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Watch Closely Now on 'Smallville'
By Kate O'Hare

Whether they're called Easter eggs, shout-outs or winks, finding a double meaning or a subtle reference in a TV show is one of the best rewards for being a devoted fan. If you don't know what it means, you don't miss it, but if you get the joke, there's a special little frisson of joy unknown to the uninitiated.

With a rich trove of "Superman" lore from DC Comics and feature films to draw upon, The WB's Wednesday-night hit "Smallville" is prone to tossing winks and nods at the audience.

The series stars Tom Welling as Clark Kent, and is set during the Man of Steel's "lost years" as a teen growing up in Smallville, Kansas. On hand are characters from the Superman mythology, including Clark's adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (John Schneider, Annette O'Toole), and Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), currently a pal of Clark's but destined to become his nemesis. And that's only the beginning.

Here's a sampling of some of the fun "Smallville" has been having with its audience over its two-plus seasons. Remember the producers' pledge that during the show's run there would be "no tights and no flights."

Season One:

"Pilot": Clark drops his books, one of which is written by Nietzsche. Fellow student Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) comments, "So what are you, man or Superman?" Lex asks Clark, "Do you believe a man can fly?" -- a play on the promotional slogan for "Superman: The Movie." O'Toole returns to the saga, having played Lana Lang in "Superman III." And for one episode only, the Smallville High School emblem drawn on Clark's chest by bullies looks an awful lot like the big red 'S' on the chest of Superman's eventual red, blue and yellow costume.

As a side note, Clark seems very fond of the aforementioned primary colors.

"Metamorphosis": Lana comments that another character looks completely different without his glasses on (which explains Clark's ability to hide in plain sight).

"Hug": When asked about his future plans, Clark replies, "I don't know, as long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying." Also, Lex says to Clark, "Our friendship will be the stuff of legends."

"Stray": Five for Fighting's song "Superman" plays at the end, which also marks the first time the word "kryptonite" is heard on the series.

"Drone": Class-president candidate Clark stands for "truth, justice and ... other stuff." (Superman stands for "truth, justice and the American way.") His slogan is "Clark Kent -- Man of Tomorrow."

"Crush": At a career fair, Clark is cool to the comment, "I see you in a uniform flying. You ever considered a career in the Air Force?"

"Tempest": A tornado threatens the town, echoing the tornado that set the scene for the "Superman for All Seasons" comic-book miniseries that greatly inspired "Smallville." The miniseries' writer, Jeph Loeb, joined the "Smallville" writing staff in the second season.

Season Two:

"Duplicity": Just after Clark reveals his secret to pal Pete (Sam Jones III), their friend, high-school reporter Chloe (Allison Mack) asks, "Why didn't you tell me about the whole superhero deal?" But she's actually talking about Pete saving a crashed motorist.

"Nocturne": Lana comments, "Clark Kent, man of steel."

"Dichotic": Clark creates a Smallville High "S" in metal shop. When the teacher holds it up, it's centered right in the place on Clark's chest where Superman's emblem will one day be.

"Ryan": Clark goes on a balloon ride to help overcome his fear of heights and flying.

"Insurgence": Clark proves he can leap "tall buildings in a single bound" by hurling himself from the Daily Planet (in its first appearance) to LuthorCorp Plaza. Metropolis detective Maggie Sawyer takes her name from a character in the post-Crisis (after 1986) Superman comics.

"Rush": Chloe briefly learns Clark's secret, but causes laughter by asking him if he can fly.

"Rosetta": Christopher Reeve, who played Superman on the big screen, guest stars as a scientist who learns Clark's secret. Composer Mark Snow also integrates John Williams' movie score into several scenes.

"Exodus": In the season-two finale, a stylized Kryptonian "S" is burned into Clark's chest. Also, doing the voice of Jor-El, Clark's Kryptonian father, is Terence Stamp, who played a villain in "Superman II."

Season Three:

"Exile": In the season premiere, pained by the scar on his chest, Clark rips off his shirt in a Metropolis phone booth, much as Superman does later on. Rutger Hauer makes his debut as crime boss Morgan Edge, who was introduced in the 1970s Superman comics.

"Perry": Michael McKean (O'Toole's husband) guest stars as journalist Perry White, who one day is reporter Clark Kent's boss at the Daily Planet.

"Whisper": Martha warns Clark and Jonathan that they're not supermen; and Clark dons his trademark disguise, glasses, for the first time.

