Interviews

Superman & Lois Interview: Erik Valdez Talks Kyle Cushing

Interview with actor Erik Valdez who plays Kyle Cushing on The CW television series Superman & Lois

Published

3 years ago

June 8, 2021

Erik Valdez has made quite an impression on The CW television series Superman & Lois as Lana Lang’s husband Kyle Cushing, a fire chief with a strong defense of his town and his family while still facing some of his own personal demons. With a new episode of Superman & Lois titled “Loyal Subjekts” airing tonight (June 8) at 9PM ET/PT on The CW, KryptonSite spoke with Erik about the experience of playing Kyle and what makes his character tick.

Enjoy, and if you’d like to see photos from tonight’s episode, you can find them here.

KRYPTONSITE’S CRAIG BYRNE: What is the biggest challenge in playing a character like Kyle?

ERIK VALDEZ: To me, the challenges are in the little nuances of the character. I’ve talked a little bit about this, with my producers and writers – just the way that they approach the writing to him. He’s not a character that’s over the top or really big at any given time; it’s the subtleties that really make him who he is.

To me, I find that’s often more challenging as an actor, rather than being able to go super big, either physically, or vocally, or anything like that. When you have to play these nuances on a more even tone, to make them come off the screen, it’s a challenge. So for me, that’s been a constant thing of trying to do justice to the brashness of Kyle, and in the flawed elements of Kyle, while also implementing a little peek into his heart and soul, and then where his intentions are.

I’ve liked the way that he’s been written from day one, because you start at a place where people are like, “oh, man, this guy’s kind of a jerk, right?” And to me, that was great, because you’ve got nowhere to go but up from there, and you get to a point where the audience is really getting a glimpse into Kyle and who he really is and the fact that he’s not really a jerk. He just doesn’t know how to handle all these situations. He’s really got the best of intentions at all times, andd I find playing those little subtleties is definitely one of the biggest challenges.

How do you think Kyle would react to Sarah being interested in one of the Kent boys?

It’s funny. I listen to a lot of country music. I listen to a lot of music in general, but I am a bit of a country boy in real life. I grew up in Texas, and so I’ve got elements of Kyle, and I understand Kyle quite well. I was listening to a song the other day by Thomas Rhett on his new album, and there’s a line in there in a song called “To The Guys That Date My Girls.” Thomas Rhett has three girls now, and there’s a line in there where he’s talking about the future, to the guys that date his girls, that “when you pull her close, basically save some room for Jesus, because if you cross that line, boy, you’re gonna need him.” And to me, that’s pretty much spot-on with how Kyle is gonna approach this thing. He’s not going to be this helicopter parent that doesn’t let his daughter do anything. She’s a beautiful girl, of course guys are going to be interested in her, but you better not cross any lines, or Kyle will wreak all hell on anybody who does not take care of his girls, basically. So that one line in that song, literally, as I’m listening to it… I listen and see and hear things as Kyle sometimes… I’m like “oh yeah! I get that!”

You get to play guitar in Tuesday’s episode. Can you talk about that?

First of all, I’m glad I love the fact that that they’ve allowed us to do more than just act. They’ve implemented some of our other talents or things that we may not be that talented at, like guitar, and secondly, I’m thankful that they didn’t script a very complicated song, because I can play but I am no guitarista or whatever you want to call it.

It’s awesome to be able to do though, because music has been a big part of my life forever. My grandpa, when I was a kid, literally, they had a farm outside of Lubbock, Texas, and we’d be out on the on the porch, and he’d break out his guitar, and he’d make up songs. He’d sing some songs we knew, but he would just make stuff up and strum on the guitar. And so, getting to do that in this in this show, in this episode here, it really brought back a lot of fun memories, internally for me as Erik, of getting to do that type of stuff. It also gave me an excuse to go out and buy another guitar, because my guitars were back in L.A.. I was like “I’m not gonna ship them up here, so I’ll go buy another one,” and my wife like, “okay, I guess it makes sense.”

What do you think would make Kyle Cushing happy?

That’s a great question. I think at the end of the day, that’s what he’s really striving for, is his happiness. Internally, he’s got a lot of demons that he hasn’t quite faced yet, and I think that’s part of part of who he is. He puts himself last. It maybe doesn’t always come across that way. but he’s always looking out for the people he loves. In this case, this season, it’s been his town. Smallville is everything that him, outside of his immediate family, and so if he sees his people happy, if he sees his loved ones happy, that makes him happy. I don’t think he’s quite ready to deal with his internal demons, and we’ve seen that manifest itself in both the way he lashes out here and there and in his drinking early on. I think initially, having his people around him that he loves happy, would make him happy. And I think internally, he’s still struggling with what he really needs for himself to be happy, but that’s kind of an ongoing process, and I think we’ll get to see a little bit more of that as things unfold.

Could Kyle’s feelings about Morgan Edge change once he realizes the danger that he has put Lana and the town of Smallville in?

A hundred percent. Kyle is the kind of person that will take you for your word. You look him in the eye, you shake his hand, and he’s gonna believe you. That’s how he is, and that’s what he expects. And so, he will give people the benefit of the doubt, almost to a fault, up until he doesn’t. And when he doesn’t, especially if you cross him, again, mentioning how much he cares for his town and his family, if you mess with the people he loves, then you are 100% blacklisted.

We don’t really know how, how rough Kyle can get with people, but I have an idea internally of how he would handle situations like that. He doesn’t take too kindly to people crossing him or his loved ones.

Is there anyone in the cast that you haven’t gotten to work with much that you’d like to work with more?

I have not worked with Jordan Elsass much. We’ve seen each other on set, but I think a scene that we have in [Episode 9] might be the first time we’ve actually worked together aside from the pilot, when we, when we were all out at the farm there.

