Kim Manners

From Super-wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Kim with Jared and Jensen after the prank he pulled on them in 2.06 No Exit.

On how he got involved in Supernatural

David Nutter, who directed the pilot is a good friend, he did Season One of X-Files and he called and asked if I would do a favor and come in and do one episode. Cause I was kind of semi-retired after X-Files. Very semi-retired. And I came in and did a show called Dead in the Water, enjoyed myself. I fell in love with Jan and Dean or is it Sam and Dean? I was driving home and they called me if I wanted to come on as a part of the team and I turned around and here I am.

– Kim Manners, William S. Paley Television Festival 2006

Kim Manners was a director and executive producer on Supernatural. He directed 1.03 Dead in the Water and following this, Kim was asked to come on board as an executive producer, running the production in Vancouver. Kim directed 17 episodes of Supernatural before his death in 2009.

Impact on Supernatural

Kim describes his role on Supernatural

I took over for David Nutter, when David left the pilot. Now that I'm here, I'm working with Eric (Kripke) and Bob (Singer). I'm directing. I'm giving the show a certain look. I'm the guy who works with the guest directors (as we call them). I make sure I talk to them, go through their homework with them, scout locations with them, help them cast. So yeah, there are certain advantages to having a producing director on a show.

– Kim Manners, Source

Kim Manners had a long career in television starting on series such as Charlie's Angels and 21 Jump Street. He became widely known among fans for his many years of work as a director and producer on The X-Files.

There is no doubt Manners shaped Supernatural in many ways from his influence on the culture of the crew in Vancouver, to his creative input as director. The accolades from everyone who worked with him, from crew through actors to showrunners, reflected a man who worked hard but always made sure those around him enjoyed their work. Both Jared and Jensen often quote Kim's line "We spend way too much time with each other not to enjoy each others' company."

Kim Manners on the set of 1.03 Dead in the Water.
‎

Philosophy about work

We spend way too much time with each other not to enjoy each others' company.

– Kim Manners,

When Jensen Ackles directed for the first time on 6.04 Weekend at Bobby's he attributed much of what he brought to the task from what he'd learned from Manners. He also related that in the first season of the show, Manners said to him "You’re gonna direct one of these... I said, ‘Oh, OK, Kim. Yeah, sure.’ He said, ‘You will. And when you do that, I’ll be right there.’

On a more personal level, Jensen related at Salute to Supernatural San Francisco 2011 a story of Kim looking after him in the first season when he had tonsillitis.

Director of:

On the lack of recognition for genre TV shows

"I directed 53 episodes of The X-Files and never had a nomination for an Emmy. We won 2 Golden Globes, we were never nominated for best drama Emmy. The people that run the TV industry truly think that this is just Sci-Fi nonsense," he says. "Today, if you’re not doing Desperate Housewives or some stupid legal show or a guy with a cane who’s running a hospital, you don’t have a ‘great’ show."

– Kim Manners, Source

Kim Manners directs Jensen, while Jared stands in for the part of scary scarecrow in 1.11 Scarecrow.

On filming 1.08 Bugs

And I’ll give it to Kim, he said, “You know what, if you guys do not have bee suits on, I’m not either.” And he went in there in shorts and a t-shirt and a monitor and sat down on a box and directed us from inside the room with bees crawling all over our faces. It’s that kind of relationship with Kim.

– Jensen Ackles, William S. Paley Television Festival

Manners with Ackles on the set of 1.22 Devil's Trap.

About working with Kim on his monologue scene in 2.22 All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two

After reading the script, I went up and sat down with Kim in his office. I said this was the only scene that I wanted to talk to him about. I was like, "What are your plans?" Because he's diligent on his homework -- he's a huge believer in preparation for an episode. So I knew that he had all the shots lined up, and he had the blocking, and he had the blueprints of the room, and everything lined out.


I told Kim, "Look, man, you're going to have to help me out on the scene, because I'm not going to be able to do it over and over and over and over again. Because I won't have it. You're going to start getting repeats after five." So he said, "I've got four different setups." I convinced him to shave it down, and to just use the one close-up that he was going to use. And so, he did. I wound up doing it three full takes in that camera setup. At the end of the day, I think it was maybe about four or five takes, including the other two setups. So, not too bad.

– Jensen Ackles, Source

Kim appeared on the Season 2 DVD doing the episode commentary for 2.01 In My Time of Dying with Jared, Jensen and Cyrus Yavneh.

Kim's prank on Jared and Jensen, involving gallons of freezing water, during the filming of 2.06 No Exit featured in the gag reel on the Season 2 DVD.

On the stars of Supernatural

Let's face it, if they were dogs? Jensen would be Rin Tin Tin and Jared would be Pluto.

– Kim Manners, Season 1 DVD and Blu-ray Commentaries

He also did a special comments piece on 3.01 The Magnificent Seven on the Season 3 DVD.

Screencap from "Bloodlust" of "J. Manners"'s name tag.
Kim with Sera McCormick (Young Lilith) at the Season 3 wrap party.
Manners with Padalecki on the set of 1.22 Devil's Trap.


Illness and Death

Kim on his last location survey in season four. This tree is now known as Kim's memorial tree.
Screen cap of the dedication of Season Four.

