10, "Abandon All Hope," which finds the Winchesters tracking him down amid rumors that he has the Colt. Crowley then creates an on-and-off alliance with Sam and Dean. It's a dynamic that continues into his final episode, Season 12, Episode 23, "All Along the Watchtower," where Crowley is questioned by the Winchesters over the release of Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) before all four of them land on an alternate Earth.
Since then, Sheppard has gone on to play Willoughby Kipling on "Doom Patrol" and Hagan on "Walker: Independence." His "Supernatural" role is still recognizable to many, but it was a show that Sheppard didn't see himself being a part of at first.
How Sheppard reacted upon news of his audition
During a panel at C2E2 (via Syfy Wire), Mark Sheppard said that the idea of joining "Supernatural" was first brought up by his friend Kim Manners, who was a showrunner for the hit series until his death in 2009. "Pretty soon after [Manners' death] an audition came up for 'Supernatural.' They're like, 'Do you want to do this?' I just started laughing ... nothing had ever come across my radar before. ... It wasn't in my purview. And I was like, 'Yeah, this could be really funny,'" he said.
Sheppard would go on to charm the "Supernatural" family with Crowley's unique sense of humor, which included bickering with Castiel (Misha Collins) and bestowing the nicknames of "Moose" and "Squirrel" upon Sam and Dean. No matter how much fun he is having, strategy is always key to every decision Crowley makes. Much of that is designed with power and self-preservation in mind, and it's a mentality that brought Crowley to the Winchesters in the first place. Sheppard told Collider that Crowley's concern for himself is what stands out to him most. "I think Crowley always puts himself first, which makes it so much fun to play," he said.
During a 2018 appearance at New York Comic Con, Sheppard said that Crowley's exit was not his idea. As for the demon's return, he isn't ruling anything out. He said in an exclusive interview with Looper, "We've worked together over many years, so why shouldn't we work together again? Why shouldn't we try?"