Today is Misha Collins’ birthday, so we’re celebrating by telling some of our favorite moments – either ones we’ve experienced with Misha himself at a convention, his work through Random Acts and GISH, and why we love him.
Read some of those moments from our staff below!
Kayla:
Its not often that you can say an actor on a television show has had a real and lasting impact on your life. But, I can definitely say that about Misha.
On a whim in 2016 I decided to sign up for my first ever GISHWHES. I was looking for a no-pressure team and stumbled upon a group looking for new members. Two years later, I count these people among my closest friends and I was fortunate enough to meet a good number of them in 2017 at a Supernatural convention.
Another direct impact Misha has made on my life, is through charity and activism. It’s not always easy for me to find ways to help or give back, but Misha does so much of that, it’s not hard to follow his lead. And what’s so remarkable about the things that Misha does is he finds ways for others to get involved, and uses the power of the Supernatural fandom for good. Thanks to Misha, I’ve been able to save acres of rainforests, help Syrian refugees, and help build a high school.
Being a fan of Misha has definitely made me a bit weirder, a bit braver, and most importantly a bit kinder. Happy birthday, Misha. I hope today is as wonderful as you are.
Emily:
The first time I sat down to watch Supernatural from beginning to end, I was terrified. Season one, when you are only fourteen, is really scary! I got about halfway through before deciding it was too much. When I wanted to try again, I decided to skip ahead a few seasons, and I thought, “When does that angel show up? He seems awesome.” So I skipped ahead to season 4. I realize that is a tad unconventional, but I am honestly not sure if I would have fallen in love with the show in the same way had I not started with Misha there. There is something about Misha’s portrayal of Castiel – the head tilts, the deadpan comedy, his growth over time with the Winchesters, that brings a relatability to a celestial character, and I admire it greatly.
Along with his acting, Misha puts so much good out into the world. From GISH to RandomActs to voting campaigns, kindness radiates effortlessly from him, and it is truly inspirational. I hope that today, on his birthday, he feels some of that kindness back – from his family, from us, on Twitter, just from the world. His devotion to kindness and making the world a better place is remarkable and he is someone I truly aspire to be like. From the bottom of my heart, Happy Birthday, Misha. May it be a magical one.
Brianna:
Like many, I was first introduced to Misha Collins through Supernatural. I found myself both entertained by the character Castiel and mesmerized by Misha’s wide range of acting abilities as I binged 11 season of the show. As I dove deeper into the fandom however, it became pretty clear how special Misha really is.
GISHWHES, now GISH, was my first introduction to Misha outside the show and it was a wild one. It brought me closer to several of my friends as well as helping me make new friendships through joint efforts to bring more joy and kindness to the world. I also found myself in GISHWHES, I felt more alive in that week than I had in some time and I know countless others feel the same.
Misha’s selfless nature is evident in his founding of Random Acts, how much time he gives each year to raise money for worthy causes, and his constant online positivity in a world where it is much easier to complain than show compassion. His vibrant personality has inspired thousands, including myself, to do what they can to make the world a better, more caring place.
Additionally, his poetry skills are right up there with the best of them. It takes but one Google search to prove his talents with the written word. We are lucky to have such a multitalented actor, carpenter, father, activist, and poet on this planet.
Happy birthday Misha! May your day be as wonderful, amazing and inspiring as you!
Kari:
Misha Collins is a wonderful human being. The way he engages with young people to get involved in politics is truly inspiring. He goes beyond the normal celebrity activism of saying a few words in support of a candidate that he likes, by making speeches, knocking on doors and phone-banking.
My favorite Misha moment was at the Toronto Supernatural convention in 2017. I asked him what his favorite Queen song was and he said “Bohemian Rhapsody”. He then asked me the same question and I replied with “You and I”. He told me I was wrong. It was honestly one of the best and funniest moments of my life.
Happy birthday, Misha! Thank you for everything you do and may you have many more wonderful birthdays.
Nicole:
I found out about Misha Collins around 4 years ago. I was on Pinterest and there was a really cute SPN/Frozen crossover meme. That meme caused me to start watching Supernatural and to start researching who this angel, Castiel, was. This led me to Misha Collins, which then led me to getting more involved with charities through Random Acts and flexing my fundraising muscles again. It also helped me to re-embrace the extroverted side of myself.
