<P> For Azazel's first full appearance on the series in "Devil's Trap", the writers initially could not decide which Winchester--Sam, Dean, or John--to have the demon possess . However, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan's busy schedule made them realize that having John kidnapped and possessed, and therefore absent from much of the episode, would be the only practical choice . Noting that the first season focuses on Sam and Dean trying to find both their father and Azazel, series creator Eric Kripke noted that from a storytelling perspective "it had to be" that "they'd find both of them at the same time...in the same body". Though the writers modeled Azazel's personality after Al Pacino's demonic sense of humor in the film The Devil's Advocate, they gave Morgan free rein over the character's mannerisms . Only directed to "be different from John", Morgan changed his voice and mimicked Jack Nicholson's "freaky" speech pattern from The Shining . </P> <P> Morgan's "Nicholson-esque quality" continues with actor Fredric Lehne . Though uncertain of why he was specifically sought out--Lehne chalks it up to his previous working experience with executive producers Kim Manners and Robert Singer--the role was offered to him without an audition . The actor avoided copying Morgan's portrayal, but noted that the writing "lends itself to doing it in a certain way". </P> <P> Since Azazel changes human hosts periodically, Lehne's initial appearance in the second season premiere, "In My Time of Dying", was intended to be a one - time deal . Thoroughly impressed, however, the show runners kept him for the season finale . Despite the character's death, Lehne returned to the role in the sixth season premiere as a hallucination . </P> <P> A dream sequence in "All Hell Breaks Loose" hints at Mary Winchester's connection to Azazel . Although the writers intended to address this in the third season, it was pushed back to the fourth season episode "In the Beginning" due to the 2007--2008 Writers Guild of America strike . </P>

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