‘Supernatural’ alumna Alona Tal says juggling work and motherhood is ‘challenging’, ‘sacrifices’ include missing conventions
The last time Alona Tal, who played Jo Harvelle on 'Supernatural', attended a fan convention, it was 2016. Tal spoke to MEA Worldwide (MEAWW) about disappearing from the Con circuit. "The last convention [I attended] was when I was pregnant. So, it's been a minute." It was during a 'Supernatural' panel, on October 23, 2016, that she first went public with her pregnancy, sharing her good news with fans who had come to see her. She gave birth to her daughter, Charlie, on March 7 the next year.
Since then work and motherhood have sucked up most of her time. "It's challenging. Part of you is always sacrificing for another part of you [to exist]. So when I'm at work, I want to be with my kid. When I'm with my kid, I'm dying to go do something else," Tal revealed.
"On one hand, there is an instinctive need as a mother to make sure she is eating well, sleeping well, that she is dressed well," she explained, saying that the worries that come with being a mother meant that she can no longer allow herself "to fully enjoy the work experience" like she used to. "But if I didn't have the ability to go work, I would dwindle and die. All of it comes with a lot of sacrifices, a lot of judgment - mainly self-directed. Being a grown-up is hard."
But despite the constraints on her time, Tal said: "I'd be excited and very very happy to come to the conventions again. The only thing is that now that I have a family, they just have to make it worth my while to step away from my family."
She also demurred saying that since she hasn't been on "the show for quite some time", there were lots of "new faces" that the fans probably wanted to meet face-to-face instead. 'Supernatural' fans might disagree with her. After all, when Samantha Ferris (who played Jo's mother, Ellen Harvelle on the show) made an appearance at the Las Vegas 'Supernatural' convention last year, fans were over the moon with excitement.
They might have the same reaction to Alona Tal showing up at the next convention. As the show heads into its final season, a final reunion of fan favorites, present and past, at the convention could be just what the doctor ordered during the inevitable mid-season "Hellatus."
'Supernatural' Season 15 will premiere on The CW October 10. The season will consist 20 episodes and will air on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. (ET).