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TalkVille: Tom Welling & Michael Rosenbaum Discuss Their Smallville Podcast

Interview with Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum about their Smallville podcast “TalkVille” premiering July 13

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The ultimate Smallville podcast “TalkVille” is almost here, arriving this Wednesday, July 13 on all major podcast platforms. The launch of TalkVille is a big deal as it is hosted by the show’s stars Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who played Clark and Lex, respectively.

To promote TalkVille, KryptonSite was able to do something very big that we’ve waited decades to do — we were able to interview Welling and Rosenbaum about the new show for some ideas on what fans can expect. Tom and Michael are both great in this interview, and you can tell they’re as excited as fans are for the show.

You can watch video of the interview above, or at the end of this interview, if you want to read it as text. Enjoy!

KRYPTONSITE’S CRAIG BYRNE: For my first question… covering every season of Smallville, does this include the three seasons Michael was not in?

MICHAEL ROSENBAUM: [Laughs] Unfortunately, Tom’s making me do it. Yes, as of now, unless something happens, we’re planning on going through every season of Smallville.

TOM WELLING: One of the best things about this whole thing, Craig, is I was in 99% of all the scenes of the show for 10 years. I then became a producer and would watch the shows and gave notes on them. Michael really has only seen some of the scenes that Lex was in and I know Michael didn’t watch Smallville for [the] three seasons he wasn’t in before he came back for the final season, so a lot of this is new to Michael and new to Lex. Lex wasn’t following everybody around. It’s a lot of fun to watch Michael watch the episodes.

MICHAEL: It’s definitely different. We’re stepping back now, and it’s really [us] watching as fans now. There’s been so much separation and so much time that it really feels like “That’s not me. That’s not you.” We’re so much older now, so it’s interesting.

KRYPTONSITE: Are you recording these in production order or airing order ,because I know “Jitters” was episode 3 shot but aired like episode 9 or something?

MICHAEL: Airing order.

KRYPTONSITE: Do you have any specific dream guests to have on your show?

MICHAEL: We talked about it. We’re thinking… like hopefully Amy Adams, if we can get her. Supposedly, Justin Bieber’s a big fan of Smallville. When I played in a hockey tournament with him for the All-Star Game, he asked me about Smallvile. He asked me about Lana Lang.

TOM: It’s funny, because I was at a restaurant one afternoon, and I went to the bathroom and walking back out, I heard this kid say ‘Hey!’ and I turned around; it was Justin Bieber. He goes, “You’re Tom Welling from Smallville, can I get a picture?!” I was like, “Yeah!” and his buddy jumped up and took a picture. He was like, “Thanks, man, I love the show!” So maybe he remembers. That would be great.

MICHAEL: I love that.

KRYPTONSITE: I’ve heard there were some epic pranks on the show. I heard a specific one about Emmanuelle Vaugier [Helen Bryce] in your trailer. Will we be hearing some of those on the podcast?

MICHAEL: They are gonna hear everything that we can think of! Anything that comes up in our minds that we recall, or anything that’s self deprecating, or hearsay… we’re gonna bring it up. There’s a lot of episodes to go through, we’ve already recorded a few.

We have a hotline so fans can interact and they can ask questions. We have a Patreon account, for people to support the podcast. So we’re just starting. It’s an evolution with this show.

TOM: It’s also going to help us, because we go to a lot of these fan conventions now and here’s panels where people get to ask you questions. With half the questions, we’re like “oh, I don’t remember, because I don’t remember doing that episode. I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” Now, we’re gonna lose that excuse, because we’re gonna have watched all these episodes. It sparks a lot of memories, which if you ask me about an episode right now, I might be able to tell you a couple things. But having watched a few that we’ve done, dude, there’s too many things to talk about. We actually edit it down a little bit, because there’s so much to talk about on TalkVille.

KRYPTONSITE: Speaking of the conventions, will you ever do a podcast during one of your Smallville Nights?

MICHAEL: That’s a good idea! Maybe we will!

TOM: Maybe we could have a live audience or something!

MICHAEL: Yeah, we could do something like that, where we dissect the episode, tell the fan base what episode we’re watching, and then talk about it on the episode when we do it live.

