Supernatural: Rick Springfield Teases His Season 12 Turn as Lucifer

Below, working class dog, actor and musician Rick Springfield, teases his turn as Lucifer (taking over for Mark Pellegrino and Misha Collins) in the 12th season of Supernatural on The CW. The angel and demon-driven drama series stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Collins, and Mark Sheppard. Springfield says he is looking forward to “playing against type,” in Supernatural season 12, premiering Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 9:00pm ET/PT. Find out what he thinks about the writing and effects, after the jump.

The Australia-native landed his first live-action regular role in 1981, as Dr. Noah Drake on ABC’s General Hospital, right before his single, “Jessie’s Girl,” topped the charts. He left the soap in 1983, but has revisited his character (and played doppelgänger rocker Eli Love) from 2005 to 2007. He also returned for GH‘s 50th anniversary in 2013. Springfield’s other TV series work includes playing himself on Showtime‘s Californication (2009). More recently, he guest starred as Dr. Irving Pitlor in the second season of HBO‘s True Detective.

Here is more about Springfield’s upcoming work on Supernatural season 12, from Billboard:

“I play this rock guy who gets possessed by Lucifer, because Lucifer has just escaped from wherever they put him last season,” Springfield — whose recent small-screen gigs include some eccentric characters on Californication and True Detective — tells Billboard. “He’s always looking for a human host to do this bad stuff to the world, and I happen to be that human host. It’s really fun, well-written. And the effects are insane; the other day I spent two hours in the makeup chair getting ready for this one scene. It’s really incredible stuff.”

Springfield has no qualms about being part of another successful TV series. “I’d heard of the show, but I never realized how big it was,” he says. “I mean, it’s been on for 12 years, and it’s worldwide. It’s got a giant fanbase. Where have I been?”

Lost‘s Mark Pellegrino originated the role of Lucifer during Supernatural‘s fifth season. He first appeared a human named Nick, who agreed to let the fallen angel possess him and use him as his earthly vessel.

Nick was ultimately not strong enough to contain Lucifer, who burned through his body. By the season five finale episode, “Swan Song,” Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) had agreed to serve as the new vessel.

Sam managed to override Lucifer’s control of his body, and jumped through a portal returning the Devil to his cage in Hell and taking the Archangel Michael with him. Michael was possessing the body of the Winchesters’ newly-found half-brother, Adam Milligan (Jake Abel), at the time.

Pellegrino has played Lucifer since then, but only when the character is in Hell, or appearing in a hallucination or dream. When Lucifer was freed from the cage  and returned to earth, to help thwart The Darkness/Amara (Emily Swallow) in season 11, Castiel (Misha Collins) agreed to let him possess his vessel. He was eventually cast out by Amara.

Lucifer’s new human vessel is rock star Vince Vincente (Springfield). During the Supernatural TV series panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2016, Robert Singer, who is the new showrunner along with Andrew Dabb, said “…the first vessel that [Lucifer] feels comfortable with is a rock star who’s a little bit on the down side who’s trying to come back.”

At the time, Dabb said they wanted a real rock star, “who could act,” to play the role. “If you’ve seen Ricki and The Flash or True Detective recently, he’s really great.” Watch it below (the video is cued to the discussion of Springfield as Lucifer on SPN).

What do you think? Are you a Rick Springfield fan? Will you watch him in the 12th season of the Supernatural TV series on The CW? Tell us.