With Supernatural's midseason finale next week, it's been revealed that actor Gil McKinney has been cast as an important character for season 8.
According to The Huffington Post, McKinney will appear in episode 12, called "As Time Goes By," that deals with time travel and a man that is transported to present day. That man, who McKinney will play, goes by the name Henry Winchester, as in Sam and Dean's paternal grandfather.
"This is a [man] we knew nothing about, because he was never involved in our lives or the lives of people that were involved directly with us. It’s kind of getting some insight into the life and the legacy of the Winchesters, which is something that we as characters never really knew," Jensen Ackles explained.
McKinney has previously appeared on Friday Night Lights and Grey's Anatomy, reports Yahoo TV.
"And we found out about the Campbells. We knew their mom, kind of knew her business, and so it’s interesting to see from a Winchester perspective what happened, and learn a little bit more about our father," Jared Padalecki continued.
"As Time Goes By" is set to air in late January.