Genevieve Cortese

Although born in California, she moved with her family to Montana when she was 13, and then to Sun Valley, Idaho. Her first acting job was in a TV commercial for a New York shoe store. Appeared in regional theater, including productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Crimes of the Heart. Was taught by her mother to ride horses, a skill she put to good use in her role as a teen who works with horses on ABC Family's Wildfire. Met her future husband, Jared Padalecki, when she was cast in a recurring role on his sci-fi series Supernatural.