Whatever Happened To Crowley From Supernatural?

Crowley is arguably the most beloved demon to cross paths with Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) in "Supernatural." Unsurprisingly, this memorable character – who first appeared in Season 5 and became part of the furniture as the years went by — was still making waves all the way through to the show's twelfth season. Originally just another crossroads demon, Crowley was a menace to the Winchester brothers before nearly being cured of his demonic state. After that, the conflicted King of Hell became an uneasy ally of the Winchesters, and he would remain that way until his dying breath.

With the Devil's return, Crowley does the only thing he knows will really help: He sacrifices himself to beat Lucifer, saving the Winchesters in the process. While this doesn't stop the Devil from causing plenty of damage, it does delay the fallen angel for a time. Unfortunately, that's the last we ever see of Crowley (save for a brief flash of him during the series' penultimate episode montage) and actor Mark A. Sheppard left "Supernatural" behind forever after that, much to the annoyance of viewers.

We may know him best as the King of Hell from "Supernatural," but Sheppard has been part of plenty of other notable productions in his time, from British sci-fi staples to American superhero shows and even Westerns. There's also been a lot going on in his personal life since he said goodbye to "Supernatural." If you haven't caught up with everyone's favorite crossroads demon in a while, here's what he's been up to since Crowley was unceremoniously killed off.

Even before his time as a main cast member on "Supernatural," you had likely seen Mark A. Sheppard in action, probably in some type of villainous role. One of his earliest television gigs was actually on spiritual "Supernatural" predecessor "The X-Files." The Brit played the pyrokinetic monster-of-the-week villain Cecil L'Ively in the Season 1 episode "Fire." From there, he bounced around between different shows, guesting as characters like Badger on Joss Whedon's "Firefly," the Ring Leader on "Chuck," and Canton Everett Delaware III on "Doctor Who" (more on that one later).

Before he played Crowley, Sheppard's most famous roles were the Season 5 villain Ivan Erwich on "24," recurring attorney Romo Lampkin on "Battlestar Galactica," and insurance investigator James Sterling on "Leverage." Additionally, he appeared as con artist Curtis Hagan on "White Collar" and the cynical Warehouse Regent Benedict Valda on "Warehouse 13," proving himself to be a formidable television staple. Of course, that all ended when Sheppard got promoted to a series regular on "Supernatural."

Upon leaving Crowley behind, Sheppard went back to being a guest star with a turn in a Season 1 episode of the "MacGuyver" reboot, but that was just a one-time thing. At that point, Sheppard had proven himself to be series regular (or, at the very least, recurring character) material, and he wasn't going to look back.

Mark A. Sheppard was less than thrilled about how his run on "Supernatural" came to an end. "Once they decided they needed to do something different, they tried to get rid of me without telling me that they were going to get rid of me," he told fans at New York Comic Con in 2018 (via SyFy Wire). "But it became so apparent... It wasn't this big bombshell at the end." Crowley's story arc throughout his last few seasons wasn't exactly thought-provoking or thrilling. If anything, the writers weren't really sure what to do with this semi-evil demon. "I'd gone from being the smartest character on the show to being the dumbest character on the show in two seasons," the actor lamented.

Unfortunately, this shifting of directions for the show — namely via the introduction of Alexander Calvert's character Jack Klein, the Nephilim son of Lucifer who works with the Winchesters — didn't make for a terribly compelling final batch of seasons. It hurt even more knowing that Crowley's death counted for nothing in the end (aside from briefly saving Sam and Dean, of course). Although "Supernatural" was famous for bringing back deceased characters in creative new ways, Sheppard never returned as Crowley, nor did he wish to. But that doesn't mean the actor hasn't been busy in the meantime.

Mark A. Sheppard and his father have played the younger and older version of the same character on three separate occasions. In 2011, they both played Canton Everett Delaware III in the "Doctor Who" episode "The Impossible Astronaut." According to William Morgan Sheppard, who spoke about the episode during an interview with Doctor Who Confidential, it was his son who suggested casting him in the elder Canton Delaware role. "When they said, 'We're going to age you up with makeup,' he said, 'No, get my dad!'"

