Most serious actors turn to the television medium looking for an opportunity to evolve a character, grow as a thespian and, naturally, obtain a steady paycheck. In the case of Kristin Kreuk, who is preparing for her third season playing Lana Lang on Smallville (while also co-starring on the Canadian teen soap opera Edgemont), she’s three for three.

When she was introduced on the series, Lana was a bit difficult to figure out. Her parents had been killed by kryptonite meteorites accompanying the arrival of Clark Kent’s spacecraft on earth, and she was raised by her aunt and spent most of her life doing all of the things that she was supposed to do, though not necessarily the things she wanted to.

But now that Smallville has presented two seasons’ worth of stories, Kreuk’s character has revealed herself to be on the road to self-discovery — gaining self-recognition and deciding what she wants out of life.

“Lana is coming into herself more,” says the actress. “She’s trying to find out who she truly is, beyond the cheerleading, beyond the popularity, beyond the outgoingness. She’s discovering, as any teenager does, slowly who she is, and it’s coming off quite nicely. That’s something I’m really happy with. She’s a great character.”

August 2003 : Femme Fatales Magazine