January 2003

Small Talk

Love, looks, and, er, an obsession with blackberries--we get the latest Smallville goss straight from it's stars!

Question: We can't wait to get stuck into the new series of Smallville--how did you all end up in such a super-cool show?

Tom Welling: I'd turned the audition down twice before I finally turned up, 'cause all I'd heard was that they were looking for a new Superman, and that was kinda scary! But, in the end, I went along and landed the job.

Michael Rosenbaum: When I auditioned for Lex, they'd already seen 700 other actors, so I asked them what they were looking for. They said charisma and danger, so that's what I gave them!

Kristin Kreuk: I wasn't very prepared for my audition! They asked me to do a screen test, which was nerve wracking because it was the first one I ever did!

Q: And what's the best bit about being in the show?

MR: Well, playing Lex means I get to live in a castle, drive fast cars, wear expensive clothes, and date beautiful exotic women!

KK: I just love the fact that I get to work with a bunch of really cool people. Everyone on Smallville is really kind, and there aren't any ego battles.

TW: Smallville's special because it looks at such a famous character before he becomes a superhero, which is interesting for me as an actor. Plus, we all get on so well together. It's a fun place to work.

Q: Do you muck around on the set?

MR: Absolutely! Which is great. Tom and I are always goofing around with Sam Jones III, who plays Pete Ross. It'll be 11PM and suddenly Tom will start making faces or I'll do a silly impression just as he's about to do his closeup. One time we were laughing so hard it took ten takes to do a scene and the director didn't know what to do with us.

TW: Yeah, Michael makes me laugh a lot....

KK:...and you're really funny too, Tom. He doesn't think he is...but Tom makes us smile all the time, and it sets the mood for the entire show.

Q: So, has anyone got any weird or annoying habits?

KK: Yes, Tom! He has an obsession with blackberries. I think he's addicted to them. He sits around in between takes and eats blackberries all day!

Screen Snogs

Q: Kristin and Tom, you get to snog in series two. What was that like?

KK: It's always awkward doing kissing scenes, isn't it? {Tom nods} And it's never my favorite thing to do--even if it is with Tom, who is obviously goegeous and a very nice guy! It looks like an intimate moment on screen but, it's not really--there are tons of people around you and it's very weird.

TW: Kristin and I have great chemistry, so it was fine. It's important to show that side of Clark--he goes through the same things as any teenager.

MR: {interrupting} I got to do a love scene once with Krista Allen, who plays my wife. We had a scene where we got jiggy in the wine cellar, but the bosses cut it from the episode. I was very disappointed! But hey, I've got some more loving coming up, so watch this space!

Q: What were you like at school?

MR: I was a cross between Clark and Lex--a loner and a bit of a geek! I was the shortest kid at high school, and the last to reach puberty. I was always really nervous for some reason.

TW: I definitely wasn't the most popular kid in school, but I wasn't an outcast either. I played a lot of sports all the way through, and I was a pretty average student, I guess.

KK: I was kind of a girlie girl, but I didn't love high school. I can't say that I had the worst time, but I didn't like the whole "What brand are you wearing" thing. It isolates people. When I left school, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Maybe that's because I've always been a bit of a dork.

Q: Come on, you don't really think you're a dork, do you Kristin?

KK: Yeah! That's what I am and I'm very proud of it!

Q: You're not into partying then?

KK: Not really. I never have been--I was totally a non drinker from the beginning. I've seen the consequences of getting drunk and I've just never wanted to do that.

Real Life Lovin'

Q: Kristin and Michael, you're both single--what could someone say to pull you?

MR: I like girls who I can have fun with and who don't mind that I hang out with my friends. My dream girl would make me laugh a lot. I'm still waiting for Gwyneth Paltrow!

KK: The thing that makes me feel best is when a guy says something about who I am, you know, when someone says, "Oh! You're really smart" or "You're so funny" instead of the standard, "You've got pretty eyes."

Q: So, would flowers win you over?

KK: I love flowers, as long as they're not roses because they're just boring. I'd like it if a guy got me white lilies and wildflowers. Then it looks like they've picked them instead of just buying them in a shop.

Q: Tom, what kind of girl are you attracted to?

TW: I love girls who are intelligent, funny, independent, kind, and trustworthy, and I have that in my wife Jamie. We got married last year after we met on a modelling job several years ago.

Q: We're jealous! So, changing the subject, what do you do to chill out away from work?

TW: I sleep! Filming the show takes 12 hours a day, five to six days a week, so when I do get a chance to kick back I tend to just chill or maybe go for a run.

KK: I've got a few very close friends, so we hang out at each other's houses. We're not into partying, and I'm not big on having tons of people in my life that I don't feel connected to. So, I'm kind of a loner.

MR: I play a lot of hockey. I support the NY Rangers. I also play whiffle ball, which is like basketball but played with a plastic ball and a bat. I also love playing my guitar, but as I'm left handed I play backwards!