After his departure from Smallville, Michael Rosenbaum (former Lex Luthor) interviewed by his former college’s friend. They are discussed about the past, the beginning of Michael’s career and how it felt played Lex Luthor on Smallville for about seven years. And will he come back to Smallville. Jerry Nunn from Windy City Times brought the interview for you...
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Back in 1991, a group of theatre students lived all together in a three bedroom house in Bowling Green, Ky. Who knew that years later, one would be a world-famous super villain and another a writer for Windy City Times? After all this time, we had to catch up .....
Windy City Times: So, the last time I saw you in person was at a party at Western [ Kentucky University ] . You told me that you were going to move to New York after graduating and become famous. Now look at you!
Michael Roesenbaum: I remember saying that; I do. I just had a feeling that this would all happen.
WCT: How did you get started after arriving in The Big Apple?
MB: I had dinner with some other acting alumni from Western Kentucky, who were living in New York and I called them up to say thanks for having me. One of them got me an interview with their agent the following Monday.
I did seven seasons and I just finished this past May. They are continuing on
another season. My contract was up and it had run its course. I loved the cast
and the crew but I felt like my work was done. They have asked me to come back a
few times. People think they have seen me on the show since then but I found out
they have been using body doubles to pretend that it’s me. I don’t know how fair
that is to the fans.
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WCT: So it’s all who you know, sometimes.
MB: It was serendipitous. Everything just clicked. I auditioned for Conan O’Brien and got a sketch comedy segment called the Amsterdam Kids. It was about two kids that were misinformed about Amsterdam liberal policies. The episodes were on every week for five weeks.
WCT: So that got you some exposure. So what happened after that?
MB: Well, I just kept auditioning, little by little, for different projects.
WCT: How did you get in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil?
MB: I auditioned for it although I had never heard of it or read the John Berendt book. They had me read for it on tape. The next day they called and said, "You have a call back and Clint wants you to be a little more subtle."I couldn’t believe that Clint Eastwood casts from videotape! A week later, I flew to Atlanta and filmed the movie.
WCT: That must have been exciting.
MB: It was. Clint really made me feel comfortable on set and didn’t hound me with me with a lot of notes. [ Does a dead-on Eastwood interpretation ]"Well Michael, how did that feel?" Next I had an audition and was cast on The Tom Arnold Show. That brought me to L.A. and got me in the door. There are lots of stories of overnight successes but, for me, it was step by step.
WCT: It has been great to watch your rise to fame.
MB: Well, you knew me. You lived with me, for God’s sake. I was always a bit of an extrovert. I knew where I wanted to go and where I wanted to be. I knew I could do this.
WCT: Well, you definitely hit it big with the WB show Smallville, playing Lex Luthor. How many seasons were you on?
MB: I did seven seasons and I just finished this past May. They are continuing on another season. My contract was up and it had run its course. I loved the cast and the crew but I felt like my work was done. They have asked me to come back a few times. People think they have seen me on the show since then but I found out they have been using body doubles to pretend that it’s me. I don’t know how fair that is to the fans.
WCT: So you don’t think you will ever come back?
MB: No. I told the producers that I would only come back for the last episode or two if they let me wear a bald cap. I just grew my hair out.
WCT: Shaving your hair just drove you crazy, didn’t it?
MB: It wore out its welcome. Seven years everyday, filming in Vancouver, freezing my ass off. I couldn’t even wear a hat because my makeup would get ruined. I had to be there two hours before the crew got there to shave my head. The makeup girl was like my therapist. She knew everything about me and knew I wasn’t coming back. I am truly grateful to the show. It put me on the map. It gave me financial stability. I am able to take care of my mother’s gambling problem! [ Both laugh. ]
WCT: Well, you are not like that character you played on TV.
MB: Anyone who knows me was surprised I was playing the villain. I have always been the jokester so everyday on set I was doing stand-up comedy for the crew; then I had to be all serious. I was craving to do funny stuff. Now I have that freedom.
WCT: I thought how brilliant that you could grow you hair back and have a whole other career after the show.
MB: You hit the nail on the head. In fact, right now, I have a holiday beard growing. I remember you in a beard, too. You grow good beards.
WCT: I did it for theatre; it works well for Shakespeare. How did you get involved with all the voice work on cartoons such as Justice League and Batman?
MB: I was doing voiceover work in New York for everything from Trojan condoms to Magnavox. It’s a lot of fun and easy to do. I didn’t have connections, only that my agent said they need a replacement for a small part in the Batman Beyond cartoon. After that I auditioned for the Justice League and played the Flash for six years.
WCT: You were so good. I grew up with comic books and it was wild to see you do all these superhero projects.
MB: That’s so cool to hear from a friend because I never knew anything about it. I was learning as I went along. I would get these crazed fans that would be like,"Hey, you’re the Flash!"
WCT: Did you make appearances at the comic-book conventions?
MB: I went to one in Chicago, actually. The idea of someone paying me money just to sign autographs seems silly to me. A free trip? Great! Fans love it and it’s good for everyone.
WCT: Those fans will stay with you forever. You have a lot of gay fans too, just to let you know.
MB: Really? That’s comforting. The wardrobe guy on Smallville always told me that. I told him they like the pretty boy, they like Tom. He said, "They like you too... trust me."Tell them I am better with hair, Jer.
WCT: The pictures you sent me are with hair. You have played gay in Sweet November with Keanu Reeves and did drag in Sorority Boys.
MB: It’s really hard playing a transvestite and then having to carry Charlize Theron into the bathroom and undress her. I really had to stay in character. [ Laughs ]
WCT: Now is there someone famous that you never thought you would meet?
MB: It’s funny how I became friends with Carrie Fisher. Her daughter was a fan of Smallville and wanted an autographed picture. I said I want a picture, in exchange, of Carrie in Return of the Jedi in that little skimpy outfit with Jabba the Hut. She jokingly wrote, "Michael, fuck me, Carrie." We have been throwing parties together ever since for Christmas called the "Bah Humbug" parties, where we get lumps of coal and we trim the tree with people like Robert Downing, Jr., and Alec Baldwin on the list.
WCT: That sounds surreal. All this and you started from humble beginnings in a small town.
MB: You cast me in my first show there at Western when you were directing a children’s play.
WCT: I guess I saw a star in you very early on. What’s in the future for Michael Rosenbaum?
MB: I am writing a lot. I am being very selective. I don’t have to jump at everything that comes at me. I want to do more movies. I would do a sitcom; I did a couple but they were short-lived. I always thought I would have my own show.
by Jerry Nunn
2009-01-07
See www.michaelrosenbaum.com .