"Delete": Character George "Max" Taylor has the same name as the original editor of the Daily Star newspaper, where Clark Kent worked in early issues of Action Comics. The Star later became the Planet, and White replaced Taylor. Lois Lane, Clark Kent's eventual co-worker and wife, is revealed to be the cousin of Chloe, who uses Lois' name as a pseudonym since her cousin has "no interest in journalism."

No doubt, sharp-eyed fans have found even more, especially now that the series is out on DVD.


The WB Stocks Fall with Four New Comedies, Two Dramas
Tue, May 13, 2003

This season's success of "Everwood" adds another success to The WB's stable of dramas, but the network's quest for a breakout comedy hit continues. The WB's fall schedule finds the network juggling both comedies and dramas trying to find the magic combinations.

Thursday and Friday nights remain the network's comedy focus. Each night features two established shows and two fresh attempts at hilarity. Each night also sees the return of a familiar WB comedy star.

A new show anchors Thursday night, with "Steve Harvey's Big Time" taking the 8 p.m. slot. The variety show marks Harvey's return to the network that was his sitcom home from 1996 to 2002. Executive produced by "Late Show With David Letterman" alum Madeleine Smithberg, Harvey's new effort will focus on real people with extraordinary and humorous gifts. This makes a find lead-in to the third season of "JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," which continues to catch real people with extraordinary and humorous gifts in embarrassing situations.

"What I Like About You" returns for a second season at 9 p.m. and will be followed by "Run of the House," a family comedy from Betsy Thomas ("My So-Called Life"). Starring Joseph Lawrence, Kyle Howard, Sasha Barrese and Margo Harshman, the show centers on a 15-year-old girl raised by her protective older siblings, making it a nice compliment to its similarly themed lead-in.

Friday night is anchored by a third helping of the network's largest current comedy hit, "Reba." At 8:30 p.m., Holly Robinson Peete returns to The WB as a regular for the first time since "For Your Love" in the multi-ethnic laffer "Like Family." Robinson stars as a woman whose stable family life is given a healthy dose of tension when her best friend (Amy Yasbeck) and her 16-year-old son move in.

Following the return of "Grounded for Life," The WB will debut All About the Andersons" at 9:30. The show stars Barbershop" and "Kangaroo Jack" funnyman Anthony Anderson as a struggling actor and single dad who moves back in with his supportive mother (Roz Ryan) and cantankerous dad (John Amos).

"We have assembled the strongest group of comedies on one night in the history of the network," says WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin. "These are four quality comedies with broad appeal, multi-generational points of view and laugh-out-loud chemistry."

The WB's schedule offers only two new dramas, but they're both high profile.

"Smallville" is moving out of its comfy Tuesday night slot to make room for "Fearless," a new drama from Jerry Bruckheimer. Rachel Leigh Cook ("She's All That" ) stars as a 23-year-old FBI agent incapable of feeling fear. "Fearless" will follow season four of "Gilmore Girls."

Related Stories:

  • See the night-by-night schedule for The WB this fall, plus complete descriptions and photos. Check back for video clips.
    (http://tv.zap2it.com/shows/features/features.html?31566)




  • 'Smallville' Sees Double
    Monday, February 24, 2003

    Even in "Smallville," one can dream big.

    When executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar were writing the pilot for The WB's hit series about Clark Kent as a teen, they thought about how wonderful it would be for Christopher Reeve, the Man of Steel in four "Superman" feature films, to guest star. In the episode "Rosetta," airing Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. ET, fans see the producers' dream realized.

    "The first Superman film was very much on our minds," Gough says of creating the series. "And we thought, 'Wouldn't it be great to get Chris Reeve to guest star?' Then it just became a matter of, once the show established itself, we looked for opportunities. We didn't have the right character. And when we were arcing out this character, he seemed perfect for Chris. We were looking for that passing of the torch. Every hero needs a wise man."

    Reeve is that wise man. He knows his role as billionaire astrophysicist Dr. Swann does not represent a return to his former alter ego, but rather a boost for the next generation, and that his place in the pantheon of Supermen remains secure.

    Talking late one night from Sydney, Australia, where he's the keynote speaker at a forum on paralysis, Reeve speaks as seriously and intellectually about Superman as he does about stem-cell research and politics.

    "I think he is an essential part of our culture and our mythology," Reeve says of the man from Krypton. "He is a friend, and he is an unassuming hero, and I also think the fact that he is both awkward and a shy newspaper reporter makes him like everybody else. And yet he has another identity, this larger-than-life superhero. Sometimes we feel like Clark Kent, and sometimes, if we are lucky, we feel like Superman."

