Supernatural fans were definitely unsure when Genevieve Cortese took over the role of Ruby from previous actress Katie Cassidy.  Sure Supernatural writers were able to cover the actress switch by simply explaining it as the demon changed host bodies, but Supernatural fans tend to be a little more cynical. 

TV Guide recently sat down with Genevieve to talk about her taking over the role and even has a little scoop for us about tonight's episode (spoiler alert: it's the last question).

Did you bother to take any cues from the previous Ruby, Katie Cassidy? Or did you figure the character would simply be who you make her to be?
Cortese: It's funny, because when I auditioned for Supernatural it was for "a love interest." I didn't know I was going to be playing Ruby until I got the job. I was handed DVDs of what Katie did, and at first it was a little funky trying to step into what she did. I was conflicted over where Ruby is now versus where she's come from....

The fans seemed to pick up on that right away — "Something is different about Ruby. Is it simply a new actress playing her, or something more?"
Cortese: If you look at Katie's last episode, you see that while Ruby's not responsible for Dean going to hell, she does have some guilt about it. I wanted to use some of that, though not as a sympathy card. After all, if people don't like her, they don't like her. She is a demon. But I wanted to address questions like, "Why are the boys hanging out with her? What do they need her for at this point?" It's not like she is kicking ass; she's asking Sam to kick ass for her, so it's kind of a mutual exchange. I almost feel like, deep down, she's really in love with Sam. One of the lines in [last week's episode] is, "I used to be human, and I still remember what it feels like." Maybe she was being manipulative, sure, but maybe there's also truth to it.

More questions after the jump!

Lately, fans seem to be more accepting of Ruby. Why do you think that is?
Cortese: Probably because you now can see where she's come from. I didn't walk in going, "I'm going to kick everyone's ass and be tough," so it was a total 180 from [how she was] last season. It's difficult to watch your favorite show and have a character suddenly be different, so I can totally see how people would be angry. Now they've been able to see what happened in the last six months.

Will this week's episode, the last before the break, leave us with a big cliffhanger? [Supernatural returns with new episodes Jan. 15.]
Cortese: I don't know if there will be a cliffhanger like there was [last week], but there will be parts where they cut to commercial and you'll go, "What?!" Anna [the young woman who can hear angels] goes through some major stuff, and you really get to see her inner struggle. It's a great contrast between the two of us, because we're both in these places where we have to make decisions for the boys. Both of us sacrifice a lot, and I think that will get the fans very excited.

You can read the rest of the interview at TV Guide.

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