KRYPTONSITE: I did Smallville Nights back in December and it was such a great time. I recommend it. One thing I noticed, though, is Tom…. you very much still have a director’s brain. Could we be seeing you direct again anytime soon?

TOM: I don’t know if it’s directing ,or controlling… but I would love to direct [again]. I loved directing Smallville, I haven’t directed since, but that experience has helped me with the other projects I’ve been a part of, because what I always think about directing and acting is if you can kind of speak both languages a little bit, you can understand the communication.

Sometimes the director will ask you to do things as an actor, which make no sense to you. But once you’ve directed an actor, you go “okay, I’m gonna have to ask them to do something that makes no sense to them, but it works for the cameram” and it helps that way. But yes, I would love to direct again. I get a lot of joy giving an actor a note and then filming and seeing it. It’s literally magic to me. It’s just magic. So I would like to [do it again].

KRYPTONSITE: Are you guys able to reveal any of the guests you’re having in the early weeks of TalkVille?

MICHAEL: I’d just say that the show is really about me and Tom talking about the episodes. That’s what the show is mostly about. However, that being said, occasionally we’re going to have guests like the costume guy, Steve Oben. Maybe Kristin Kreuk [Lana Lang], John Schneider [Jonathan Kent]… maybe the creators of Smallville, [Al Gough and Miles Millar.] So they’ll all make appearances eventually. But it’s not going to be every episode, where there’s going to be a guest. It’s going to be really {just] me and Tom talking about the episodes.

KRYPTONSITE: Do you have a favorite episode that you guys have rewatched so far?

TOM: It’s funny, because I kind of remembered this episode before we watched it. It’s called “Cool” about a football player who falls in the lake and that needs to get warm. I kind of remembered that episode, and then I watched it, and so much more came out of it. It was funny, because Michael’s reaction [to the] episode was like, “What the hell is going on here?!” Talking to Michael about the episode made that episode even better to me. So, that’s one that we’ve already done.

MICHAEL: We also did one called “Hourglass” where Cassandra Carver sees into your future. That one I really appreciate, I thought it was really dark….

TOM: And the serial killer was back on the loose!

MICHAEL: Yeah, the old man! That was a cool episode. It was cool! I really liked it.

KRYPTONSITE: Tom, how did Michael convince you to do this show?

TOM: There were other companies who had actually, in the months prior, were coming to me about doing a podcast about Smallville, and I was like “I don’t really get it. I don’t really know this world, and I don’t know who you guys are. I don’t know what the numbers are, and I don’t know if I can trust you.” And seemingly enough, Michael came in, and because of his success [with] Inside of You – and the production team that he had – made me feel much more protected and comfortable. He has everything that we need to get it done. And then with this idea that we would watch episodes, and then talk about them, was like “well, that just sounds like a good time with my friends!” It really was that simple.

KRYPTONSITE: Will there be exclusive Patreon content kind of like Inside of You has?

MICHAEL: There is some! We’re figuring all of that out now. People that want to support the podcast can go on Patreon.com/TalkVille, and there will be some exclusive stuff, yes. As we continue, hopefully, there’ll be more.

KRYPTONSITE: Are there any specific episodes that you’re kind of dreading having to watch again?

MICHAEL: I don’t know! I don’t remember, that’s the thing. Every episode is rehashing these old memories. So I can’t really tell you that I’m dreading something as much as I am curious, and just excited about each episode to come.

TOM: I got one! There’s an episode I think it’s called…I want to say it’s “Bewitched.” [He’s actually referring to Season 4’s “Spell.”] It’s where all the female cast members turned into witches. There’s a party in Clark’s barn or loft, and Clark’s dancing like a fool. That still haunts me to this day, because I was dancing and they went “Cut!” and the director’s note was “everything’s great, except Clark. We kind of think Clark doesn’t know how to dance at all.”

So I started dancing like a fool, and I don’t know which one of the actresses was right in front of me, it was either Kristin, or I don’t know… looking at me, horrified! And I just remember being like “oh, this is embarrassing.” I don’t know what season that is, but we’ll get to it!

KRYPTONSITE: Season 4, and when you get to it, Annette O’Toole [Martha Kent] has great stories about filming that episode.