    "It's just been an American icon since 1938," Reeve continues. "He was an inspiration to the troops in World War II. Superman comics were issued to troops in World War II and sent over in their duffel bags by the USO. The character needs to be reinvented for every generation. Kirk Alyn was for the '40s and George Reeve for the '50s, and I was the man for the late '70s and '80s."

    His influence continues to resonate. Reeve's "Superman" movies are in frequent rotation on television. His fourth and final Superman film was in 1987, and he has yet to be replaced, though a new movie is in the works and names like Jude Law, Ashton Kutcher and Josh Hartnett being bandied about to fill the tights.

    Reeve, 50, is not the sort to pine, Norma Desmond-style, for his past stardom, though he certainly would be justified. After the horseback-riding accident that left him paralyzed in 1995, Reeve was not expected to do hours of exercise a day, regain limited use of one finger and some sensation, and become a leading activist for paralysis patients.

    "I have always been this determined," Reeve says. "Acting is a very difficult profession. It requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline and the ability to face rejection. It doesn't come easy, and I started quite young. It is a very uncertain life, and sometimes you don't know when your next job is coming, or if there is going to be a next job. Even many established actors, when they finish a job, think they will never work again. So I lived that life for more than 30 years, and it was certainly good preparation for the life I am living now. It is true that will power and self-discipline play a key role."

    The rigors of his life were revealed in "Christopher Reeve: Courageous Steps," a documentary by his son, Matthew, which ABC aired in September. It related his struggles and triumphs over the course of a year, showing Reeve without makeup and missing patches of hair. Like anyone who has suffered physical trauma, his life became divided into before and after the accident. Along with the loss of mobility, the actor also lost his identity as a horseman, pilot and sailor.

    "One of the real losses is the loss of independence," Reeve says.

    Summer Comes to 'Smallville'
    Fri, May 23, 2003

    If you missed last Tuesday's second-season finale of The WB's "Smallville," and plan to watch the "Exodus" repeat on Sunday, May 25, fear not. Executive producer Al Gough won't spill the beans.

    But, he will talk about the challenges and triumphs of the past season on the teen-Superman drama, and some of the plans for next year.

    And there definitely will be a next year. Gough didn't have to wait for the networks' announcements of their fall schedules to advertisers in mid-May. As one of The WB's brightest lights, "Smallville" received an early renewal.

    "It's like running for office," Gough says of the yearly pilot season, "then once you're elected, all the work begins. I never miss this time of year in terms of the nail-biting and the testing and all the network scheduling and the upfronts."

    In Season 2, Kansas teen Clark Kent (Tom Welling) learned his alien parents intended him to rule Earth. At the same time, his unrequited love, classmate Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), explored her own family history and dealt with the tragic death of former boyfriend Whitney (Eric Johnson).

    "Season 1 was, 'Who am I?'" Gough says. "Season 2 was really, 'Where am I from?' To us, it's the adopted kid looking into his biological parents. Once you find out who you are, are they people you want to know, or do you wish you'd never asked those questions at all?"

    "We also played more with the Clark-Lana relationship. Last year, Whitney was the obstacle between them. But this year, it was really about -- and it's a classic superhero dilemma -- Clark's secrets. Can you really have any sort of intimacy if you can't be completely honest with somebody? So it's always a question of, do I save the world, or do I have a life? He's started to wrestle with those questions."

    "Also, we were able to flesh out Lana's character and dimensionalize her more. She started to question Clark, and obviously she's come around to the fact that he's going to have secrets in his life, and is she willing to accept him for that, knowing that he does, obviously, love her?"

    At the same time, student investigative journalist Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack), who pines for Clark much as he pines for Lana, has come to a breaking point, both in her emotional and professional life. When her school paper, The Torch, was destroyed, ruthless tycoon Lionel Luthor (John Glover) stepped in as an unlikely patron.

    "That will continue into next year," Gough reveals. "How many times can she be jilted by Clark? That turns into resentment. Where will that take their friendship, and will that ultimately put Clark's secret in jeopardy, now that Lionel Luthor has obviously taken an interest in Chloe and her work studying the Kryptonite?"

    "As Lionel Luthor tends to do with people he either perceives as a threat or a help, he co-opts them. You see that dance played out in the season finale."

    Also, unlike last year, Season 3 will not pick up on the heels of Season 2. "There will be a cliffhanger element to the show," Gough admits, "but it won't be like Season 2, where it started three minutes after Season 1. It will pick up three months later. We're going to play the summer."

