The angel in trench coat

MANILA, Philippines - Angels take in various forms. It could be a friend or stranger who cheers you up or lightens the burden on your shoulders.

In the world of Supernatural, which premieres its season four tonight at 9 on AXN Beyond, Dean and Sam Winchester’s angel is named Castiel played by Misha Collins. Castiel, hands down, is heaven sent but he doesn’t have wings and wears a trench coat. The non-traditional angel looks after the two brothers with another Warrior of God Uriel, who is “militant and more dogmatic” as described by Misha in an interview. Castiel and Uriel are similar to the angel Seth (Nicolas Cage) in the movie City of Angels, who Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan) falls in love with.

“Castiel is not the cherubic type,” says Misha of his character. “He is on the good side, not on the evil side. As the story unfolds, however, the line becomes blurred.”

Does he possess special powers?

“Yes, he can teleport himself anywhere on earth or in heaven,” replies the Massachusetts born actor. “He can’t be killed by demons. He can move objects telepathically and can sense things around him without seeing them. Castiel can send demons back to hell by touching their foreheads.”

Since Castiel is also bound to run after evil elements and engage some brawl in the story, Misha adds he can magically mend his clothes. For instance, when the character is shot and stabbed, his clothes go back to the way they were the following scene.

Portraying an angel on the small screen is something new for Misha, a former White House intern and a poet. He appeared on ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS and CSI: New York, among others.

“This is my first time to play an angel,” shares Misha. “In preparation, I read the Bible and the Revelations. I also tried to imagine what it would be like not to feel emotions. I had much materials and tried to get into the mind of the creator.”

A website says that Misha’s approach to acting is believing in “universal human qualities and that every character is actually available within us. If we tap down into that universal humanness, we can find whatever character it is that we need to play.”

Misha says Supernatural is a great show with an original material. It’s about how angels and demons relate to human beings. Supernatural is a fun to shoot.

Aside from Dean (played by Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padelecki), Castiel has also a fan-base of his own. Misha cites reasons why televiewers adore his character.

“The main reason is, it is a very cool character,” says Misha. “He walks in a shower of sparks and gunfire and he doesn’t even blink. Who wouldn’t want to be like that? Also, he saved Dean from hell. Since all the fans love Dean, it goes without saying that they would like the guy who saved him from damnation.”

Supernatural’s latest season is said to be the most gripping. It will show the impending apocalypse and Dean’s survival. There will be flashbacks on the Winchesters and the dynamics between Sam and Dean are also being tackled.

If Misha had an angel, what would he tell the kind-hearted creature? “If I had an angel sitting on my shoulder,” he replies, “I would probably try to put together a standup routine with him and go on tour.”