TOM: I think that’s the one where she made me cry at the end, and she wasn’t supposed to. She’s like, “I’m disappointed in you, Clark” in that whole scene, and I ended up crying in the scene. It wasn’t even written. I was just like, “I feel so bad!”

KRYPTONSITE: Is there any episode you’re really excited to cover? Like the Christopher Reeve episodes, or anything like that?

TOM: That one definitely, obviously. When people ask me my favorite episode, it’s “Transference,” because of being able to play Lionel Luthor and switching bodies with a great actor like John Glover. I’m looking forward to rewatching that again.

MICHAEL: Each episode is so new for me, it’s just because I never really watched the episodes as much.

TOM: I want to see the one where Lionel falls off the building.

MICHAEL: Yeah, where I kill my father! I mean, there was “Lexmas,” and “Onyx,” and…

TOM: “Zod!” [Laughs]

MICHAEL: Oh man, it’s endless. The list is endless of the shows that I can’t wait to see!

TOM: The cool thing about this podcast – and we found this through an interview yesterday – is a lot of podcasts is the work of getting guests or getting content. We already know that we have 217 episodes [EDITOR’S NOTE: The show is sold to streaming as 218] of this show. So I think that if people are like “I don’t know if I want to start listening to this thing, because I don’t want it to fade out”… well, there are no plans for this to fade out for the next couple years! [Laughs]

MICHAEL: We’ll see what happens. We’re gonna take it day by day, and hopefully we enjoy it as much as we’re enjoying it now, and we keep doing it.

KRYPTONSITE: What are you most excited for the fans to get out of this podcast?

MICHAEL: I think them seeing us really watch as fans is going to be exciting to them.

And interacting with them, and getting to see our perspective, and getting to hear the stories behind the stories. I think that is going to entice people to kind of take a trip with us, to take a little vacation back to Smallville for all the seasons and just enjoy it. I think it’ll be fun for them.

TOM: I think you’ll find that it’s a good time. This podcast is a good time and you’re gonna get some color commentary about things that you probably don’t know about that happened behind the scenes on the day right before this scene, or what we thought about this actor or director. My cheeks always end up hurting because I smile so much on these things. It’s just a good time.

KRYPTONSITE: Do you have anything else you’d like to say to the fans will be watching this and reading about it on KryptonSite?

TOM: Thank you for considering it. Thank you for watching it. Fan participation is a big part, whether it’s questions or phone-in questions… you’re going to help us shape this whole thing. So please, participate!

MICHAEL: We’re really excited to share this with you. It’s a long time coming. So join us every week Wednesday, Wednesdays for TalkVille!

You can visit the official TalkVille Podcast website at talkvillepodcast.com. Visit and tell them KryptonSite sent you!

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Interviews

Interview: Erik Valdez & Sofia Hasmik on Their Superman & Lois Journey

Interview with actors Erik Valdez (Kyle) and Sofia Hasmik (Chrissy) to promote the November 11 Superman & Lois episode “A Regular Guy” airing on The CW

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A new episode of Superman & Lois titled A Regular Guy” airs tonight (November 11) on The CW, and the episode itself will surely be remembered as one of the show’s finest hours. Returning for the seventh episode of the final season are Erik Valdez and Sofia Hasmik as Kyle and Chrissy. There are some big decisions for both of their characters to make in this week’s episode, but before we do that, the actors spoke with KryptonSite’s Craig Byrne about the road so far. Still be aware there might be minor spoilers within!

KRYPTONSITE’S CRAIG BYRNE: For both of you, when you started on the show, did you have any idea that your character might end up where they did end up?

ERIK VALDEZ: Hell no! [Laughs] Did you have any inkling that we would end up together. Sofia?

SOFIA HASMIK: No, not in the slightest!

ERIK: his was a new storyline pitch to us for Season 3. It’s been probably one of the most pleasant surprises, because it’s been a lot of fun, and I get to work a lot more with Sofia, which has been amazing.