    In the meantime, there's the ongoing dance between Clark and his future nemesis, Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), son of Lionel. Lex currently considers Clark a friend, but that hasn't stopped him from trying to figure out Clark's secrets. But, as of right now, Lex has not quite strayed over to the Dark Side.

    In an earlier interview, John Schneider, who plays Clark's adopted father, farmer Jonathan Kent, wondered if Jonathan's hostility to Lex might contribute to the younger Luthor becoming the archvillain of the Superman comics.

    "I'm right about him," Schneider said, "but what I fear is the lack of acceptance on Jonathan's part for Lex is one of the contributing factors in him becoming the evil character that he does."

    "Absolutely," Gough agrees. "He senses there's something about Lex that's bad. Ultimately, he's correct. But of all the mitigating factors in Lex's life, there is a certain culpability on Jonathan's part."

    Speaking of Lex, Gough points out, "As I always say, Clark Kent has lied to Lex Luthor much more than Lex Luthor's lied to Clark Kent. At this point, Lex is still struggling. There is that part of him that is always striving to do the right thing, but will the hands of fate ultimately push him over the edge? But it isn't for lack of trying. You can never say that Lex Luthor didn't try to do the right thing."

    While Gough says that Superman's true love, Lois Lane, probably won't show up until Season 4, expect a few other visitors from the Superman universe -- and DC Comics in general -- in the coming year.

    "Our hope is in Season 3, and I put it out there, is that you will see Bruce Wayne. This year, we really want to make it happen. You could also see Perry White and Jimmy Olsen this year."

    Although he can't reveal his casting wish list for Bruce Wayne, Gough has a type in mind. "Basically about Lex's age, and he's more of a darker, brooding figure. At this stage in their lives, I don't think Clark and Bruce get along, because they are, in a weird way, opposite sides of the coin.

    " One's grown up under the guidance of very loving parents, and one has grown up without parents and feels the need to avenge their murder. Bruce is not Batman yet, but again you see, as you do with Clark, the seeds of the man he will become."

    As for the Boy of Steel, Gough asks, " Now that Clark has all this information about his past, and what he believes his destiny to be, how will he take that and move into the future?"

    CYBERSPATIAL ANOMALIES: To learn more about DC Comics, home of both Superman and Batman, visit the company's homepage at www.dccomics.com ."



    "Reeve May Recur on 'Smallville'"
    January 11, 2003

    The episode of "Smallville" featuring big-screen Superman Christopher Reeve begins shooting next week, and viewers will see it during February sweeps.

    There's also a chance his character, a scientist named Swann who gives Clark Kent (Tom Welling) clues to his true identity, will become a recurring presence on the WB series.

    Al Gough, one of the show's creators, told reporters Saturday (Jan. 11) at the TV Critics Association press tour that they'd like to have Reeve back, and the character could play a key role in the future of the series.

    "Every hero needs a wise man," Gough says.

    Gough says he and co-creator Miles Millar knew there would be a character in this season's story arc that would tell Clark about his origins and give clues about his destiny. In discussing the character, they decided Reeve would be a good person to play the part.

    Reeve turned out to be a fan of the series, and everything else clicked into place.

    "It's sort of passing the torch from one generation of 'Superman' to the next," Gough says.


    "The Real Girl"
    December 26, 2002

    Allison Mack, who plays high-school investigative journalist Chloe Sullivan on The WB's Tuesday hit "Smallville," doesn't get recognized much out on the street -- except when she's with co-star Kristen Kreuk, who plays Lana, the unreachable secret love of teen Superman Clark Kent (Tom Welling).

    As rain patters on the roof of her trailer near the show's sets in Vancouver, Mack takes a break from filming and curls up on a leather couch. "They usually don't want to talk to me," Mack says. "They want to talk to [Kristin]. Honestly, I'd rather have it that way."

    "I don't dress like Chloe. I'm more of a wearing-black girl, much more Club Monaco-esque. I don't wear makeup. I don't do my hair like this. I don't get it that bad, unless I'm with her. They'll recognize her, and then they'll figure out who I am."

    "She can't get rid of her features. It's what makes her so beautiful, makes her stand out."

    One fan comment, though, stands out in Mack's mind. "One of the girls that set up my Web site, who's really cool, she didn't ask me questions about the show; she just kept saying, 'You're such a cool character, such a great character. She speaks for such a great female generation.'"

    "That's one of the best compliments I could have gotten, because I don't think there are many young role models for women out there. I'm not saying I'm a role model or putting myself on that pedestal, but [Chloe] is a very intelligent young woman, and that's a cool thing."

