Dmitri Tippens Krushnic, better known after his name change as Misha Collins, a man loved for his personalities both on and off the screen, died Thursday Mar. 27. He suffered a heart attack outside his home in Los Angeles after allegedly hearing “Destiel” confirmed for season 10 of “Supernatural.” Family reported he passed with a smile on his face. He was 39.

Collins was born in Boston, Mass., on Aug. 20, 1974 to parents Rebecca Tippens and Richard Krushnic. Though he guest-starred on shows such as “NCIS”, “NYPD Blue”, “CSI”, “Monk”, and “Charmed”, he was best known for his part as the angel Castiel on the TV series “Supernatural” (IMBb.com).

“Once when we were on set for ‘Supernatural’, we found a worm and jokingly told him to eat it,” recalled Jensen Ackles, fellow actor and former co-worker of Collins. “He said, ‘I’m not going to eat it. That’s disgusting. I’m going to wear it as a worm-stache!’”

Before he found his niche in acting, he worked at the White House as an intern during the Clinton Administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel (cwtv.com).
What set Collins apart from the actors of today was his relationship with his fans.  He made a constant effort to relate and communicate with his fan base, whether it was being a regular at conventions, or through his Twitter account.

“Misha Minions” was how Collins affectionately referred to his fans.

When an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, Collins mobilized his fans to donate more than $30,000 to UNICEF for relief. Collins also founded the charity Random Acts, in which he encouraged his “minions” to contribute in any way they can. The slogan for Random Acts is “Conquering the world, one random act of kindness at a time.”

Collins is survived by his wife Victoria Collins, son West Collins and daughter Maison Collins.

A public memorial service was locally held Mon., Apr. 1 from 3 to 6p.m. in lower CC at SMSU.