Matt Cohen talks his different ‘Supernatural’ sides and fan requests

matt cohen talks his different supernatural sides and fan requests 2016 images

Matt Cohen talks his different 'Supernatural' sides and fan requests 2016 images

This interview is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while — Matt Cohen, who played the young John Winchester on Supernatural over the many seasons. Although Matt’s only been on the show in three episodes (I was shocked when I saw it was that few) he has made quite an impact on our fandom – not only because of his acting but because of his kindness and generosity on both social media and in person. Matt has also appeared on How to Get Away with Murder, NCIS: Los Angeles, and of course is currently on Kings of Con and General Hospital.

Don’t forget to check out all of our Supernatural interviews here.

What has impressed you most about the SPN fandom?

Oh God. Everything. What’s not to be impressed about … we have the best fans in the world – they’re the greatest. I’m waiting to be proven wrong by other fan bases of other jobs that I work at, but the Supernatural fans are my best friends. They’re the reason I was able to discover being me, and without them, I wouldn’t be at the place I am in my life so just them in general. They’re amazing; they know they are.

Well, I’m definitely one of them.

Congratulations, you’re part of something really special.

matt cohen as young john winchester supernatural 2016
Photo: @chrisschmelke

What was your most enjoyable – and/or memorable – moment from filming?

That’s a tough question, they’re all pretty memorable … I think one of the earlier episodes, I think in Season 5 when I got to have the awkward family road trip in the back seat and young John Winchester and the front seat and I got to tell them to shut up several times.

matt cohen how to get away with murder movie tv tech
Photo: @chrisschmelke

What is the strangest fan encounter you’ve experienced?

I had a mother ask me – this was before Supernatural – so this wasn’t a Supernatural fan – a fan of another show. I was at the VH1 movie awards or something years ago. A mother came up to me with a younger girl which was about 15 or so. The mother asked me if I’d take her daughter’s virginity.

Yeah, that’d be a bit weird.

Needless to say, nothing to this day can ever out awkward that moment, y’know. Because I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done by a fan up to this point and beyond that is going to be stranger than that and more inappropriate …

supernatural misha collins with matt cohen all over him
Photos: Twitter

What do you enjoy most about conventions?

I think just the blurred line between the fans and the actors is the best part about it – I think you can make friends on both sides … as actors, we can make friends with each other, obviously we work on the same show, it’s people that support us, you know we can make friends with these fans and it’s a really rewarding experience through and through.

matt cohen kings of con

What was it like working with Rob and Rich for Kings of Con; there has to be a lot of hilarity involved?

As professionals we try to be – my wife, she was in it also, we were just talking about it – those guys are the best, and we love them so much, and they’re so talented, and the show is rolling out and getting better every week. You want to be a professional on their set, but it’s so hard because everything they do and say, and just who they are outside their characters on the show is just so funny. So it’s just kind of about holding it together take after take and not cracking up and wasting an hour trying to shoot five minutes worth of material. It’s a good set to be on; I can tell you that. Much like we all praise the Supernatural set, the cast and crew, it’s a great team all around – it’s the same thing with Kings of Con. Rich and Rob, they hired the best producers and the best crew, and the best hair and makeup … and everybody there is just so kind, giving and so fun to be around.

How did you come up with your #you positivity campaign?

That came from a very kind of depressed time of my life where I was just trying to motivate myself, long before I had a bunch of followers on Instagram and all that and I would wake up, and I would want to send a message to myself and at that time everyone was doing hashtag things so it just became hashtag you, just kind of speaking to myself, publicly, it was just one of those things. It just became what it is today and y’know; now it helps so many people, and I try to continue it ever day, just about … but it started definitely as a selfish thing, to help myself rather than others.

matt cohen and jensen ackles supernatural movie tv tech geeks

How are you similar to the young John Winchester, and how are you different?

Similar is a tough one – I don’t know if I’m similar at all to a father of two grown boys – the 1970s version or the modern version. I think he’s a good guy, I don’t know that our beliefs are the same. I think we’re very different overall … I think what’s alike about us is just a want to do the right thing, would be the only similar thing Matt Cohen and young John have.

matt cohen with finola hughes on general hospital

Tell us about your role on General Hospital.

I play a very tortured doctor and a priest who is trying to figure out his way through the world, trying to help people through the church and help people through medicine and none of it’s really working out for him. That’s the best pitch on Dr. Griffin Munro I can give you.

matt cohen shirtless movie tv tech geeks interview

Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share?

I’m in Season 2 – we just got an air date – March 1 at 10 p.m., that would also be Eastern Time – Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, I’m going to be reoccurring throughout the second season as Gary Sinese’s – Jack Garrett’s son.