Michael Rosenbaum superb again

[Bat21]

Just saw Mortal here as Smallville doesn't air until Sundays here in Canada and MR was great once again, I really think this guy deserves an Emmy nomination but sci-fi shows are usually ignored for their acting of course.

For the first 4 seasons he really has played Lex with a nice balance, with at least the facade of the good in him slightly eding out the evil. Now MR has tuned up the evil side to the point where you can understand how Lex becomes a super villain. The difference is almost kind of subtle, for the all the other seasons I kept wondering how are they gonna get this character to the true evil he is, he was always coming across a little too good in his support and friendship with Clark. MR is totally making it convincing, he is downright creepy this year so far. If you've ever seen MR interviewed he is a totally nice and funny guy, so far from Lex it's unreal how different he comes across as Lex....

MR for an Emmy for best dramatic actor!

[President_Luthor]

He was truly stunned that Plaid Boy punched him, despite their previous willingness to rebuild for the future. I'm glad Lex finally drew blood on Clark, who deserved that slug.

MR deserves an Emmy nomination by series' end. If he doesn't get one by then, chalk it up to the usual Emmy snobbery against all things sci-fi/fantasy.

[c_love]

Yeah that's gospel truth. MR definitely deserves a Emmy. That whole scene was awesome, Lex's expression when Clark slugged him, his silence when Clark said it was a test, and the punch back at Clark. Pure genius!

[Hydra]

But honestly, when has MR truly sucked?

[Ultron]

I think Rosenbaum is playing the best Lex Luthor ever. No offense to Gene Hackman, but I thought his Lex was a little impetuous and silly. This Lex is just insanely brilliant, and it shows in what he says and does.

[KalLover07]

Rosenbaum has showm the most range really. As far as the storylines go. He's been good/evil in same episode, crazy,noble, vulnerable, while still being super HOT!!
someone said on another thread, Kristin only has three expresions. Smiling, not smiling and crying. Which is kinda mean and I don;t think is true. But mentioned it cause it's still funny.

[Shadow09]

I don't think MR has ever given a poor performance as Lex... this I will say is one of his best performances of Lex as he IS Lex Luthor

Good job Michael Rosenbaum

[Kontradiction]

Actually, I think Hackman's Luthor completely sucked. Like someone else said, he was silly. Not "kind of silly", but downright silly. Luthor is supposed to be an evil gen

[Ultron]

Well his faultline plan was pretty good in Superman 1, but Lex was oriented more as comic relief. I think that was fine back then in 1978 for that movie. But I think we've matured as an audience now, and the characters have to be deeper and more believable.

I think the 1978 Lex is a better character than most FOTW's we see on Smallville, but just doesn't hold up against the quality of the current Lex. I don't think even the cartoon Lex in Justice League Unlimited is as good.

Here is an odd bit of trivia. Kevin Spacey, the man who will play Lex in Superman Returns, auditioned for the role of Superman for the first movie. I've seen footage of him in the costume in either an audition tape or test footage, and he looked pretty funny.

I think Spacey will be a better Lex than Hackman, but I don't think we'll see a better Lex than Rosenbaums for decades.

[Kontradiction]

That's funny. I typed out a two paragraph thesis on why Hackman sucked and it got cut off at "gen".

[Bat21]

Ya the Lex in Superman 1 was more comic relief than anything, no way would an evil genius have a bumbling henchmen like Otis. I hated that they didn't even have him bald in the movie, until the very end of course.

It's true that MR has never sucked during the entire run of Smallville, I think on any polls on here he's constantly been voted the best actor on the show.

[Kontradiction]

He and John Glover are what made season 2/3. He made season 4 all by himself and this year it's going to be the chemistry, or lack thereof, between him and Clark that makes the show.

[Sveta]

Yeah, Michael is the best Lex Luthor ever. And, yes, MR for an Emmy for best dramatic actor!

[tejdog1]

Absoultely agree. Michael Rosenbaum deserves an Emmy. Heck, after Shattered/Asylum, I was absoultely in AWE of the performance MR gave. If he didn't earn an Emmy for *that*, IMO, I doubt he ever will.

[Praxis]

And real evil villans don't go around calling themselves "Lex Luthor, the Greatest Criminal Mastermind of all time" or whatever it was.

A real evil genius will be a criminal mastermind without anyone ever knowing. Like the Kingpin (everyone believes Wilson Fisk = benevolent charity-donating good-guy that helps the city) in Spider-Man or Lionel Luthor (sweeps murders under the rug and pretends to be an upstanding citizen).


The only Lexes I've seen are the Superman Movie and Smallville. And MR is LEAPS AND BOUNDS over the other one.