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"Superman has a defect. He has a chink in his
armor. Superman has morals. He has ethics. He is unrelentingly
good. Because of that, I will win."
 John Shea
was born April 14, 1949 in North Conway, New Hampshire. He began
his career acting on stage,
before making the transition to television with "The Nativity"
in 1978. His first film role was in "Hussy" in 1980.
In 1988, John won an emmy for his role in the 1988 miniseries
"Baby M."
In
1993 John Shea joined the cast of "Lois & Clark,"
with his portrayal of the villainous Lex Luthor. Lex provided
a constant foil for Superman throughout the entire first season
of the series, and John brought his own unique style and charm
to the role made famous by Gene Hackman in the Superman films
of the 70's and 80's.
"I
don't think there has been a character quite like this, Shea
said in a 1994 appearance at the Museum of Television and Radio.
"This villain is written as a human being, and not just
a one dimensional comic villain or a two dimensional comic villain,
the way he might have been portrayed in the comic books or even
other films. I thought Gene Hackman was brilliant, but it was
a different kind of comic villain."
By
the end of the first season, the commute that the part required
became a drain on Shea. The series shot in LA, and Shea had
to fly from his home in New York every week to film his scenes.
When his contract was up at the end of the season, Shea chose
not to return as a regular cast member. However, it seemed that
he had a hard time staying away from the role of the crafty
Mr. Luthor... he returned as a guest star for one episode in
the second season and two episodes in the third season.
After
leaving L&C, Shea returned to the stage, appearing in Broadway
and off-Broadway shows for several years. He also co-wrote,
directed and acted in the dramatic independent film "Southie."
Shea also spent several years playing the role of Adam on the
popular science fiction series "Mutant X."
Bio
written by Russ Dimino
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