This iconic casting came after "NCIS" did it first in the 2009 episode "Broken Bird," in which the Sheppards play older and younger versions of the war criminal Marcin Jerek, otherwise known as Mr. Pain. "They called me up — while I was doing 'Dollhouse' and 'Leverage' at the same time — and said, 'We're offering your dad a role in 'NCIS,' would you like to come and do his flashbacks?' I'm like, 'Absolutely!'" Mark told SFX. "So I got to spend a week with David McCallum. It was great to meet him; I'm a big fan of his."

William and Mark also played the same character in the 2010 TV movie "Mysterious Island," an adaptation of the Jules Verne classic. Mark directed the movie for SyFy, and, while it wasn't received particularly well (it holds a rating of 3.5/10 on IMDb), he had a great time making it. "I got to play with my dad, Gina [Holden], Lochlyn [Munro], and just really good people," he told Collider.

Two years after being killed off on "Supernatural," Mark A. Sheppard returned to television in a recurring capacity in "Doom Patrol." Created by "Supernatural" writer turned producer turned showrunner Jeremy Carver, the DC series follows a band of superpowered misfits who have formed their own strange family. Sheppard isn't one of these heroes, though. Instead, he plays a Templar Knight named Willoughby Kipling, who occasionally aids the titular heroes on their bizarre quests. Though the series originally ran on the short-lived DC Universe streaming service, it soon moved to HBO Max (later just Max).

Unlike Crowley, Kipling is a more heroic and helpful character, and though he may not always walk the line, he plays the John Constantine-inspired role exceptionally well. "It is truly disturbing, and beautiful, and funny," Sheppard told Michael Rosenbaum on his "Inside of You" podcast. "I love this show. I truly love this show." Despite the fact that "Doom Patrol" ends in November 2023 after just four seasons, there's no denying that Willoughby Kipling will go down as one of Sheppard's best roles, even compared to the well-rounded and ingenious Crowley.

Following the end of "Supernatural," series star Jared Padalecki didn't waste any time hopping from Sam Winchester to Cordell Walker in The CW's reimagining of the original "Walker, Texas Ranger." In fact, Padalecki was more than just the star of "Walker," he was an executive producer and a driving force behind getting the series made. Before long, he started bringing "Supernatural" alumni into the picture, such as Mitch Pileggi, his wife Genevieve Padalecki, and his former co-star Jensen Ackles, who directed an episode in the first season. When the series led to a prequel spin-off called "Walker: Independence," Mark A. Sheppard climbed aboard, as well.

Playing Nathaniel Hagan, the owner and operator of a hotel/saloon in Independence, Texas, Sheppard leans into some of his biggest strengths as an actor to craft a "P.T. Barnum meets Richard Branson"-type character, as he puts it. Hagan was one of the best parts of the show (which sadly only ran for a single season), and Sheppard had a blast making it. "Jared is one of my favorite people on the planet and there's never a reason to say no to him," he told Metacritic in 2022. "I love the man with all my heart. Always have, always will. Same with Jensen [Ackles], same with Misha [Collins], same with so many ["Supernatural"] people. Any opportunity to play in the sandbox with my friends is the greatest opportunity ever."

Back in 2009, right around the time he first stepped into the limelight as Crowley, Mark A. Sheppard contributed his trademark voice to the first-person shooter video game "The Conduit." The game did well enough to warrant a sequel (Nintendo Life gave it a score of 7/10 and IGN rated it at 8.6), but Sheppard only worked on the original. He plays the protagonist, Agent Michael Ford, alongside his father, William Morgan Sheppard, who plays Ford's mentor.

For a long time, this was Sheppard's only detour into the world of video games, and it didn't seem likely that we'd ever get another game character voiced by our favorite TV demon again. Fast-forward to 2020, when Sheppard once again lent his vocal talents to a first-person shooter: "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War." Sheppard plays ex-MI6 agent Roman "Knight" Gray, a member of Perseus' inner circle. He proved so popular as a character that he later appeared in "Call of Duty: Warzone" as the primary antagonist and again in "Call of Duty: Mobile." While it's unclear if Sheppard will voice Knight in any future "Call of Duty" installments, it would be a crying shame if he didn't reprise the role in some capacity in the future.

Mark A. Sheppard hasn't been particularly active in the television world since leaving "Supernatural," and the most likely reason for this is that he has been busy with his young family. In November 2015, Sheppard married Sarah Louise Sheppard (née Fudge) and a private ceremony was held the following year to celebrate, with many of Sheppard's "Supernatural" co-stars in attendance. Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Alaina Huffman, Rob Benedict, and Sebastian Roché were reportedly among the stars on the guest list.

