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Smallville

Michael Rosenbaum Discusses His Smallville Departure

Michael Rosenbaum discussed his departure from Smallville in a new interview with Katee Sackhoff.

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Michael Rosenbaum paid a visit to his friend Katee Sackhoff‘s podcast Blah Blah Blah with Katee Sackhoff for an hour-plus-long discussion about careers, life, on-screen kisses, and more. The part that might matter most to Smallville fans, though, is that Michael talked about his departure from the show after Season 7 as well as being known as the best Lex Luthor (a sentiment shared on this very website).

On the podcast, Michael discusses how he was originally only contracted for six seasons but did extend it to include a seventh. When the time came to sign on beyond that, he was ready to leave, but Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth wanted to meet him for lunch, ostensibly to make an offer. Even though Michael had worked for Roth for over a decade, the interaction was “like the first time he ever met me,” Michael says.

According to Michael, Peter Roth proposed a three-year deal… for the exact same amount of money he was getting on his previous contract. “That was it,” he says. After that, he didn’t want to counter, and didn’t care what they’d offer afterward.  “That was it. I knew I had to respect myself, and it wasn’t worth it,” he recalls.

Which isn’t to say Smallville was a bad experience, despite having to play the same character for so many years. He always committed to and respected the role… and if people say he’s “known mostly as Lex Luthor,” that’s okay.

“F**k, yeah,” he says about that response. “If I’m known for that, and that’s the only thing in my life… that’s not awesome? I used to think ‘I’ve gotta do something better…’ How are you going to be better than playing a great character like that on a great show for so many years? Just to be lucky enough to be on a great show and be good in something is amazing. I honestly like that that’s how I’ll be remembered. That’s the best thing ever.”

At one point, Katie Sackhoff brings up the notion that many have named Michael as their favorite Lex Luthor — while Michael himself lists Gene Hackman as his favorite, the topic did also cover how even new DC Studios head (and personal friend to Michael) James Gunn has said that he was his favorite Lex Luthor. “It’s cool to see your peers and people you respect and admire, and your friends say that,” Michael says.

Michael isn’t Lex in the new Superman: Legacy film – that will be Nicholas Hoult – but Michael describes director James Gunn as “brilliant.” “I hope it’s brilliant,” he says about the movie, too. But no – it’s a different direction, and his friendship with Gunn doesn’t mean he would be guaranteed a part like that.

“That’s a thing that people think about this industry. They think you’re gonna meet someone and become friends with them, and they’re just gonna put you in everything. That does not happen. I’m here to say that that does not happen. It doesn’t mean that they’re not thinking of you; just [that] they have a vision for their projects, and sometimes it just doesn’t fit in their mind,” he says. (Gunn did use Michael in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, however, where he played Martinex.)

The entire podcast is a good listen; you can check it out embedded below.

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Smallville

Michael Rosenbaum Would Consider A Smallville Movie

Michael Rosenbaum has revealed in a new interview that he would consider reprising the role of Lex Luthor for a Smallville movie.

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Screen Rant today posted an extensive interview with Michael Rosenbaum where he talks about his role as Lex Luthor on Smallville as well as his podcasting empire which includes Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum and TalkVille. There are many fantastic topics covered – you can read the entire interview here – but one thing that might get Smallville fans really pumped is that Michael expressed an interest in reprising the role for a Smallville movie.

“I asked Tom [Welling] the other day, ‘If [Smallville creators] Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar] came to us and said, ‘We got this great idea for a Smallville movie. We want you guys to get in shape for the next two months, and then we’re going to go shoot this movie like a real finale…’ We were both like, ‘Yeah!’ If it was right, I think that would be dope. So many other shows are doing that. I would certainly consider it,” Michael said.

“It would have to something that, again, was grounded, but if Al and Miles did it, and wanted to do a one and half hour movie, I think Tom and I — we’d all consider it,” he continued. “I think we’d have fun going back, but we’d have to really work to get back into those characters in that mindset because we’re a lot older. But if you shaved my head and you put makeup on me, it still works!”

The Screen Rant interview also touched upon the notion of a Smallville animated project — something that Michael and Tom both have been pushing for in recent years. Is there anything new to share?

“All I could share is that it’s a great idea. We have Al and Miles, the creators of Smallville backing us up. When it’s the right time, we’d like to go and do this; pitch to Warner Bros. It has to be the right time, and right now is not the right time. We had the strike, we had a change of executives at DC — one being one of my best friends in the world, James Gunn. When the time’s right, I think it’s something that’s a no brainer, unless they have other ideas. We’d like to do it — the whole cast would like to do it. They would voice their own character from the show, and we have a concept of what the show is,” he confirmed.

You can read the full Screen Rant interview here.

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Crisis on Infinite Earths

Marc Guggenheim Answers Two Smallville-Related Crisis Questions

Arrowverse architect Marc Guggenheim has answered questions about Michael Rosenbaum and Erica Durance’s Smallville roles in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

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Arrowverse architect Marc Guggenheim has been releasing a fantastic Substack newsletter called LegalDispatch in recent months, and with this week’s edition, he answered some Smallville-related questions regarding the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover — specifically, what Michael Rosenbaum‘s Lex would have done if he had shown up, and also, if there were more plans for Erica Durance to appear as Lois beyond her brief scene with Tom Welling.

Being transparent, Marc answered some of those questions! First, regarding what role Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex would play:

Well, here’s the thing. By the time we’d engaged with Michael about appearing in Crisis — thanks in huge part to Stephen Amell’s efforts — we’d already shot the Smallville reunion scene in Hour 2. Nevertheless, I was eager to get Michael’s Lex into the story if I could, so my brain started working on options that could be fit into the episodes that we were still shooting.

I forget the story impetus for them, but I noodled with a version where Michael’s Lex would interact with Jon Cryer’s Lex, which I think would’ve been quite entertaining had it come to pass.

Also, was there any temptation to have Erica Durance’s Lois Lane appear in more than one episode?

There was absolutely a temptation for sure. As with most things, however, we were subject to the limit of a combination of screentime, story requirements, money, shooting schedule, and the actors’ personal schedules.

You can read this week’s LegalDispatch here.

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Smallville

Smallville’s “Toyman” Actor Has Passed Away

Smallville’s “Toyman” actor Chris Gauthier has passed away.

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Chris Gauthier, the actor who played Winslow Schott a.k.a. Toyman on Smallville, has passed away from an “unspecified short illness” at only 48 years old. He appeared in three memorable episodes of Smallville — “Requiem,” “Echo,” and “Prophecy” — during the final two seasons of the series, and well before that, in “Delete,” he played a LuthorCorp technician.

“We can confirm that our dear friend and client, Chris Gauthier, passed away on Friday morning, February 23, at the age of 48,” his management company TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent said in a statement. “His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally. On behalf of his family, we do ask for privacy during this time so that they are able to grieve properly.”

Gauthier had many credits, especially showing up in almost everything that shoots in Vancouver. Those credits included 14 episodes of Once Upon a Time and even a guest shot on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow!

Our condolences go out to Gauthier’s friends, family, and colleagues.

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