Posted in: TV | Tagged: michael rosenbaum, smallville

Smallville: Rosenbaum on Lex Luthor Psychology, Animated Series Update

Michael Rosenbaum (The Talented Farter) discussed his Smallville legacy, the animated series' future, other Lex Luthor takes, and more.

To say Michael Rosenbaum will forever be grateful for his time as Lex Luthor on the WB's Smallville would be an understatement, as the actor admits the role "put him on the map." That's not to say he didn't have his share of problems with his departure after seven seasons. Still, he returned for the series finale in season 10, even if we had the McGuffin of how his relationship with Clark Kent (Tom Welling) and knowing his secret being Superman didn't matter in the end. Both stars are cognizant of the Alfred Gough and Miles Millar-created series' lingering impact in not only Superman lore, but also pop culture history enough that the foursome are willing to revisit the series in animated form. While promoting his latest children's book, The Talented Farter, the Inside of You host spoke to Bleeding Cool about why diving into Lex Luthor takes the kind of understanding most might not be familiar with and how fortunate he was to forge that path to explore his motivations in Smallville, if he has any favorite live-action Lexes since him, and the future of his and Welling's animated Smallville series since it was put off due to James Gunn's Superman in 2025.

Smallville Star Michael Rosenbaum on Providing Depth on Lex Luthor, Other Lexes, and Animated Series Sequel Future

Regarding Lex Luthor, is there a take on the character that you'd like to see that hasn't been explored yet?

That's a tough one. I have thoughts about that, but ultimately, if you don't know anything about the character's past or don't know why he became evil, then to me, you're missing the special sauce and the ingredients. That's what is most important to me. I knew I was playing a character, we were going to delve into his past, his childhood, his relationship with his father, and with other people. We saw him evolve, and I thought that's what was interesting. I thought the creators (behind Smallville, Al (Gough) and Miles (Millar) did a terrific job, and that's why people liked what I did, because I had the opportunity to be likable, lovable, and be understood, and then I turned. You know why I did, and to me, that's the best villain. When you see different layers, that's all I'll say about that. There have been some great actors to play Lex, but I think that's the most important thing to me, and I had the luxury of having years to develop and become the ultimate villain.

Do you have any rankings of the best live-action Lexes?

I always like Gene Hackman (from Richard Donner's Superman from 1978), because that's what I grew up with. I love Nicholas Hoult (James Gunn's Superman from 2025), who was fantastic, and he's a great actor. He was on my podcast, and he's coming back on the podcast. I think every actor gave it their all, and they were all great. Michael Cudlitz (Superman & Lois) and Jon Cryer (Supergirl) did a great job. They're all great in their own way, and I did my best. I played the character for seven years; some think I was the best, and I'm honored. My favorite was Gene Hackman, because of the nostalgia, but again, I think Nicholas Hoult killed it.

I know that you guys had to put that animated Smallville reunion series on the back burner. Is it something that's paused indefinitely, or is it something that might be revisited down the line? What can you say about that?

I would say the Smallville animated series that I created, and we have Al and Miles, creators of Smallville, who are in, and Tom Welling. We want to do it, and it's just got to be the right timing. Right now, I'm not sure it is, but we'll see. I think it will happen at some point, but I don't know when. I wish I had an oracle, but I hope it comes to fruition.

Michael, I want to thank you very much for your time. I love your work, and you have some of the best interviews in the podcast sphere.

Oh, thanks, man. We got some great ones, so keep watching. I got William H. Macy, Jared Harris, Ed Bagley, Brian Austin Green, Jameela Jamil, Ron Perlman, Zachary Quinto, and Krysten Ritter coming back. It's going to be great, so keep listening.

The Talented Farter is available in bookstores. New episodes of Inside of You air on Tuesdays. Smallville is available to stream currently on Hulu.

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