At the time, fans wondered why it took Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard so long to celebrate with their family and friends, but the mystery would soon be solved. "On March 1st, 2016 we welcomed a daughter, Isabella Rose, into our family," Sheppard told E! News, explaining that it was only afterward that they were able to have the ceremony they wanted with family and friends. Mrs. Sheppard took to Instagram to celebrate, writing, "So after a year of actual marriage & one baby later we finally got to have a wedding! And it was a bloody great one!"

Unfortunately, Mark A. Sheppard and his father didn't get the chance to share the screen for a fourth time. After an impressive career that spanned six decades, William Morgan Sheppard died in January 2019 at the age of 86. The actor was well-known to "Star Trek" fans, having appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Voyager," and a couple of "Star Trek" movies. He was also in the Civil War epic "Gettysburg" and Michael Bay's "Transformers," playing the great-great-grandfather of Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky. His final televised role was in TNT's "The Librarians" in 2016.

After his death, Mark A. Sheppard took to social media to let fans know the news. "We went to spend some time with my father today," he said on Instagram, recounting his final moments with his dad. "Though he couldn't speak, we held hands, he laughed and was so happy to see us. We left and came home. A good day. He was rushed to hospital and passed at 6:30pm, my mother by his side." Sheppard received plenty of love and support from fans in the comments, some of whom reflected on his dad's time on "Star Trek," "SeaQuest," and "Doctor Who."

A few years later, on Michael Rosenbaum's "Inside of You" podcast, Mark A. Sheppard reflected further on his father's death, noting that sometimes it feels like yesterday and other times it feels like a decade has gone by. "But it's not tragic, there's nothing tragic about it," he said. "When I think of my dad, I think of really positive things, I think of fun things."

Conventions are a big deal nowadays, with people coming from all over the world to see their favorite film and TV stars in the flesh. Many genre shows have found new life through these mass gatherings, with "Supernatural" being no exception. Actors from the hit CW series have been frequenting different cons for years, and "Supernatural" panels are often among the biggest draws for attendees. As such, it isn't at all surprising that — even after his character was unceremoniously killed off — Mark A. Sheppard has continued to appear at these events.

Since Crowley's death, Sheppard has made appearances at nearly 70 different fan conventions, including "Supernatural Official Convention 2017" and, more recently, "Salute to Supernatural – Atlanta 2023." It's clear that while there may be some hard feelings between Sheppard and the showrunners after the way things panned out, that has never extended to the actor's love for the fans, who have always stuck by the King of Hell's side. Of course, Sheppard often talks about more than just "Supernatural" during his convention appearances, with fans of "Doom Patrol" and "Battlestar Galactica" always keen to hear his stories.

Plenty of members of the "Supernatural" cast have formed their own bands over the years. Jensen Ackles headlines Radio Company; Richard Speight Jr. has been part of several bands; and Rob Benedict is the lead singer of the indie rock outfit Louden Swain, which he co-founded back in 1997. Mark A. Sheppard is also part of this musically-inclined group of cast members — he's an accomplished drummer who has toured with the likes of Hanoi Rocks and Light a Big Fire. In fact, for a long time he thought of himself as a musician first and an actor second.

In 2023, Creation Entertainment (a company that puts on conventions for fans of genre movies and television) held an event for "Supernatural" fans. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki both attended, and Rob Benedict's Louden Swain served as the house band. This in itself was a real treat for those in attendance, but it got even better when Mark A. Sheppard joined the band on stage to play the drums on their song "Next to the Light." According to a review from the music blog Pop Passion, it was one of the highlights of the show. "Seeing Sheppard jamming on stage seemed to be a fan-favorite moment during the concert, causing some audience members to give a standing ovation after his entrance."

This wasn't the first time that Sheppard played with Benedict's band at a convention. Back in 2015, the Brit joined Louden Swain on stage at the Salute to Supernatural convention in Houston, and he wasn't the only special guest: Richard Speight Jr., Matt Cohen, Gil McKinney, Sebastian Roche, and Mark Pellegrino also played with Benedict that night, making it a gig to remember for "Supernatural" lovers.