SOFIA: Same here. It was really such a blessing. I remember going out to lunch with [Executive Producers] Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher and having my jaw drop to the floor. I was like, “what do you mean? How is this? How does that even happen?” And then it just became like, oh my God, wow!t only do I get to work with Erik, but I’m getting to work with Inde [Navarrette], and I really found it to be such a happy surprise. I think we went on a hike in Vancouver in the mountains shortly after we found out, and we were like, “okay, so what’s going on here? Exactly what happens?”

Did you even expect your characters to make it through the entire series?

SOFIA: Me personally, no. Honestly, from the minute I got word about even joining in as a recurring [character] in season one, every season, it just felt like a bit of a surprise to me. Like “really, you want me back?” I’m so grateful for that… coming back every season and having the story expand in the way that it did, and watching Chrissy grow as all the characters in Smallville grew was really quite fun.

ERIK: I think for me, Kyle started off at such a harsh place and was such a polarizing character early on that it can go a couple different ways from there, and it can go the way it did, thankfully, where there’s a nice redeeming arc, and it’s not just one arc… it’s a bunch of ebbs and flows as we’ve seen on Kyle’s journey. Or, you know, you can get the axe early on, in the second season or third season.

I feel like, after season one, I was like, “okay, I think I’ll probably be around for a little while. And then they started pitching storylines for Season 2, and I’m like, “where’s this going exactly? Where is Kyle going to end up at the end of this season?”

Come to find out, there were talks about about Kyle not not lasting for the entire duration of the show. But I guess I changed some people’s minds internally somewhere along the lines… not just me, but the way Kyle’s character interacted with everybody else, and super thankful for it.

And to comment on Sofia and Chrissy… from the moment they upped her to series regular for Season 2, and with what she’s done with the character, it was like” all right, yeah, she’s not going anywhere.” So I never had any doubts for her for but for me, it was kind of touch and go for a minute there. I wasn’t 100% sure.

SOFIA: Oh, my God! I had no idea about that!

ERIK: I didn’t find out that there was a possibility that I wouldn’t make it until after we wrapped the entire show this season. I was like “oh! That’s nice to know… I’m glad you didn’t tell me that earlier, because I would have been anxious and analyzing it for the entire time.”

I think a big part of it is our writers and our producers. They did such a great job integrating all of these characters and none of these characters that we had on the show – even the guest stars that we had throughout the series…. None of them were dead weight. There were no “filler characters”, so to speak. Everybody kind of had a place in it all. We all helped tell the story of Superman and Lois.

What have they told you that you’re allowed to tease about Monday’s very big episode?

ERIK: Not a lot, man!

If you want to have a quote of sorts, I would say it’s arguably one of the most pivotal episodes in the entire series, but there’s not a whole lot of detail we can really give away, huh, Sofia?

SOFIA: I’m trying to think, and every word that’s coming to mind is like a no-no word. I don’t think we can say much, except for tune in and watch.

Is it hard for Kyle and Chrissy both to hold back while people are blatantly accusing Clark of being Superman, or Jon and Jordan of being Superman’s kids?

ERIK: As we’ve seen, Kyle is heavily flawed, but he is extremely reliable when it comes to his friendships. Him and Clark have had this bond, even though it was a bit of a rocky start, as they allude to in the high school years and everything. They’ve known each other for almost their entire lives, and our characters have gone through these things together… the losses, and the this, and the that…. once Kyle found out about Clark being Superman, I feel like internally, he was extremely giddy about it, knowing somebody of that caliber, but he was loyal. I don’t think there is anything that would have ever shaken his reliability in in terms of keeping the secret., you know, from anybody,

SOFIA: I do think that Kyle and Chrissy having their moment of that acknowledgement n the season prior, of what it feels like to keep that away from someone, to keep Superman’s secret, and then knowing the weight of why that secret has to be kept, is bond forming, and you sort of deepen the family aspect of it and the power of it. It’s bond forming, and you sort of like deepen the family aspects of it and the power of it. It really becomes realized in that.

Where does Chrissy live, and why are they always hanging out at Kyle’s dingy place? No offense, Erik.

ERIK: That’s a valid question, man!

SOFIA: It’s such a valid question, because I always had it in my head…. I was like, “Chrissy is living in the Gazette somewhere. She has a small space. There’s a third secret floor. That’s where Chrissy lives.”

