Why Adam Milligan From Supernatural Looks So Familiar
Fans of "Supernatural" will recall the character Adam Milligan, one of the series' biggest plot twists: the Winchester brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) half-brother. Born to John Winchester (Dean Morgan) and Kate Milligan (Dedee Pfeiffer), after Kate took care of John following a ghoul attack, Adam grew up with limited interaction from John. While the elder Winchester came by sometimes, it wasn't enough for Adam to call him his father, which explains why Sam and Dean didn't know of his existence until he appeared in the show's fourth season.
What was also interesting about Adam was his upbringing. While John indoctrinated Sam and Dean into a world of hunting from an early age, Adam had a pleasant and regular childhood: John spent birthdays with him and even brought him to a baseball game — much to Dean's annoyance.
While Dean and Sam take time to warm up to their half-brother, they become protective of him. Dean didn't want him to learn about the hunter life, and Sam felt comfortable sharing some parts with him. The boys wanted to save the brother, but things turned dark when Dean found Adam's body in the ghoul's hideout. They learn they never met Adam. After avenging his death, Adam returns in a later season as the vessel for the archangel Michael. Jake Abel portrays Adam Milligan, but there are some other roles where you might've seen him before.
Antagonist in Percy Jackson film series
Abel also starred in the prominent film series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." Based on the best-selling books by Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson films follow the titular teenager who discovers Greek mythology is real. The Greek Gods are still alive and breathing, and he is a demigod, a human half-god, the son of Poseidon.
When Percy (Logan Lehman) realizes the truth, his life becomes turned upside down. Monsters from the Underworld try to kill him. But Percy's victory over the Minotaur is diminished when his mother (Catherine Keener) is seemingly killed. To bring his mother back, he agrees to embark on a quest to return Zeus's lightning bolt to him while simultaneously being accused of stealing it.
Abel starred as Luke, son of Hermes and the first friend Percy makes when he comes to Camp Half-Blood, a haven for demigods like him. While Luke helps Percy come to terms with his new life, readers of the series recall him as the subject of Percy's quest prophecy: "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend." While Luke played a larger role in the book series, Abel returned as Luke in the second film.
Ian in the romantic sci-fi thriller The Host
In 2013, Abel joined the cast of "The Host," a film adaptation of a novel by Stephenie Meyer, who also wrote the popular "Twilight" series. He starred as Ian O'Shea, the love interest of Wanderer, the soul who inhabits Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) as her host. While hosts and their parasites are usually enemies — as the Souls usually erase their identities and memories to fully absorb their bodies — Melanie and Wanderer become friends. Though Melanie is in love with Jared Howe (Max Irons), that doesn't stop Wanderer from developing an attraction and bond with Ian.
Their dynamic was interesting to watch. While fans knew Melanie was in love with Jared, Wanderer's lack of having her body and being in Melanie's made it a kind of love triangle for viewers — similar to the Jacob, Edward, and Bella arc in Meyer's "Twilight" series.
The first victim and abusive husband in Malignant
Abel returned to his supernatural roots by starring in the horror movie "Malignant." The James Wan-directed film follows a young woman, Madison (Annabelle Wallis), having visions of murders. Abel portrayed Derek, Madison's abusive husband. During an argument, Derek hurts a pregnant Madison by pushing her head into the wall. While this last beating causes Madison to suffer another miscarriage, Madison experiences her first vision, where an intruder kills Derek. This intruder knocks Madison out. When she wakes up, Derek is dead.
After Derek's quick departure, audiences faced a twist. We learn Madison was an adopted child. Her real name was Emily and she has a parasitic twin called Gabriel, the antagonist of the film. He's been using Emily's body as a vessel to commit the crimes. The ending of the film was full of twists and turns which won a best original film award from BloodGuts UK Horror Awards.
Abel is a talented actor with many credits in his filmography. If audiences enjoyed his portrayal of Adam/Ghoul in "Supernatural," they should check what he's been doing since then and after.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.