And Alex Garfin, too. I think I’ve seen him more than Jordan, but the Kent kids, in terms of character, they’re ridiculously talented, and I love watching all all of their stuff come to life. I read the full scripts, so I have an idea of what’s going to happen, but they surprise me week in and week out with the life they breathe into these characters. Especially at such a young age, it’s amazing. And Inde [Navarrette] – I work with Inde all the time, obviously, but the youngsters on this show are just ridiculously talented, and there’s also this enthusiasm and this youthfulness that they have.

I work with Em [Emmanuelle Chriqui] all the time, and I work with Tyler and Bitsie, and we’re all around the same age, and that’s really cool. But the days that I do get to interact with Jordan and Alex on set, even if we’re not necessarily in a scene, man, it just reminds me how old I am, and it just reminds me of the sheer excitement, that we should never let go of in what we’re able to do for a living. I try to hold strong to that I’ve had a decent career. I’ve worked a long time. I never want to become this person that just takes things for granted, and I don’t think I do. I’m pretty good about that. But seeing seeing this whole process play out through the eyes of a 17 and a 19 year old is awesome, man. So I would love to be able to work with them more down the road, if not for anything else, just to get a little dose of that youthfulness on set.

You’ve worked with a number of charities. Are there any that you’d like to specifically talk about?

There are many that I’ve worked with that hold a special place in my heart, and one of them is Best Buddies. It’s an organization that promotes inclusion, so they they work with mainly teenagers and young adults with Down syndrome and with learning challenges, in getting the rest of the world to be more accepting and put them into job positions, to let the world know that it’s because someone has Down syndrome doesn’t mean they can’t work and interact well with other people. I love what they do, and any time I get to work with them, it’s awesome. It’s just such a great organization.

Also, there’s City of Hope based outside of L.A.. They’re on the forefront of cancer research and they do a lot for research, but they also help folks that can’t necessarily pay for treatments. There are a lot of [charities] out there, and I wish I could spread myself a million miles then just so I could help as many people as possible. But those are the two that I tend to work with on the regular.

Overall, what has the Superman & Lois experience been like for you?

“It’s amazing” is the short answer. My wife and I were talking about this the other day. To me, this has been a veritable jackpot. Not just because I’m on a TV show, and I’ve got a steady gig… I mean, that’s a big part of it, especially given the state of the world and going through a pandemic, and, and working through all that… but aside from that, it’s a show that is proven to be successful, that resonates well with the audience, that is chock full of talent, from our writers, to our DPs, to even the guest stars that we have coming in and out. They’re all just such great people.

And my cast mates! I was with Tyler and Wolé yesterday. We went kayaking! We’re sitting out on the lake — we rarely get a day off all of us at the same time — we were out there, sitting on the lake in kayaks, and we’re just literally at this moment where we were talking a lot, and then there’s about 10, 15 seconds of dead silence, and it seemed like we were all thinking the same thing. We looked at each other and, and we’re like, “you know what? This is amazing. The fact that we all get along to the point where we actually still love hanging out with each other, even when we’re not working. That doesn’t happen all the time, especially in this industry!” All too often, you’re in situations where you’re forced to work with people that you wouldn’t ever really interact with in real life, or that you don’t actually really get along with. Yhat’s just not the case here. So for me, you know, again, it hits the jackpot. I’ve got my family up here with me. We’re in Vancouver, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world. We’re filming a show that is doing really well, that people really love, with some of the best people in the world. I couldn’t be happier with my current situation.

Don’t miss a new Superman & Lois TONIGHT on The CW. Our thanks to Erik Valdez for taking the time to do this interview!

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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

Published

1 week ago

October 25, 2024

Craig Byrne

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!

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.”

Published

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2024

Craig Byrne

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.

Interviews

Superman & Lois Post-Mortem: Showrunners Discuss [SPOILER]’s Death

Superman & Lois showrunners discuss the death of a character in the Season 4 episode “Always My Hero.”

Published

3 weeks ago

October 14, 2024

Craig Byrne

WARNING: Spoilery events from the October 14 episode of Superman & Lois titled “Always My Hero” are being discussed in this article. If you haven’t watched yet, bookmark this page, wait until you’ve seen it, and come read after you’ve screened the episode!

It went by so fast… and with those words, we say goodbye to General Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh) who sacrificed himself to Doomsday with a final plan to save the life of Superman. He literally gave his heart for the man whose heart is shared with Sam’s daughter — Lois’ husband, Superman, who appears to be able to recover in the Fortress of Solitude.

Leading into the fourth season, KryptonSite spoke with Showrunners Brent Fletcher and Todd Helbing about what Dylan Walsh brought to General Lane over these four seasons of Superman & Lois. [According to a social media post by his wife, Dylan Walsh only appears in two episodes for this final season, so this is it.]

“Dylan brought everything, ” Brent Fletcher said. “He’s such an incredible actor, and couldn’t have knocked it out of the park more than he did with his performance in Episode 3.”

“Just the idea of Sam making the ultimate sacrifice to bring Superman back, we felt, was really the only way to do it and justify him coming back, because it’s such a big thing. When you kill Superman, you have to live with it for a while, and if you’re going to bring him back, it needs to have consequences and stakes. It shouldn’t just be something simple and easy and everybody lives happily thereafter. We wanted everything to feel real and lived in,” he continued. “Death is a big thing, and we didn’t want our audience to think that we were playing lightly with it just because it had been done in comics before. We felt having Sam make that sacrifice was a way to earn it, because people love him so much, and we love him so much.”

The characters of the show recently went through losing Superman, and now, they will be saying goodbye to a father figure and grandfather who touched them all. Only seven episodes of Superman & Lois remain, but Sam Lane’s impact and sacrifice will surely reverberate for weeks to come.

Superman & Lois airs Mondays at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.