Really, I have no idea. That’s kind of where I put it in my head, because for most of the scenes, they all took place in the Gazette, and during all of the catastrophes, she was always kind of standing, like by herself, or she was standing not far from the Gazette… I was like, “oh, okay, great, she has a cot at the Gazette!”

ERIK: I think that’s kind of that was in my head too, because there’s that set of stairs at the back of the Gazette that is in every shot that we nobody ever went up. So it’s like, that could be Chrissy’s apartment above the Gazette.

SOFIA: I’ve walked down those stairs!

ERIK: See, you were coming out of your out of your apartment above, because that totally makes sense!

And another silly question: Has the actress who plays Sophie (Jocelyn Picard) gotten taller than most of the rest of the cast by now?

KYLE: She shot up. If we had done another season, she’d be taller than me!

I’ve got… I don’t know how many behind the scenes photos throughout the last four years, and one of the things I want to post about, is I have a photo of the the Cushing family on Day One, and she was a total kid. And then we have a photo of the four of us at the very end of the show, and I swear she grew a foot and a half. They had to start putting Inde on apple boxes midway through Season 3, and then this last season. She’s taller than both her mom and her sister on this show!

I know there were production reasons, but was Lana purposely not invited to Kyle and Chrissy’s almost-wedding?

ERIK: No, I don’t think that has anything to do with storyline. I think that was strictly one of those things that happens when they cut budgets, and we have to work around all of those constraints. I don’t think there’s any [drama] at this point. Sofia, you can answer on your behalf, but I don’t think there’s any ill will or anything from Lana towards Kyle or towards Chrissy at this point, and from Kyle, in my opinion.

SOFIA: Not in my opinion, either. I think that Lana and Chrissy sort of came to their understanding, and the relationship that her and Kyle have is is so strong, and there’s so much history there, I can’t imagine it would be anything pointed.

Will we find out the name of Kyle and Chrissy’s baby before all is said and done?

ERIK: Ooh, good question. I’m gonna let that continue to be a mystery.

Are you allowed to say how many episodes you’re in beyond this one?

No. We can’t give a specific number for whatever reason. We’ve been told not to. But you know, you can kind of start doing some math here. You’ve seen us in a couple thus far, with this being [Episode] 7, and there’s only a few left. So, you know, take your best guess, but you’ll see us again. We can leave it at that.

What has been your favorite part of the Superman & Lois experience?

SOFIA: Building a family. You know, it sounds so corny. It sounds it’s the cheesiest thing anyone can say. But I can say it with my full heart: I have a family out of this. It’s kind of like the way that Chrissy’s grown… I feel like she was so to herself, and I feel like, in some ways, I was like that in the beginning, and then out of all of that, these four-plus years, it’s like, “man, everyone has from the cast and the crew seen me at my tippy top and very low lows.” That’s what family is, so I’m really grateful for that.

ERIK: I’ll echo that as well. I mean, if you, if you watch the the dance sequence in Episode Five, with all of us out there, I honestly they just let the cameras roll, and most of that was just us having a blast, because that’s our relationship with each other. We just happen to be in character. But all of that was as real as it gets. We formed a bond like no other. Like Sofia said, that extends beyond just cast. Our crew… I still text a whole bunch of them, just to check in here and there, say hi, or see how they’re doing… and as far as cast goes, I was randomly in L.A. a few weeks ago, and I just sent a text to the group text. I’m like, “hey, I’m going to be in town for a couple days. And if anybody has time to grab coffee or whatever…” And the next thing you know, Todd’s planning an entire get together at his house with catered food and wine. We watched the first two episodes before they aired, and it was all from a random text of saying I’m going to be in town.

I know we’re done filming it, but watching the episodes kind of waste away week after week, it’s like we’ve died a very slow death over and over again with this. It’s sad, but it is also a beautiful thing to have these people in my life, and for the rest of my life.

Might we hope to see you all at conventions together now that filming is complete?

ERIK: I am down for that at any given moment. I love interacting with the fans, personally. I know there’s always, you know, scheduling constraints, and not everybody has the the ability to just leave what they’re doing and go to them. I’m not working at the moment, so I’ve got time, and that’s always been one of my favorite things, just getting to actually interact with the folks that have supported us from Day One. So yeah, I’d love to have those opportunities, personally.

SOFIA: Ditto. I feel like that would be so fun. I’ve never gone to one, and I think we owe so much to our fans and to everyone. That would be a dream come true.

See the return of Kyle and Chrissy on Superman & Lois “A Regular Guy” airing tonight (November 11) at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.

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Interviews

Superman & Lois: Michael Bishop Discusses Jon’s New Powers & Season 4

Interview with Michael Bishop about Season 4 of the Superman & Lois TV series airing Mondays on The CW

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Michael Bishop joined the cast of The CW’s Superman & Lois in the third season, taking over the role of “Jonathan Kent” from Jordan Elsass who played the role in Seasons 1 and 2. For the first three seasons, Jonathan was the brother who didn’t have powers, with Alex Garfin‘s “Jordan” being the one who inherited some Kryptonian from his Super dad. Those things changed in the third episode of Season 4, as now Jon has abilities… and he seems pretty good at using them.

KryptonSite’s Craig Byrne recently interviewed Michael Bishop about Jon’s power increase as well as his experience of doing the show which is now four episodes in to its final season. New episodes of the show air Mondays at 8PM on The CW, with the next new episode “Break the Cycle” airing on October 28. And of course, our first question involves — you knew it — the powers.

KRYPTONSITE: How long have you been waiting for Jonathan to get powers?

MICHAEL BISHOP: I’ve been rooting for him to get powers all along. I mean, I loved the storyline that he was a hero without the powers, and I thought that was such an interesting dynamic between Jon and Jordan, and I think it was really a beautiful story, but I think it’s just about time that this guy became the hero that he truly is, because he’s been showing signs of being a true hero from Day One. He’s had his ups and downs, but I think he’s always had that heroic heart and that heroic mindset, and so it was really exciting to be told that that’s what we were doing this season, because I think it’s a great service to the fans. I think it was just really awesome how it played out.

When you found out that it was happening, was there also a feeling of “Finally! But the show is ending in seven episodes!”

[Laughs] Yeah, absolutely. I also thought about the fact that I booked the show, and I was like, “yes! sick! I’m going to be on the superhero show. Wait, I’m not going to get to have powers on a superhero show, and I’m going to have to live with that forever, that I was on the superhero show and I didn’t get to have powers!” But honestly, I’m happy that I got to do it for for even just one season.

Those flying scenes pretty tough. They take a lot out of your core and your back. They’re tough, but I would have done it for five more seasons, too.

Can you talk about getting to work side by side with Tyler Hoechlin doing super-feats and training as Jonathan and Clark together?

That was really fun. We hadn’t had too many one-on-one scenes before this season, and so to get that training, which I think are some of the most fun scenes ever… when you get to see someone training, which I think are some of the most fun scenes ever… I think it’s so awesome. And so, to get one of those with him and and a few other really nice moments with Tyler this season was truly wonderful.

He’s always been so welcoming from Day One. I was a little anxious. I booked the role [prior to Season 3] and started shooting within a week, and he he instantly welcomed me and gave me some wise words that made me feel really comfortable, and really settled, and really valued. And so getting to kind of have that moment with him was was really wonderful.

Is it true that you auditioned for Jonathan during the first audition process for the series?

It is! Back in 2019 or 2020, I auditioned for Jon, and it got right down to the wire, and I missed out. I was heartbroken. I always felt like “damn, I would have played a really good Jon Kent.” I really felt that, truly, and I don’t normally feel that about roles. If I miss out on them, I usually go “all right, well, you know, that’s fine. It wasn’t meant to be.” But with this one, I was sure that was my role!

Jordan Elsass did a fantastic job with Jon, but to have the role come back to me in this way was so surreal and so incredible. I’m forever grateful.

They paired you with a different Jordan in the audition, right?

Yeah. You know, all of these audition processes…. they’re really interesting, and you do some really fun things. But at the time, it was a great lesson of dealing with heartbreak. But I’m so happy that it came back in this way.

When you did that first audition for Jonathan, were you surprised, since in the comics, he is the son who has the powers?