    While Mack would like to see Chloe have a new hairdo -- including strawberry blonde streaks, although she's not holding her breath on this one -- she is happy about one thing that neither The WB nor the show's producers have asked her to change.

    "One thing that I really like about Chloe," she says, "and it's a major issue for me that I want to become more involved with, is that she's not a stick. I'm not. I'm in good shape because I work hard, but I'm not a twig like the rest of the girls on television, and that's very cool."

    "They're playing her as an attractive, sexy young woman that has a body that's normal and attainable. No one's talking about it [at the network or the studio]. I've only gotten compliments, and that makes me happy, because there are too many eating disorders out there."

    While Mack acknowledges that a lot of pressure comes from TV producers and executives, she also thinks much of it is self-imposed. "Actresses do it to themselves. They think they need to be thin, and they're never thin enough, because when you're on camera, you look bigger than you actually are. Part of it is the actresses."

    "Eventually, it will come around. We've got Drew Barrymore and Kate Winslet and women like that, who are extremely sexy and are not twigs. I had a lot of problems with image and eating; most actresses go through that. But you just have to find yourself and find when you feel the best."

    "A huge part of it is having someone in your life who looks at you as if you're the most beautiful thing in the world, no matter if you're a size zero or 12 or 16 ... and encourages you to be as fit and healthy as possible and enjoy the pleasures of life, which are chocolate and Belgian waffles and hamburgers -- to enjoy that, but to a healthy extent."

    Although she's strong and independent, Chloe still does carry a torch for dreamy Clark, but she just can't make the love connection.

    "I don't think Chloe will ever move on from Clark," Mack says. "She's trying her damnedest. She really likes Lana, and she will always love Clark. She's trying to be Lana's friend and not do the jealousy thing, which is hard, and trying to be Clark's friend and not kiss him every time she sees him. Every episode, she has her heart broken at least once."

    "My makeup artist would come up to me and say, 'Are you crying today?' Because there were a lot of tears happening with Chloe for a while, a little angst-ing. I don't think it's something Chloe will ever get over. That's why she becomes so successful, because she puts all of her emotions into her job."

    While Chloe has ferreted out most of Smallville's bizarre secrets, she has yet to realize Clark Kent has superpowers. "Chloe doesn't pick up on that," Mack says. "It's all right. They're making her really smart, except for that. But Lex is supposed to be the smartest man in the world, and he never figures it out either."

    Having just turned 20 this year, Mack spent the summer making the very grown-up move of buying a condo in Santa Monica, Calif. "I was dealing with closing escrow, going through buyer's remorse, all that stuff."

    Buyer's remorse? "You never heard about that? Supposedl,y everybody who buys property goes through buyer's remorse, where they go, 'Oh, my God, have I made the right decision?' Then after you pay your first couple of mortgages, it's all OK."

    After the buying, of course, comes the decorating. "Yeah, decorating the condo," sighs Mack. "I try to do artsy-craftsy things. I'm taking a pottery class with Kristen. I keep myself busy, I watch a lot of TLC."

    Mack reveals she is a fan of TLC's home decorating show "Trading Spaces," in which two sets of neighbors have two days and $1,000 to decorate rooms in each other's homes, with the help of a decorator and a carpenter.

    "I love watching that show," Mack says. "You get some cool ideas. I don't know if I'd ever participate."

    But maybe she would, if lanky carpenter Ty Pennington showed up. Mack smiles. "I like Ty."

    CYBERSPATIAL ANOMALIES: Mack has an official homepage, at www.allisonmack.com, which features a newsletter and a way to send fan mail. There's also "Allison Mack: The Unofficial Fan Network" at www.allison-mack.com, part of a "Smallville" Web ring, which links to other Mack-centric and "Smallville" sites.


    "Checking in with Kristin Kreuk"
    December 17, 2001

    Sarah Michelle Gellar, Keri Russell, Katie Holmes, Alyson Hannigan -- the list goes on.

    While Kristin Kreuk has accepted the possibility that she'll become another brightly shining teen starlet born of The WB Network, thanks to her role as Lana Lang on the promising rookie drama "Smallville" (The WB, 9 p.m. ET, Tuesdays), she thinks she'll distinguish herself from the pack.

    "I haven't really thought about the comparison thing," says the actress at a media schmooze-fest where she's too young to drink the alcohol being served.

    "I think that I'm different from other actresses on WB. Partly because of my Asian side -- my look -- I don't think I come across like Katie Holmes does on-screen."

