Keenan Tracey plays Christoph – the son in episode 5 of Season 12 of Supernatural, “The One You’ve Been Waiting For.” He convincingly appears to be a guy up to no good (kidnapping a poor defenseless young girl nonetheless) but in the end, might not turn out bad after all.
If Keenan looks familiar but you can’t quite place him, it might be because he’s had recurring roles on some great shows like The Returned and Bates Motel.
Tell us about your character, Christoph.
Well, he’s a bit of a dingus. But a nice dingus, underneath it all. I mean, he’s certainly involved in some pretty heinous behavior, so it was interesting to try and find a way of somehow still making the character likable. It was a challenge but, in the end, he had to seem redeemable. Throughout reading the episode, the motivation for his ill intent became more apparent, and it all came down to a relentless need to appease his father. And all of a sudden he seemed more human. So that seemed like a good place to start.
How were you cast as Christoph?
Having been shot in my hometown for so many years, it felt inevitable that eventually, I’d get a stab at it. And the lovely Coreen Mayrs & Heiki Brandstatter and Nina Lopez-Corrado handed me the knife. And I am grateful for it, and to be a part of the show.
In short, a combination of opportunity & putting the work in.
Were you familiar with Supernatural before you were cast?
Of course! I’ve seen a lot of it over the years. I have a number of friends who have done episodes in the past, and I had never heard anything but great stories about the set and the guys. My old man is actually currently shooting an episode as well. Our positive experiences on the set seem to be mutual.
Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories you can share?
It’s a hard set not to have fun on, which can also result in the giggles. This is something that since I was a kid has gotten me in trouble. So the fact that Jared and Jensen apparently have the same trait only made things harder. We had this scene in the diner one night. It was one of the last scenes up, and all I could think about was how bad I felt that all these people would be getting home to their kids later if I can’t keep it together here, but for the life of me could not stop cracking. And even the littlest, inkling of a smirk blows the take! It was an exercise in self-control, but forever a fond memory.
Also learned that Jared is a fellow chess player, so we’ve been duking it out online since. He kicks my ass but that’s what makes you better.
Do you have any current projects that you’d like to share?
I recently finished shooting a pilot based off an Aimee Friedman novel called Sea Change for Lifetime. It’s a supernatural thriller following a love triangle that we’re eagerly awaiting to be green-lit. However, regardless of it becoming a series or not, will still air as a 2-hour movie.
I’ve also been quite busy in my off time with an indie rock / dream pop record that I’ve poured a lot of love into. A 6 track EP is all but mastered that I intend to release in 2017, under the name Still Eye. It’s a classic sort of sound but with a hint of new era. Old by soul, young by heart.