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...Like Son?

Lionel Luthor has the Luthorcorp empire in the palm of his hand, but we know that one day it will become Lexcorp. John Glover explains why he’s not worried about his son’s keen business sense just yet.

Bryan Cairns, Cult Times magazine, #90 (March 2003)


Who shot Lionel Luthor? Or better yet, who wouldn’t want to shoot him? That is one of the upcoming plot twists sending Smallville residents into an investigation frenzy while keeping the show and its characters fresh. As far as who is responsible for the dastardly deed (and no, he doesn’t buy the farm), according to soft-spoken actor John Glover, the whodunnit list is long enough to confound even Jessica Fletcher. “You’ll see in Suspect that people have different reasons for who could have done it,” explains Glover. “Sometimes Lionel can go a bit too far. People don’t understand what he’s trying to do. It looks as if he’s the most despicable man in the world, but there are reasons for what he does.”

Maybe so, but even his son Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) is a member — make that president — of the I-Hate-Lionel club. Daddy dearest has always been more of a money-giver than a care-giver, and his track record isn’t improving. With Lionel recently attempting to close down Lex’s plant, not to mention offering a sum of cash to his son’s girlfriend to vamoose, the bad blood has been boiling over. As a result, Lex is also a prime suspect of the crime. “Well, some people think Lex did it,” explains Glover. “He really got angry at me. Lex thinks I’m taking away from him and ruining his business. But it’s for his own good.”

It’s that tough love attitude which isn’t winning any brownie points with Luthor Jr. Yet Glover doesn’t see Lionel as the monster he’s painted to be. “Lionel is a very successful businessman with a lot of power in the world. He wants to teach his son, Lex. When a lot of people see me, they talk about how mean Lionel is or what a villain. I don’t see him as a villain; I just see him as a man who is quite ruthless in business and understands that his son is not quite what he could be. He’s just giving his son a series of tests to strengthen him.”

So does that make him Father of the Year? From Glover’s eruption of laughter, you can rightly assume the answer is no. “For myself personally?” he poses. “No, but as an actor, I have to believe. One of the first jobs I ever had in the industry was with Fred Zinnermann, who directed High Noon. I was in Julia with Jane Fonda, and I was this slimy, awful man. Mr Z said to me, ‘This man believes he himself is very noble’. It was my first insight into the type of characters I’ve played. I keep in mind Lionel sees himself as a good person. As John Glover, he’s not the father I would want.”

A turning point came in the Tempest cliffhanger, where a rampaging twister had pinned an injured Lionel under a heavy cabinet. Lex had the opportunity to leave his Dad to the storm’s fury, but in Vortex he demonstrated some Clark Kent heroism and saved him. It’s this kind of father/son dynamic that has Glover beaming. Originally, Lionel only sporadically appeared during Season One, usually spying on Lex or egging him on. There always seemed to be a lot of untapped potential in the character, at least enough that Lionel has been promoted to a fully-fledged regular now.

“They asked me to do the pilot and said he might be in some episodes,” recalls Glover about his new status. “During Season One, I did a lot of theatre — I was doing a play in Los Angeles and then later in New York. I wasn’t available very much and because I didn’t have a contract, it was just whenever I was available. I think they found there was a lot of mileage to be gotten out of Lionel, so during the summer hiatus they called my agent and said they wanted a contract. Now they own me.” He laughs. “I love the show.”

For Glover, part of what makes it so enjoyable is working with a younger, enthusiastic cast, especially when so many scenes are with the quick-witted Rosenbaum. “Michael is a madman, which makes it terrific,” praises Glover. “He’s an incredibly talented actor and we have a lot of fun together. He sings a lot and his head is always full of amazing ideas. It’s everywhere all at once. He’s interested in everything and he has a lot of suggestions to make about his work and the scenes. But if the director disagrees and they don’t do it his way, Michael doesn’t get bent out of shape or take it personally. I’m learning a lot from him.”

When asked which moments or episodes really hit the mark, Glover admits it’s hard to differentiate them week-to-week since they all flawlessly flow into one big serial. Instead, what’s got him excited is the friction caused in future storylines. “I’m more interested in the Lionel/Martha relationship,” he says. “There will be some stuff happening with that over the next few weeks. The illegitimate child story will be dealt with more. There will be a rivalry between the two sons and they realize at a certain point that Lex is not the sole heir of Lionel. It’s crazy.”

Thanks to roles in Gremlins 2, Batman & Robin and the TV series Brimstone, Glover has trademarked the bad guy archetype. But his current role is a little different; as a result of Smallville’s Tempest and Vortex episodes, Lionel was left blind. As an actor, playing someone with this optical damage has proven to be a real challenge. “If you’ve ever spoken with a blind person, look at where their gaze or eyes seem to go,” he says. “It took us a while to figure out what works and what doesn’t to ‘sell’ blind behavior. In the beginning, I would rehearse the scenes with my eyes closed, which is a frightening experience. For a man in such control, it was an added element to the drama of Lionel’s life, to take this important sense away.”

Looking back, Glover has vamped it up as the over-the-top Jason Woodrue in Batman & Robin, in contrast to the more charismatic Lionel. If given the choice between the two, he says it’s the quieter ones you have to watch out for. “There’s more depth to Lionel,” offers Glover. “What I am finding so interesting about playing him is there’s all these different layers. I prefer playing Lionel because he’s a human being. Dr Jason Woodrue was a ball to play, especially since I was kissed to death by Uma Thurman.”

One show which got an earlier than expected pink slip was the supernatural series Brimstone. In it, Glover played Mr. Evil Incarnate himself, The Devil. Although Brimstone had a short-run, Glover continues to have fond memories of it. “We had a great time on Brimstone,” he says. “We were all so shocked and disappointed when they pulled the plug on it. We did 13 episodes, that was all. There was a turnover at Fox TV and the heads changed. Whoever the guy was that was in charge wasn’t the guy who ordered it. I don’t think he had a vested interest in it. When it didn’t build quick enough, it kinda lost faith.

“I was at the grocery store yesterday and I was putting my loot in the car and someone went,” — he slips into a gruff voice — “‘Hey, watch out! It’s the Devil!’ People still talk about it. An actor always likes to feel they are reaching an audience when working.”

Devil aside, it looks like fans are taking note of Glover on Smallville. Like everyone else involved in the production or who is glued to the television weekly, it seems pretty obvious why it’s become such a big hit.

“I’m so close to it and I’m excited viewers are perking up to it,” says Glover. “One of the strongest things in the world is the father/son bond, and that’s what they are drawing on. It also applies to the whole series because of Clark and that awkward adolescent period we all remember. Even the popular kid feels that and can relate. More and more adults are catching on and say, ‘I watch the show and like it’.”

Despite someone gunning for Lionel’s head, it’s a safe bet the cut-throat millionaire will be back to stir up more conflict next year. In the meantime, given his impressive resume and villainous tendencies, does Glover ever foresee getting bored of such genre material? “I haven’t sought it out, it’s just stuff that comes to me,” he concludes. “There’s a theatricality or a certain drama to them because they are larger than life. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. What I love is finding the humanness in it all.”



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