I was, because Jordan’s an original character, right? I thought it was a really interesting spin. But also, I didn’t know when I was first auditioning… it’s a little foggy for me now, but I didn’t think either of them were going to get powers. I feel like I vividly remember something in the script made me believe that neither of them were going to ever get powers. So now, for both of them to have them, and to get to have that Super Sons thing on TV is really cool. I love doing that with Alex and and I think the dynamic between the two of them is so fun.

Is there any chance that Jon might get a better costume than the dorky goggles look, with no offense to Alex, who had to wear it previously?

[Laughs] That costume is ridiculous!

All I will say about the Snoopy fighter pilot costume is that is that I look just as ridiculous in that costume as Alex does. So it’s not Alex. It is definitely the costume.

How do these powers continue to affect John’s relationship with Jordan, because the end of the most recent episode, they seem to be in a pretty good place?

The sibling dynamic is really interesting. It’s really hot and cold, and that feels really authentic. I have two brothers myself, and it is like that, you know? You always love each other, but you’re gonna bicker and you’re gonna have really hot and cold moments, and there are things that go unsaid, and that feels really real, and I love that we get to demonstrate that on this show.

I think both brothers are battling with a hundred different mixed feelings at the moment. Their their dad had just died and then recovered, which is like, “what the actual f%^#! What does that mean?” And they’re also dealing with their Granddad dying, and they have the terrifying Lex Luthor out to destroy everything that their family has. Jordan’s been trying to be a hero in some ways, and he’s gotten it wrong so many times, and now, Jon gets powers, and he’s got it right from the get-go, and that’s really tough. I feel like I can understand Jordan’s jealousy and Jordan’s hardship with that. He’s trying to be proud for his brother, but it’s really difficult. And then, in the same way, Jon’s really battling with wanting to be happy for himself, but understanding that this is a pretty painful thing for his brother to see. I’m excited for that to get fleshed out some more, and hopefully we get to see the Super Sons in action!

Is it also painful or awkward to see what his father is going through at this time?

Absolutely. It humanizes this god-like figure, in a way that is so relatable and really tough to see. We’re going to see a big shift in the mindset around Superman. It humanizes him in a really, really cool way, but in a really frightening way. And I think for Jon, and Jordan, and Lois, and the rest of the family, it definitely changes their perspective on their dad, who they thought was this invincible guy. They just want the best for him.

Might we see Candice or any of Jon’s other romantic interests before the end of the series?

I think we might. I think that’s okay to tease. [NOTE: We do indeed see Candice in the new episode airing Monday, October 28. See an exclusive preview clip below!]

 

Jon and Candice have such a beautiful, sweet teen romance. Jon is such a lover boy and and I really love them together, and I love that he’s in love, because I think it adds another layer to this really tough dynamic where he’s now trying to be a hero and maintain that love life, and his friends, and his family, and it throws another thing into this whirlwind of emotions for him that was really fun to play off.

Is there a part of you that ever wanted to see Jon get with Sarah?

Oh, that’s really interesting. I don’t think so.

I think it’s like “bro code” at the end of the day. Jon doesn’t want anything to do with that, because that’s his brother’s gal. You know what I mean? Even if she’s not anymore, it’s just something that if my brother, in real life, ever had someone, and then I just [swooped in]… it’s just one of those things where I just feel like “you don’t go there.”

I feel like Jon’s pretty with the bro code, and also, Sarah and Jon have this really fun friendship. She’s there for him in ways that no one else is. It’s a different dynamic that he has than with anyone else in the show, and I like that we could see a little bit of that in Season 4.

I think Jon just wants Sarah and Jordan to just stay away from each other, because I think he’s been seeing the red flags for a while.

What’s the big takeaway that you’ll get from having had the Superman & Lois experience?

Biggest takeaway? I think the main thing, honestly, is that I’m really proud of myself as an actor, like stepping into this role so last minute, and really delving into this and doing the best that I possibly can for this character who is adored so greatly.

I’m so grateful that I got to work with all these wonderful people. I learned so much. I almost considered going to acting school around the time that I booked the show, and I’m so glad that this happened instead, because this was like a master class in itself. I learned so much about myself in many ways, and I honestly, I’m really proud of myself, and I’m really proud of the work that we were able to put out. And I hope fans can take away the hope that Superman & Lois gives people.