I started doing Gish, the hunt formerly known as GISHWHES, and stepping more and more outside of my comfort zone. Misha helped me to find myself again, when I didn’t know if that would ever be possible. He encourages everyone to dig deep and never let anyone tell you that you can’t, most of all yourself. He speaks up for what he believes in, even if it’s not a popular opinion.
He’s witty, intelligent, well-spoken, sweet and caring no matter if this is the first time he’s meeting you, or the 100th time. He makes sure that if he’s talking to you, you have his attention and he shows us all how we can help to fix the world. How even one person doing something kind, can really make a difference.
Thank you Misha, for all of the amazing things you have done and I hope that you’re day is as amazing as you are. Stay weird!!! xoxo
Ciree:
I remember the first time I stumbled upon Misha Collins. I was on Pinterest and found a post with a picture of dollar bills that had written on them “Are you Misha Collins?” followed by another picture of a man with those dollar bills held up to his face with “You know this is a federal offense, right?” under it. I was intrigued by this. Why would someone write this on money because of this Misha Collins person?
It’s been just over 2 years since that day and I’m so thankful for it! Because of Misha Collins I have helped with charity, participated in GISH, become more involved in politics, and found some of my very best friends.
Misha has done everything he can to make the world a better place. He is a true force for good. He brings people together with Gish, a global scavenger hunt. He helps institute positive change in the world with his charity, Random Acts. He is constantly interacting with his fans, which makes them feel included and involved. He has managed to figure out how to use fandom as a force for good. He accepts everyone for who they are. He encourages people to be weird and break from the norm. Basically, Misha is doing everything he can to make the world a better place!
Happy Birthday Misha, I hope you have the most amazing day!
Melanie:
Misha brings so much light into this world! He works so hard to make this world a better place. It’s awe-inspiring to watch, and I think it sparks something in all of us to do our part to do good and save this planet, even in the smallest of ways. He may play one of our favorite angels on TV, but with all the charitable acts and lives he’s saved, I think Misha’s the real angel.
Every moment is my favorite of his. Every tweet, video, episode and every random act of kindness becomes my favorite. Every GISH where he surely drives us all bonkers in the best way possible. It creates memories I’ll never forget. Whenever asked for a favorite quote, the quotes are always Misha’s.
To the most inspirational and kindest soul on this planet, you deserve the happiest of birthdays, Misha Collins!
Sarah:
Not only is Misha a wonderful actor, he is a passionate activist, loving family man, supportive friend, comedian and a kind soul which we get to see through his many philanthropic endeavours.
Even though during GISH we may curse him, there is no denying that he brings a strong positive presence to this world. To see that, you just have to look at all the good that comes out of Random Acts, getting people to register to vote, speaking up about politics, making people laugh, cooking with his children or when he is reminding us to treat each other with kindness.
Those are my favourite moments when I get to see him doing something that he believes in by using his platform to get us involved and seeing the impact that Misha has had on this fandom and the earth.
Happy Birthday, Misha I hope you have a great day surrounded by loved ones. Thank you for all you do.
Happy Birthday, Misha! From all of your friends at Nerds and Beyond.
One celebrity guest at the convention was Mark Sheppard. His Q&A took place on Friday evening in one of the smaller panel rooms. For a while he spoke with the moderator, Devin Pike, about his family, his passions, and his work on Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, and of course, Supernatural. Later in the panel, audience members lined up to ask questions about various shows he had worked on. (In fact, the end of the panel had come but Sheppard continued to answer everyone’s questions until the line ended.) You can find an almost complete live tweet of the panel 
The heart of the convention was the expo hall. At over 200,000 square feet, the expo hall was where vendors, artists, and a whole community of nerds were able to meet, explore, and express their passions. One way many did this was through cosplay. Cosplay, or the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game, was abundant throughout the convention and featured characters from everything from Harry Potter to the Mario franchise to actual Iron Man suits. Many also came in group cosplays, such as attendee Kate and her dad, Matt, who came as Pennywise and Georgie from the Steven King novel and 2017 film, It. A first time attendee of any convention, Kate and her father focused their time on photo ops with guests such as William Shatner, Paul Reubens, and Brent Spiner, as well as shopping for comics:
