Please SV writers!: Bring in Jeff East and Hackman

[LEXCLARK]

East-Ben Hubbard(who better?)
Hackman-Lex's granpop or Lana's granpop?

[Superman of Krypton]

They already said Hackman won't happen.

SV is way too beneath him.

East as Hubbard is interesting though.

[Imzadia]

I agree with 'Superman of Krypton'. Although, I didn't know that someone had already suggested an appearance by G. Hackman, but my first reaction to your suggestion was that you couldn't be asking for "THE A-List movie actor Gene Hackman" could you? I knew there was going to be No Way he'd consider doing a small screen stint on Smallville, ...unless he was a Huge fan of the series. However, Jeff East IS a good idea, IMO, if he's still acting. I haven't seen him in anything since the 1st Superman movie.

[ForzaItalia]

Jeff East would be perfect for Ben Hubbard! And he said he'd really like to be on Smallville. And I'm sure he'd do it for real cheap, his resume says he'll work unpaid
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247532/resume


Sure it would also be great if they could really get Gene Hackman on. But I'm not sure they can afford him. Plus, ideally we would have liked to see Gene Hackman sharing a scene alongside Michael Rosenbaum and John Glover, but it's a little too late for that.

[Kryppy]

Here's an interview I did with Jeff East about 5 years ago www.kryptonsite.com/jeffeast.htm

[TOMophilus]

AlMiles said that Hackman was simply way too expensive. One of the few things I believe them.

[ForzaItalia]

AlMiles said that Hackman was simply way too expensive. One of the few things I believe them.

Maybe the producers could ask John Shea to play a role they would have liked Gene Hackman to play? I'm sure they could use make up to make Shea look older.

But Jeff East is really the perfect choice for Ben Hubbard.

[ForzaItalia]

It'd really be crazy to never have Jeff East on this show. The whole idea on which this show was created was based on Jeff East's scenes from the movie, not Christopher Reeve's.

[dsv100]

I wish someone would describe Jeff East in terms of what kind of performance we might expect to see in a future episode. For example, you can describe various actors as neurotic, intelligent, likable, unlikable, playful, serious, brooding, scary, confident, pensive, crazy, antagonistic, and so on throughout the whole range of personality types. What adjectives might describe Jeff East, now, in this decade? I don't consider it sufficient to simply be told, "He played young Clark in the Superman movie." I know that; that was so long ago that his acting qualities of today can be something completely unguessable to someone who's only seen him in the 1978 Superman movie! (And plus, remember we didn't even hear Jeff deliver any lines in that movie: Chris Reeve's voice dubbed all of East's dialogue, so "Superman the Movie" only offers us the equivalent of a silent-film performance from Jeff East.)

I want to know what he would do with the role in order to get on board the Jeff-East-for-a-Smallville-episode bandwagon. As a member of the audience, I want the casting decisions with an eye toward entertaining me, not to gratify Jeff East and stroke his ego. So what sort of thing will I be entertained by, in the acting of Jeff East? What are the characteristics that make him good, that make him someone I'd like to see? (Aside from "He was in Superman." If I want to watch that movie, I can watch the DVD. I mean, why should I want to see him OTHER than because he was in it.)

[ForzaItalia]

The truth is they could have found a much more talented actress to play Bridgette Crosby - but having Margot Kidder on the show was just priceless... Having Jeff East on the show would be even better.

[Tabularasa]

Hackman will never happen. Even if they threw all their money at him, he wouldn't do it.

[dsv100]

The truth is they could have found a much more talented actress to play Bridgette Crosby - but having Margot Kidder on the show was just priceless... Having Jeff East on the show would be even better.Your response seems to indicate that you thought I was saying, in essence, "Jeff East might not be very talented." That's not what I was trying to say at all, so I guess I didn't explain my point of view clearly.

I want to know what word or words describe Jeff East. (In terms of his acting, obviously, not his own traits.) I gave a bunch of adjectives as examples that describe lots of actors. What word or words can describe Mr. East? Can anyone tell me? And if not, then how can I consider it a good idea for him to be cast in a certain role?

So as to further illustrate my point, let's look at Dennis Hopper. I'd describe him as menacing. He has a gift for acting menacing, and entertains audiences young and old that way. However, like Jeff East, Hopper was a young actor once. I watched "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" recently, and in that 1957 film, he wasn't menacing at all -- but by, say, the 1980s, Mr. Hopper certainly had that menacing style as an indelible characteristic. See where I'm coming from? If you only have a 1957 film to go by, you'd never know what the then-20-year-old Hopper would wind up doing with his acting work 30 years later. And if you only have a 1978 film (when East, too was 20 years old) to go by, I similarly can't possibly know what Jeff East's 2008 work will be like. He could surprise us all with something un-guessable, like, I don't know, maybe he's menacing. If so, should he really be playing Hubbard?

And in case my other point is also misunderstood, I'll rephrase it as well: I don't put any value on the fact that East was in "Superman the Movie" as a rationale, by itself, to have him in a future episode. I want to be entertained as an audience member, and I can say right now that I won't derive any entertainment value from sitting in front of the TV while Smallville is on and being able to go, "That man playing Ben Hubbard once played young Clark." If I want to put on the DVD of "Superman the Movie," I can do so. I want the cast of a TV show to entertain me by doing what they're doing now, regardless of what they did or didn't do 30 years ago.

If you can please explain what Jeff East will do with the Hubbard role that was better than what Margot Kidder did while playing Bridgette, that would be great. You must know something I don't concerning Jeff East's present-day strong suit. Please do elaborate.

[moviefan2k4]

Hackman will never happen. Even if they threw all their money at him, he wouldn't do it.I don't know if I'd take it that far, but chances are Hackman would likely turn them down. I doubt it'd be over money, though. Hackman retired from acting in 2006, and when interviewed about it, stated that he believes his Hollywood career to be over.

I suppose it's somewhat similar to what happened when Steven Spielberg directed "Kingdom of the crystal Skull". At one point, he'd wanted Sean Connery to have a small reprise as Henry Jones, Sr. The actor said he was very tempted, but eventually declined because "retirement was just too much fun".

[ForzaItalia]

Jeff East recently appeared in this movie called Last Breath http://www.lastbreaththemovie.com/
But East does not appear to be in the trailer. So contact the people behind that site and ask if there’s any way you can see some of East’s scenes.

Or just write Jeff East himself at jeff_east2002@yahoo.com and ask if you can see any of his recent work.

[Kryppy]

I just wrote Jeff East to ask about what recent work of his I could see, and he replied:

MISFORTUNE SMILES AND LAST BREATH ARE DUE OUT IN NOVEMBER! THANKS
JEFF EAST

[krpto]

AlMiles said that Hackman was simply way too expensive. One of the few things I believe them.

Yah I remember something about hackman would blow thier entire season budget in one episode (I'm sure somewhat of an exaggeration) and that was back when they had a season budget.

[DonPablo]

Maybe the producers could ask John Shea to play a role they would have liked Gene Hackman to play? I'm sure they could use make up to make Shea look older.

But Jeff East is really the perfect choice for Ben Hubbard.

That would make sense. I mean I remember reading somewhere that Shea is who Rosenbaum modeled his performance of Lex after.

[ForzaItalia]

Gene Hackman will never be on Smallville. He’s officially retired from acting - and in the 1 in 1,000,000 chance he came out of retirement, Smallville could never afford him…. The chances of getting Hackman on Smallville are the same as the chances of getting Marlon Brando on Smallville: Zero.

If John Shea were to appear on Smallville it would have been best to see him working alongside Lex and Lionel. But I think seeing him with Tess Mercer can still be great. Maybe Shea could play Tess' father?

I still say Jeff East must be on the show at some point. The whole idea for the show was based on his scenes from the movie, not Christopher Reeve’s… If people want to see his recent acting, maybe he should post a monologue of himself on YouTube or something.

[krpto]

Gene Hackman will never be on Smallville. He’s officially retired from acting - and in the 1 in 1,000,000 chance he came out of retirement, Smallville could never afford him…. The chances of getting Hackman on Smallville are the same as the chances of getting Marlon Brando on Smallville: Zero.

If John Shea were to appear on Smallville it would have been best to see him working alongside Lex and Lionel. But I think seeing him with Tess Mercer can still be great. Maybe Shea could play Tess' father?

I still say Jeff East must be on the show at some point. The whole idea for the show was based on his scenes from the movie, not Christopher Reeve’s… If people want to see his recent acting, maybe he should post a monologue of himself on YouTube or something.


Actually I think we have a better chance of getting both Brando and Lane smith guest starring in a episode of smallville (yes I know theyve past on but I'm making a point) than we have of seeing hackman anywhere near smallville.

John Shea I think would make a great immortal man if dean cain ever comes back to play custis know/vandal savage again have immortal man team up with clark to help take down Curtis knox. According to wikipedia Immortal man was vandal's enemy in precrisis. John played lex luthor to dean cain's superman why not bring him in to help clark fight him.

Jeff east hmm haven't seen him in anything except the old superman movies but I hear he could make a good ben hubbard for smallville wich would be cool if ben is supposed to be friends with martha who is played my the old movie's lana lang on smallville.

[ForzaItalia]

Jeff east hmm haven't seen him in anything except the old superman movies.

Jeff East was in a really good horror movie called Pumpkinhead. He also was in two early Wes Craven movies called Deadly Blessings and Summer of Fear. Years ago I saw him play Huckleberry Finn.

----- Added 4 Minutes later -----


but I hear he could make a good ben hubbard for smallville wich would be cool if ben is supposed to be friends with martha who is played my the old movie's lana lang on smallville.

I thought the same thing. Since this show has been so much about Clark and Lana’s relationships but can’t end with them together, it would be nice in a symbolic way to see a former Young Clark Kent (Jeff East) end up with a former Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole)… If Jeff East plays Ben Hubbard and he ends up with Martha Kent.

[ForzaItalia]

East as Hubbard is interesting though.

Superman of Krypton,
It's rare that we agree on something. So you know this must be a good idea.