On the death of Kim Manners

Everyone at Supernatural is walking around in a daze, shocked and absolutely devastated. Kim was a brilliant director; more than that, he was a mentor and friend. He was one of the patriarchs of the family, and we miss him desperately. He gave so much to Supernatural, and everything we do on the show, now and forever, is in memory of him.

– Eric Kripke, Source

Kim was diagnosed with lung cancer as the fourth season started filming and the last episode he directed was 4.04 Metamorphosis in late 2008. He died on 25 January 2009 in Los Angeles.

The Manners family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The American Cancer Society in memory of Kim. Supernatural fans on Livejournal donated $1,650 to the The American Cancer Society within a week of his death. (See also Charity Projects).

On the death of Kim Manners

It is with extraordinarily heavy heart that I report the death last night,

Jan. 25, of my friend Kim Manners. I first met Kim when he directed me in an episode of The X-Files, for which he was a major figure in the appeal of that show, its look, style, and movement. I thought, in that few days, that I had found one of the great directors I'd ever worked with, and a mensch of the first order. Little did I know.

Several years later, I ended up with a recurring role on Supernatural, where Kim was both an executive producer and a principal director. I have never had such fun working with a director, and Kim became a dear friend. He was the willing butt of the enormous humor on that set, most of it from the two leads, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who delighted in tormenting him, and he was as good at giving it as taking it. He was an AMAZING director, who knew everything I can imagine a director might need or want to know about directing television. And he was one of the very best people, one of the very best friends, a person might ever want to have. His illness since the beginning of this, Supernatural's fourth season, has cast a pall over the show for months now, and every time I have appeared on the show this season, someone has broken down in tears in discussing Kim's health or how much we missed him.

I will go to my grave regretting the very real opportunities I missed in connecting with him these last few months. Take a lesson from one who let a dear friend down badly. My only excuse is that I, like all who knew him, never believed anything could take him down. I loved him dearly, and I hope he knows that.
"All right, now, KICK IT IN THE ASS! ACTION!!"

Rest in peace, chum.

– Jim Beaver, Source

After his death, a number of tributes appeared:

  • The episode 4.15 Death Takes a Holiday ended with slides dedicating Season Four to Manners, ending with a slide that said simply "We miss you, Kim".
  • 4.19 Jump the Shark: Sam and Dean were staying at a hotel called Kelsey Manor. A display card in the room advertising happy hour at the Sonny Bono lounge features a pic of a mustached Kim Manners. There were also upside down "KM" carved into the wooden paddle parts of the room divider in the motel room.
  • At the Salute to Supernatural L.A. 2009 Jensen and Jared mentioned that in honor of Kim the crew had undertaken a mustache growing competition.
  • 5.10 Abandon All Hope...: Ellen's parting words to Dean are "Kick it in the ass!" - a deliberate use according to Sam Ferris, of Kim's signature line.
In 5.22 Swan Song, the tape Dean loads into the cassette deck in the Impala as he drives into Stull Cemetery to face Lucifer and help Sam, is labeled with Manners' signature line "Kick it in the ass!"
Dean: I know I have expressed some differences of opinion regarding this particular version of Supernatural. But tonight, is all about Marie's vision, this is Marie's Supernatural. So I want you to get out there and I want you stand as close as she wants you to, and I want you to put as much sub into text as you possible can. There is no other road, no other way, no day but today.
Maeve: Did he just quote Rent?
Marie: Not enough to get us in trouble.
Dean: Now you get out there and kick it in the ass!
  • 10.17 Inside Man: In Bobby's letter he urges Sam to "... stay safe, keep fighting and kick it in the ass!"
  • 12.22 Who We Are: As Jody heads off with Sam to fight the British Men of Letters, Alex gives her some encouragement.
Alex: And Jody?
Jody: I'll be careful. I promise.
Alex: Not what I was going to ask. Kick it in the ass!
  • 15.20 Carry On: Sam and Dean park in front of the Kim Manner's Memorial Tree while they are going through John's Journal.

Kim Rhodes said it was suggested to insert the phrase by her driver Ted.

Banners celebrating the 100th episode, the recent People's Choice Awards win and a tribute to Manners with his trademark Kick it in the ass!

At the 100th episode party, on Saturday January 30th, the cast and crew of Supernatural celebrated the 100th episode of the series, including an unfurling of 3 banners, one of which was a tribute to Kim.

At the Salute to Supernatural San Francisco 2011 in January 2011, Clif Kosterman reported that the Supernatural Studios in Burnaby, Vancouver had officially be named in honor of Kim. )Source).

On the death of Kim Manners

Kim had a blazing intensity that inspired everyone -- writers, producers, actors and crew. "Kick it in the [expletive]!" he'd say to us. And "I love you," really meaning it. As long as he'd been a director, he never lost his passion for his work... Kim was an incredible force of life. It is hard for me to believe or accept that he is gone.

– Frank Spotnitz, Source

When the X-Files returned for a 6 episode season in 2016, a tribute to Kim was included in the third episodes. Read about the details of the tribute here.

Tributes

External links

Clips, Articles and Interviews

Retrieved from "http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Kim_Manners&oldid=198337"