Jared Padalecki Secures First TV Role Following Surprising Walker Cancellation

Jared Padalecki has found his next project!

The actor, 42, will appear in the third season of CBS Earth of fire as a guest, PEOPLE can confirm. This news comes just three months after The CW hit Walker, restarting Walker, Texas Ranger with Padalecki in the lead role, was cancelled.

Deadline was the first to publish the news.

Padalecki will play Camden, “a SoCal firefighter and maverick with the swagger of a surfer who is a force to be reckoned with and immediately recognizes Bode’s (Max Thieriot) raw talent,” in three episodes.

Jared Padalecki gets ‘brutally honest’ about The CW afterwards Walker Ends: ‘Can’t fire me again’

Jared Padalecki. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Earth of fire follows a young convict named Bode, played by creator Max Thieriot, who joins a firefighting program on his release from prison to work with the local station to fight dangerous forest fires. His mission of redemption comes to a head when he is assigned a job in his hometown of Edgewater, Northern California, where his life fell apart five years ago.

In addition to Thieriot, the series also stars Stephanie Arcila, Billy Burke, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer.

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The Supernatural alum announced the cancellation Walker on Instagram on May 21.

“It’s definitely tough news, but we’re SO thankful for the #WalkerFamily that’s been built, both on and off the set,” added the actor, who also executive produced the series.

“It was a unique honor to be a part of the cast and crew (and fandom!) that helped #Walker tell the stories we told. I will forever smile at the years I spent with the cast, crew and studio and network and fans who made it all made it possible. Until we ride again 🤠❤️”

Padalecki, who also appeared in gilmore girls, openly talks about the shocking ending Walker after the series finale aired in June. In an interview with diversity, he said he can sense potential failure when changes occur within the network.

“I feel like The CW I was a part of last year is not the CW I was a part of below [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year streak [that I worked with the network]”, he said.

Walker, Texas Ranger Reboot with Jared Padalecki canceled on CW after 4 seasons

Jared Padalecki. Sergey Bahlakov / The CW

He also explained that he was told they were “going in a different direction” and moving away from scripted television.

“They’re just changing the network, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, ‘Here’s something fun for an hour that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you’ll watch it. And it’s cheap!’ Padalecki told the newspaper.

“And I hate to say it, but I’m just being honest,” he continued. “I mean, f— that. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really simple, cheap content to fill the time.”

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Source: HIS Education