    Canadian-born Kreuk, whose only other television work is ABC Family's (formerly Fox Family Channel) "Edgemont," has a self-deprecating sense of humor and a sincerity that distinguishes her from actresses who have gotten caught up, as Kreuk describes it, in "this 'look-what's-happening-to-me,' magazine-spread thing."

    Both her roles have been of a young girl who seems to transcend the typical teen trappings.

    "I would never say that I was more mature than anybody else," Kreuk offers as a disclaimer. "You know what people say about teen-agers -- everything in their lives is so important, every little thing matters. I never was like that."

    "It was always about finding out about myself, and finding about who I am, and how to be happy and peaceful and find balance," she says. "I guess that comes across in the characters I play."

    Whether she'll find peace in the eye of an upcoming hurricane of fame remains to be seen.

    Hometown: Vancouver, BC. "I've been so lucky because every show I've worked on has shot in Vancouver. I get to stay at home, live with my parents -- I'm planning on moving," she says, laughing.

    Heritage: "I'm half-Chinese, half-Dutch." But born in Canada.

    Hobbies: "I'm a home-body. I love reading a book at the beach, or going swimming."

    Heroes: "I admire Sarah Polley -- both her acting and her ability to step away from Hollywood. She's so intelligent, and it's great that there's someone out there like that who's young."

    Hangs out with: "All my friends are thinkers. Nothing particular in life has forced me to mature, just little things. My parents both worked, so I was independent from an early age."
    by Stephen English

    Big Bad Dad
    Friday, Febuary 14, 2003

    With his leonine name and leonine mane, Lionel Luthor aims to be king of the jungle, even if that means picking up his cub, Lex (Michael Rosenbaum), by the scruff of the neck every so often and giving him a good shake.

    But for Lionel's real alter ego, actor John Glover, it's more about having a good time.

    "I hope I make Lex's life as bad as he makes mine," he says. "We have a fabulous time together -- Michael and I -- playing."

    On The WB's Tuesday-night hit "Smallville," Lionel is the ruthless-tycoon father of the future nemesis of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), who will one day grow up to be Superman (as if all those red, blue and yellow clothes weren't a clue).

    Last season, owing to Glover's theatrical commitments, Lionel was more of a distant menace, off in Metropolis and only dropping by Lex's little business enterprise in Smallville now and again to cause trouble. This season, with Glover firmly under contract, Lionel has been a strong presence, alternately enraging Lex and poking around the seemingly bottomless well of Kent family secrets.

    One thing that's been keeping Lionel close to home is the blindness he suffered early in the season. "Oh, it's wonderful," Glover says. "To add that element to a guy who's so much in control and needs his power so much and needs to know everything ... to add that limitation to him, which will put in such a level of paranoia, which will make the manipulative things so much more complex -- is just wonderful."

    A native of Salisbury, Md., Glover worked on Broadway for a decade before gaining attention by being slapped by Jane Fonda in 1977's "Julia." Turns out the role taught Glover a valuable lesson in playing characters the audience may perceive as bad -- but who seldom see themselves that way.

    "I had the great honor and privilege to work very early on in my career with Fred Zinnemann, who directed 'Julia,' and I played this real smarmy sonofabitch. But when I went up to meet him in his hotel room that day, he said, 'You know, Sammy' -- the character's name was Sammy -- 'thinks of himself as being a very noble character.' It was my first clue to that, playing him. Now, I've played my fair share of villains."

    "But that's the trick. They can't think of themselves as being evil. There's another mindset there."

    All through the first and now second season of "Smallville," Lionel has battled, undercut, spied on, cheated and impeded Lex in the young man's attempts to assert his own business independence. The question is -- is it just Lionel being a bad dad, or is it all for Lex's own good?

    "That's how I put it in my mind," Glover says. "That they're basically tests to strengthen him. I don't know how well you remember the pilot, but little Lex, on the day of the meteor shower" -- which heralded Clark's arrival in Smallville from outer space -- "he was just so terrified and frightened and couldn't be in the helicopter."

    "So I've taken it from that -- that they're all tests to strengthen his character, to make him a stronger, better person, to take over the empire."

    Asked if Lionel has a conscience, Glover says, "Yes, oh, yes."

    But where? "Where? Deep in his soul. It's all based on strength. It's all for Lex. It's going to make him a stronger person. I have to look at it that way. I played a character in '52 Pick-Up' that was completely amoral, but Lionel is not. No, there's a conscience in there that's working."

