Superman movies have undergone many iterations over the years, and so have the TV shows. Following on from the 1990s TV series starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher as Lois and Clark, the 2000s saw another take on Superman – with a young, teenaged Clark (played by Tom Welling) in Smallville. And the most iconic of all Supermen in the DCU and beyond – Christopher Reeve – had to have a cameo on the show.
Now, Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum (who played Lex Luthor) have started a podcast called Talkville, where they recap episodes of Smallville. And Welling recounted to Entertainment Weekly what happened when the great Superman actor came to set.
According to Welling, Reeve — who played Dr Virgil Swann, the scientist who first tells Clark that he hails from the planet Krypton — defied his personal nurse in order to spend as much time as he could on set. “He was only supposed to be there for three hours, but I think he stayed for like six and a half. He was like, ‘I don’t want to leave,'” Welling recalled.
Welling continued; “The idea was he would shoot all his coverage, then he was going to leave and I would shoot all my stuff with someone else. But he wanted to stay with me! It got to the point where his nurse said to him, ‘I’m going to call the police.’ He’s like, ‘on who?’ She’s like, ‘On you! You’re done, you can’t be here anymore!’ He just wanted to be there. It turned out great, and the story was fantastic.”
Superman has gone through even more changes since Smallville started airing, with Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill taking stabs at the role on the big screen. Now we have the Superman: Legacy release date bringing another one – though we’re none the wiser on who it might be for now.
While we wait to find out more about where the world of Supes is heading, check out our guide to the best Batman actors.