Just Like Dad
Up-Close & Personal
"I admire my dad for his sucess," says Jensen Ackles, "because Texas isn't exactly the place for actors".
How did Jensen Ackles (Eric) choose his career? Well, at one time he considered working in computers like his older brother. But then he decided to follow in someone else's footsteps. "My dad's done really well for himself as an actor," says Ackles, whose father, Alan, works in radio and commerials in the Dallas area, and has shown his son the advantages of his chosen career. "He was there for me when I was young because he was an actor," Jensne explains. "He didn't have a nine-to-five routine like other fathers, so he came to my football games and spent a lot of time with me and my brother and sister." Looking back, Ackles believes that he, too, made the right choice. "I see now why my father stuck to it," he says. "It's a challenging career, but it also gives you something very valuable--time. There aren't many jobs that give you that freedom."