    Another twist this season is the addition of Clark's adoptive mother, Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole), as Lionel's personal assistant. This has caused more than a few problems with hubby Jonathan Kent (John Schneider), but has allowed the Kents to get a clearer picture of Lionel's curiosity about Clark.

    Glover sees a connection between Martha, Lex's late mother, and the mysterious Rachel Dunleavy (Blair Brown). Rachel appeared in a November episode called "Lineage" as a crazed woman who believed Clark was the son she gave up for adoption.

    As it turns out, that long-lost child was Lionel's. The episode "Prodigal," which aired last week, featured the return of Lucas Dunleavy (aka Lucas Luthor, portrayed by guest star Paul Wasilewski).

    Paternal revelations aside, viewers may recall flashbacks showing Lex as a child adorned with flaming-red hair -- which offers Glover a clue to Lionel's romantic preferences.

    "Martha's a redhead," Glover says. "I think Lex's mother was a redhead, too, as is Rachel. So Lionel's got something for redheads. There's something about her that's softening some part of Lionel. There's a part of Lionel that's never been seen before, that's starting to emerge as she comes around."

    "She's an amazing woman. I can see why Lionel might want to fall in love with her -- oops, did I say that?"

    Any fan of "Superman" knows Lex Luthor eventually turns out to be an evil megalomaniac, but his father's ultimate fate is less defined.

    Lionel might even do something good, someday. "You mean I don't do good now?" Glover says. "What are you talking about? I do good almost every week. Like, in 'Jitters,' when we had to seal off the plant with the gas leak, and Lex was inside. I said, 'Go ahead, seal him in.' He came out a lot stronger for it. There, I've done good. I've strengthened him. I thought about it before I said to lock him in. I didn't do it just haphazardly."

    "He's got a tough challenge in Lex. The strength of that child -- it's a challenge."

    CYBERSPATIAL ANOMALIES ... "The Talon," located at www.purebluesun.com/thetalon/main.html , offers a manifesto on why Lex and Clark's schoolmate crush, Lana (Kristin Kreuk), should be together. Uh, can you say "jailbait" ?


    'Superman' Reeve Visits 'Smallville'
    January 7, 2003

    The WB confirmed Monday (Jan. 6) that Christopher Reeve, who played the Man of Steel and his alter ego, reporter Clark Kent, in four movies, will appear in an episode about Clark's teen years on The WB's hit drama "Smallville," during February sweeps.

    Reeve will play a scientist who gives Clark a glimpse at his future superhero destiny.

    Interestingly enough, Reeve isn't the only person to revisit the Superman legend. Annette O'Toole, who plays Clark's adopted mother Martha on the teen drama, starred opposite Reeve as Clark's high school sweetheart Lana Lang in 1983's "Superman III." Kristin Kreuk plays Lana on "Smallville."

    The WB will also air and public service announcement following the upcoming episode for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation founded by the actor after he was paralyzed from the neck down in a 1995 horseback riding accident.


    "Clark Kent sees 'Red' in 'Smallville'"
    October 14, 2002

    It's a day of mixed weather in a suburb of Vancouver, Canada -- either warm, bright sunshine or sudden rain showers. However, inside converted warehouses next to a frozen-food distribution company, it's always a day in Kansas -- and the weather today is partly cloudy with a major chance of severe thunderstorms.

    In production on the sets of The WB Network's hit "Smallville" is an episode called "Red," written by Jeph Loeb and currently scheduled to air Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. ET. After a season-plus of being the best-behaved alien teen with superpowers in the whole world, Clark Kent is about to kick loose, and woe to anyone who gets in his way.

    Clark, played by newlywed heartthrob Tom Welling, has handed over hard-earned money for a class ring, unaware that the red stone is actually a fragment of a meteor rock. This time, though, instead of the green kryptonite that makes Clark ill, it's red kryptonite, which apparently makes him want to wear leather, ride a motorcycle and plant a lengthy, passionate kiss on classmate Lana (Kristin Kreuk), the object of his ill-concealed affections.

    Sprung from near-obscurity to pin-up status in one season, Welling still is capable of having an effect on those who see him regularly. Shot inside the set of the Talon, Lana's coffeehouse, the kissing scene is watched on monitors in breathless silence by crew members. In the wake of the first take, some sigh, fan themselves, or let out exaggerated breaths. One jokes, "I can't watch that; it's dirty."

    For Welling -- who shrugs off reports of the crew's reactions -- it's not so much about filming the kiss as what its effect will be on the characters.

