It is no trick: Richard Speight, Jr. has captured the hearts of Supernatural fans from all over the world.

When Speight first appeared in the Season 2 episode Tall Tales as a university janitor later revealed to be the Trickster, he was pure magic on screen. The Trickster penchant for giving egomaniacal people their just desserts while indulging his own sweet tooth held viewer interest. Returning in the Season 3 episode Mystery Spot cemented our love for the character. This episode could have easily been cast in a cloud of darkness with Dean Winchester dying over and over and over again. But the writers managed to mine the humor. Speight rose to the challenge of skillfully handling both the comedy and drama.

It wasn’t until the Season 5 meta masterpiece (and fan favorite) episode Changing Channels that The Trickster’s secret identity was uncovered: He was the archangel Gabriel. Once again, Speight delivered another stellar performance.

Gabriel was killed by his brother Lucifer in the episode Hammer of the Gods. Later, the character was resurrected in the episode Meta Fiction.

Viewers are still left to ponder the question of whether Gabriel is really dead. Regardless, death never kept a good Supernatural character down. Here’s hoping that we see Richard Speight, Jr. make an encore appearance in Season 12!

Today, September 4th, is Richard Speight, Jr. ‘s birthday. I send my best wishes for him to enjoy his special day with family and friends.