I think we also knew more about Dean because - and this season made it blatant - Dean was Kripke's Westley Crusher.

Oh, and before he was Autolycus, Bruce Campbell made his directorial debut on Xena. (source: If Chins Could Kill - Bruce Campbell's autobiography) He also says the cabin the Evil Dead was filmed in was destroyed in a forest fire and then a bunch of "fans" dismantled the fireplace for souvenirs - one had the audacity to bring a stone to a book signing to have Bruce autograph it.