    "Those kind of scenes, where you're kissing the other actors, oddly enough, Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar], our writers, always write them in situations where at least one person involved in the interaction won't remember it," he says, doffing his black-leather jacket and taking a break in the show's hospital set. "So, it's actually the aftermath that becomes more important."

    Last season, in an episode called "Nicodemus," Lana was sprayed with a substance from a dangerous flower and lost all her inhibitions. "Lana kissed Clark, and she forgot," Welling says. "She asked him if anything happened, and he said, 'No, don't worry about it.' But that just gave him something to feed on and build on."

    "This, in turn, will give Lana something to think about -- except, in this case, the red kryptonite itself, and the effect that it had on Clark, won't go away. He remembers what happens, so that in turn has its own repercussions in the relationships he has with people in this episode. I'd like to think he's more of a teenager in this episode. In other episodes, he's always watching himself."

    "He's always weighing the consequences. In this one, there are just no consequences. There's just what he wants to do. It's very important to show that side of him, because it brings him more in touch with the reality of being a teenager."

    "When you're an adolescent, that's when most of your passions and urges and desire to rebel come out," says Kreuk, relaxing in the same hospital set after finishing her scenes for the day. "That's when you explore and learn, so Clark Kent, of course, went through that. Even more so, because he has superpowers, because he's an outsider, his parents aren't his parents, and he's an alien. He has to deal with all that."

    Just because Clark's kiss makes Lana's knees buckle, don't expect her to fall head over heels. "Clark and Lana have issues," Kreuk says. "Her major issue with him is how secretive he is. He lies to her; he can never tell her the truth. She can never be with somebody who does that, and she knows that."

    "Red" also reinforces the new role of Clark's pal Pete Ross (Sam Jones III), who last week joined Clark's adoptive parents (John Schneider, Annette O'Toole) as keepers of the Boy of Steel's secret.

    It's a big change from the first season, when many fans thought that the Pete character -- who was introduced in the original DC comics -- was underused. "Honestly," Welling says, "I think they brought Sam on not knowing his potential. It was like a firecracker that someone put in their hand, and they figured it wouldn't do much, but it blew their hand off. I think they went, 'Ouch!'"

    "They really started to see him shine. I think it's interesting for the show, to bring in a different dynamic. It gives Clark someone to talk to. Mom and Dad don't understand, they're old, and they're parents. What parents understand their child?"

    "There's going to be a big bond between Clark and Pete this year," says Jones, taking a break outdoors in the fresh Canadian air, "because of the simple fact that they're going to be spending a lot more time together."

    "This year, you're going to see why they're friends. You're going to see that Pete's really there for Clark. It's going to be really cool to see this friendship grow, because Tom and I have become good friends in the last year. It'd be cool to get some of that stuff we have caught on camera."

    "I'm like the man behind the man."

    As the day winds to an end for Welling, he starts to head out the door, still wearing the leather motorcycle jacket. Asked if he gets to keep it, he flashes the same dazzling smile that a female co-worker says "makes it all worth it."

    "We'll see," he says before driving off into the sunset, just like the superhero young Clark Kent is destined to become.


    Tom Welling, 'Smallville's' Model Hero
    October 2, 2001

    Before he got hired to play the teen Clark Kent/Superman on the new WB series "Smallville," airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET, Tom Welling made his living as a model in the United States and Europe.

    "It's a whole different world," he says of modeling. "I quit last year, and I'd been doing it for about two years before that."

    Asked if he liked it, Welling says, "I had a good time. I made a little bit of money and traveled a lot, had a lot of fun. But I was ready to move on and find something a little more fulfilling for myself."

    "I like doing more in front of the camera. At the end of the day, I feel like I've gotten more done when I'm working as an actor, rather than as a model, just standing there smiling."

    One wonders what models think when they're just standing there. "I never really knew," says Welling, "and that's why I'm not doing it any more."

    Besides, as a model, a guy seldom gets to leap off tall buildings. "I do as many stunts as reasonably possible," Welling says, "to give the directors more opportunity in the editing room. I actually jumped off a two-story barn and did a split-second of free-fall before the ratchet and the harness caught me. That was a great time. That was fun."

    Then there was the fire. "I was walking through a hallway the other day, then they brought in the special effects and made it completely aflame, the worst fire I've ever seen, and there I am, walking through it. It's amazing. It made me look good."

    "The great thing about acting is, in every scene, there's a little something different and a little something exciting. You put those all together, and you have yourself a great job."
    by Kate O'Hare