Smallville Press Room Interviews Comic Con 2010 – Full Transcripts

 

Yes, I’m in the new season, but honestly I’m not sure if I’m alive or dead or a vision or a memory. I’m going to be in there a lot. The way it was written, I don’t know if it’s accumulated memories of Clark and things that Jonathan would say to him or if I’m really there. That’s not unusual on “Smallville.” 

Years ago, one of the things that led to my heart attack, Lionel Luthor comes in and hands me something in the barn. I don’t remember exactly what he said but “How’s your family going to be able to survive this!” and he hands me a piece of paper. And I said to the director, it was Greg Beeman at the time, I said what’s on it. He said “It’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen, it’s the worst possible news you could get and it’s life changing.” I said what’s on it and he said “I have no idea.” I said, “Really we’re never going to know?”   He said “We don’t know, we’re never going to know.”

So, we did this whole scene. As soon as John Glover hands me the piece of paper they cut to a reverse of him handing it to me and as soon as I grab it and you should be able to see it over my shoulder I crumpled it up and said back “How dare you!” So it’s not unusual for the cast to be in the dark and I don’t mean that in a bad way. The suspense actually works on the set as well which I think works for the show. 

It was wonderful experience coming back. Much of the crew is the same so it was old home week. You know, when you get past a certain age four years goes by pretty quick. When I was going up there I thought “You know, it’s been four years, what’s this going to be like?” Like I said in the panel as soon as I set foot on the Anderlini farm, which is the Kent farm, I felt like I hadn’t gone anywhere. It was like no time had passed. So it was really wonderful.

I don’t think I’m in the opening titles, I don’t know. I wanted it to be a surprise but obviously it’s not a surprise anymore. I didn’t even want to be in the opening credits. I wanted to just be credited at the end but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.

Yes. I think that Jonathan Kent is back because he is the only force, the only person in Clark Kent’s life that can tell him it’s okay to be Superman. That this is in fact the destiny we talked about when you were a child. We’ve always talked about you’re here for something, you’re here for a reason, you’ve got this very specific set of skills, and you are part of what’s right in the world. One of these days you’ll know how to use that out among the people. It’s your destiny son. I think that’s why they brought me back here because he’s been out doing super things but really kind of unfocused. Doing good when he has the opportunity to do it without focus, without direction. He’s a really good guy but he has not come in contact with his destiny yet. I think that’s what Jonathan is back for.