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Actor Michael Rosenbaum discusses the unconventional approach he took when auditioning for his breakout role as Lex Luthor on Smallville.
Smallville‘s Michael Rosenbaum took a very Lex Luthor-like gamble when auditioning for the role.
Joining his former showrunners and costars for a retrospective look at the series hosted by The Hollywood Reporter for the show’s 20th anniversary, Rosenbaum shared an anecdote on the casting process he went through to secure his role as Luthor. He said, “My agent called. ‘They want to screen test you.’ I said, ‘I’ll never have an audition as good as I just had. Tell them to rewind the tape.’ So he goes, ‘You’re going to lose this role. You know that.’ I don’t recommend this to any other actor, and I would never do it again, but I said, ‘Rewind the tape.’
The actor’s risky show of confidence paid off, with Tom Welling joking, “Lex Luthor does not come back for a second audition, OK?” Rosenbaum agreed, arguing, “Exactly. He just wouldn’t do it. It’s out of character.” This self-assuredness was tested when he was forced to perform a stunt in the pilot episode where he was submerged in a water tank, with Rosenbaum admitting he suffered from panic attacks while rehearsing the sequence.
Welling also spoke about his own experience being cast as Clark Kent, with the actor claiming Christopher Reeve congratulated him on being cast as the new Superman. The Smallville star admitted he was humbled by this, despite the fact he had no intention of donning the cape or moniker of Superman on the show. However, the actor’s time as Superman may still come, with both Welling and Rosenbaum teasing an animated continuation of the series which would explore storylines that its live-action predecessor could not.
Smallville: The Complete Series arrives on Blu-ray on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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