Katie Findlay Discusses That Epic Jared Padalecki Cameo In Walker Independence - Exclusive
The following interview contains spoilers for "Walker Independence" Season 1 Episode 12, "How We Got Here."
Jared Padalecki finally made it to Independence, and fans are reeling. Given that the actor has more than a few things on his plate, fans weren't sure he'd be able to head back to the 1800s for the prequel from modern-day Texas. Of course, Padalecki is an executive producer on "Walker" and its spin-off in addition to starring in the OG series.
Yet despite wearing a slew of cowboy hats, Padalecki found time to reunite with his former "Walker" co-star Matt Barr — who also plays Hoyt Rawlins on the original series. Multiverses, right? And while Katie Findlay (who plays Kate) has no scenes with Padalecki in the episode, they had more than enough fun with Padalecki and Barr on set.
Looper spoke to Findlay during an exclusive interview where they discussed Padalecki's "Walker Independence" cameo with Matt Barr, what skill the duo taught them on set, and what Padalecki's cameo might mean for the show at large.
Padalecki makes it to Independence
When asked what it was like to have Jared Padalecki on set for his cameo, Katie Findlay said, "Oh, he's a lovely dude. It's too bad that we don't get to see him more often. I didn't get to do a lot of cowboying this season because I live in town."
Fans may have noticed that Kate isn't exactly an outdoorsy type. Well, Findlay explained that was by design: "We have town people and non-town people. Kate, I've decided, firmly does not do outside if she can help it, but it's so delightful."
The biggest bummer about Matt Barr's character getting killed off in the OG show is not getting to see him interact with Padalecki on screen. But even after so much time, the chemistry is still there. "Jared and Matt have such a nice dynamic from working with each other before. I was actually on set that day to do a little bit of behind-the-scenes stuff. I got to clamber around and be on a horse," Findlay explained. "The gag of the season's that I never got on a horse. I said at the very beginning, 'I don't have a lot of experience with horses, but I would die to learn to ride a horse.'"
Jared Padalecki and Matt Barr walk into a stable
Though Kate was a horseback riding virgin, Jared Padalecki and Matt Barr made sure that Katie Findlay didn't follow in their character's footsteps. "[The writers] never put me on one. At first, it was by accident, but now it's a joke," Findlay explained. "Then I was on a horse with Jared and Matt, and I think [Calian actor] Justin [Johnson Cortez] was there, and it was a real blast. I would love to see more of Jared in the show. It's above my pay grade to tell you if there's going to be more of Jared on the show, but he's a fantastic dude, and we would love to have him back at any point."
At the notion that it would be interesting to have a Cordell Walker doppelganger in Independence without some procreation between Abby and Padalecki's character, Findlay said, "That's true. That's a troubling thought." Mentioning the prospect that Padalecki's character could be Kate's endgame, they concluded, "I know some of our multiverse stuff gets a little ushy sometimes. Got to be careful with that. Too many people are related and not related. It's a whole thing."
But Findlay agreed that we probably shouldn't think too hard about 1800s relationship genealogy, pointing out, "Kate's a free agent. Kate can kiss anybody. It's good."
New episodes of "Walker Independence" air Thursdays on The CW, with episodes streaming for free on the website and app the next day.