How was your last day on set?

My last day on set was great. It was really fun. Everyone was there, I remember that… I don’t know if I can say that…

We’ve seen pictures.

It was a really, really great day. It was sad, of course. I did a couple shots at the end of the day, because I wanted to have a little celebration. It was sad saying goodbye to the crew, because I know I won’t be seeing the crew I won’t be seeing too often, whereas the cast I get to see sometimes. But it was a really beautiful send off, and I’m really excited for people to see it.

Now that you have returned home, do your friends react to you differently, now that you have played the son of Superman and Lois Lane?

I’m really glad that both Alex and I get to go through this together, because I have someone to relate to. Yeah, I think I’m getting referred to as Superboy by my friends more now than Michael, so I think I have to live with that for a little while.

I’m just really glad that Alex is probably going through the exact same thing, so we get to share that together.

My friends and family are just really proud of me, and they love the show. I couldn’t be more grateful for all of them.

Is there any chance you might reunite with the cast to do some fan conventions in the future?

I would love to do some fan conventions. It’s really tough because I’m from Australia, and I know it’s expensive to get me out there, but I would love to show up at those. So if any of the cons or the con people are [reading this], make a petition to get me there, because I would love to be at them. I’d love to do that with Tyler and Bitsie and Alex and everyone, because as many times as I can see them, it is another wonderful memory that I get to share with them.

Is there anything specific you’d like to say to the fans that will be reading this interview?

I would love to say “thank you so much.” I was so terrified coming onto this show. I know you all loved Joh so dearly, and I am so delighted that you feel that I was able to bring this character to life in a way that made you all happy. I just can’t thank you enough, because this could have gone really sour for me. They say it was a big gamble. Being a recast, it’s always a tough thing, but I think I got really, really lucky. I wouldn’t be as content as I am right now without all of your love and your support for my Jon.

Superman & Lois has another new episode “Break the Cycle” airing this Monday, October 28 on The CW. Get caught up with past Season 4 episodes on CWTV.com or the CW app!

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Interviews

Superman & Lois EPs Discuss Jonathan’s Big Change

Superman & Lois showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher discuss Jonathan Kent’s new situation after the episode “Always My Hero.”

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SPOILER WARNING: Do not read this article if you have not yet seen Superman & Lois Episode #4.3 “Always My Hero” which aired October 14 on The CW.

After more than three seasons, it’s finally happened: Jonathan Kent (Michael Bishop) has powers!

In the lead-up to Superman & Lois Season 4, KryptonSite spoke with showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher about the new season (full interview here), but some things had to be held for spoilers, and this is one of those things.

“We thought it was kind of an interesting paradox,” Brent Fletcher said about the decision to finally give Jonathan Kent powers. “He’s been a kid without them for so long, and he’s been looking through the looking glass at his brother, especially at a point where things were sour. To let a kid that really wanted this thing finally get the Corvette and be able to be able to take it out of the garage was a joy for us to talk about. We thought it would be fun on screen and then we talked about it forward for the season. There are some interesting stories that come with it. We think it brings a new dynamic to that brother relationship, which we’re always interested in exploring,” he continued.

Todd Helbing stressed that even with powers, the dynamic with Jonathan and his brother Jordan (Alex Garfin) won’t completely change. “They’re still brothers. They still have these differences in what they can and can’t do. We just wanted to take that idea and explore it at the next level, so you’re going to see Jonathan exploring this newfound ability, and Jordan trying to figure out how now he fits into this dynamic,” he added.

Unfortunately, this change will make Jordan feel “less than” for the first time in a while. He was unsuccessful against Lex, his brother has powers, and he’s heard about his mother’s choice when picking one son to save. “It just hasn’t been a good run for him and then to see his twin brother on the up is an interesting place to put somebody, and we felt like that was going to be good terrain to explore,” Fletcher teased.

KryptonSite has learned that “comic book fans will be very happy” with Jonathan’s trajectory — what that will ultimately mean, we don’t know. A costume? Maybe. Jay? Probably not. In any event, new episodes of Superman & Lois air Mondays at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.

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