| Super Size Me |
Stepping into the infamous red boots and cape was never going to be an easy gig, but in Brandon Routh, Superman Returns director, Bryan Singer, seems to have found his hero. Clumsy but cute, Brandon breathes new live into the beloved franchise along with his super co-stars, Kate Bosworth as love-interest Lois and Kevin Spacey as the evil Lex Luther! We caught up with all three of them…
Were you a big fan of the comic books prior to the film?
Brandon: I remember the Christopher Reeve films, especially the first two; those were the two that made me love Superman. I was aware of the comic books and there was big talk about in it in the schoolyard when superman died. So I was aware of it, yes!
Brandon, you’re from a small town in Iowa, did you find it easy to identify with Clark?
Brandon: I think it’s hard to really explain it because it’s in my make up, in how I was raised, to an extent. I think one thing that comes out of growing up in a small town in America is that it’s very quiet and you can either enjoy that as a kid or get upset that there’s nothing to do. I quite enjoyed the openness and ability to ride my bike all over the place. I didn’t live on a farm, but about quarter of a mile away from one, so I did all that running through the cornfields. That’s definitely part of what Superman is and Kal-el and Clark on the farm is. He’s very comfortable being a part of that. That translates I think to how calm he is, I feel like I’m pretty calm most of the time and relaxed and that gives presence to the character.
Kevin, how difficult was it stepping into the shoes of Gene Hackman, who played the original Lex?
Kevin: Well, like Bryan Singer, I have great affection for the Richard Donner film and the performances in it and I felt Hackman was great. But when Bryan first started to talk to me about the conception of this film and plot line, he said that while he wanted to retain certain characteristics of Lex Luthor that included being funny, silly and having a bickering relationship with the Kitty character, he also wanted to introduce a new element. That was to create a Lex Luthor that was actually really scary and dangerous and a formidable nemesis to Superman, so that when Superman is at his most vulnerable, the audience will actually think that Lex is going to win! I also come from a philosophy in the theatre where no actor really owns a part – we just borrow them for periods of time. We’ve all seen countless Hamlets and Richard IIIs, so I think when you have that philosophy about things it feels less like your stepping into someone’s shoes and more that you’re trying to create your own pair.
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