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Lex Luthor (Smallville)
Encyclopedia
Lex Luthor is a fictional character
from the television series Smallville
. He was a series regular from the pilot episode until the season seven
finale, and has been played continuously by Michael Rosenbaum
, with various actors portraying Lex as a child throughout the series. The character of Lex Luthor
, first created for comic book
s by Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster
in 1940 as archnemesis
of Superman
, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough
and Miles Millar
—this is only the third time the character has been adapted to a live action
television series. The character has also appeared in various literature based on the Smallville television series, none of which directly continues from or into the television episodes.
In this 2001 series, Lex Luthor is sent to Smallville, by his father Lionel Luthor
, to run the local LuthorCorp fertilizer plant. After driving his car off a bridge, he is saved by Clark Kent
and quickly develops a new friendship with the farm boy. As the series unfolds, Lex's curiosity about Clark and all things connected to Clark ultimately destroys their friendship. Lex's relationship with his father is tension-filled from the start of the show, and eventually comes to an end when Lex murders his father in an effort to discover Clark's secret.
The Smallville incarnation of Lex Luthor is first introduced as a morally ambiguous character, who walks a fine line between good and evil. Lex is an inquisitive person, and it is that curiosity that drives him to attain as much power as possible as the series progresses—it will ultimately lead him to being Clark's greatest enemy. Michael Rosenbaum has been nominated for and won a Saturn Award
and a Teen Choice Award
for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on Smallville. After seven seasons as a series regular, Michael Rosenbaum left the show, but reprised the role for the 2-hour series finale.
, introduced in the pilot as the son of billionaire Lionel Luthor
(John Glover
), is sent to Smallville by his father to run the local fertilizer plant. As a child, he is caught in the first meteor shower
that renders him completely bald. After Clark Kent (Tom Welling
) saves his life, the two quickly become friends. Lex tries to be a hero for much of the earlier seasons, but his motives are usually driven by curiosity for the unexplained, like the day Clark rescued him from drowning. As the series unfolds, Lex becomes involved with various women, with all of the relationships ending badly. In season one
, he starts a relationship with Victoria Hardwick (Kelly Brook
), who was attempting to use him so that she and her father could buy out LuthorCorp. Lex’s lifestyle of bedding women and then leaving them the next day would catch up to him in season four
when one of the women he had previously slept with attempts to kill him.
Lex has been married three times in the show. First, in season two
, he married Desiree Atkins (Krista Allen
), who used her meteor-created powers to seduce Lex into marriage so that she could steal his money. Later that season, Lex met and courted Dr. Helen Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier
) who would try to kill him on their honeymoon for reasons unknown. In season six
, Lex married Lana Lang
(Kristin Kreuk
) after deceiving her into believing that she was pregnant with his child. Upon learning the truth, Lana faked her own death and attempted to pin the murder on Lex.
Over the course of seven seasons—beginning on the day Clark rescued him from drowning—Lex has been trying to uncover the secrets that Clark keeps. In season one, Lex hires Roger Nixon (Tom O’Brien
), a reporter for the tabloid newspaper The Inquisitor, to discover how he survived the automobile accident where Clark saved him from drowning. All the evidence points to Clark having been hit by Lex’s car, but Lex refuses to believe that is what happened so Nixon attempts to expose Clark to everyone. At the beginning of season two, Lex kills Nixon before the reporter can kill Jonathan Kent (John Schneider
), who was protecting his son from Nixon. Lex also enlists the help of Dr. Hamilton (Joe Morton
) around the same time he hires Nixon in season one; Hamilton is commissioned to study the effects of the meteor rocks. Dr. Hamilton finds an octagonal disc, with unknown symbols imprinted on the disc’s surface that match those on Clark’s ship, while searching for traces of an alien ship that landed in Smallville in 1989. The disc is eventually stolen by Nixon, who learns that it will open Clark’s ship.
When Clark discovers the Kawatche Caves in season two, under a LuthorCorp construction site, Lex opts to become the curator
of the caves to preserve them after he notices symbols on the cave walls that match the symbols on the disc, as well as an octagonal shape in the wall of the cave that would fit the disc perfectly. His interest grows more and more when he finds Clark constantly in the caves, and later with a piece of paper that appears to indicate that Clark has deciphered the language on the cave walls — although, Clark denies being able to read the language. Lex’s company, LexCorp, eventually loses the Kawatche caves to his father Lionel, who has also developed an interest in the caves and the octagonal disc. Lex’s curiosity into the symbols, and Clark, leads to a blowout between the two at the end of season three
. When Lionel gives Clark a key to a room in the Luthor Mansion where Lex has been collecting information on Clark and his family, Clark informs Lex that their friendship "is over".
In season four
, Lex’s attention turns toward finding three ancient stones, which contain the same symbols as those in the cave and on the disc. He fails to find all three stones, but suspects that Clark did, and used them to find the treasure of knowledge they were supposed to have led to. In season five
, Lex becomes obsessed with uncovering Clark's secret; to this end, he breaks three metahuman
criminals out of Belle Reve
and sends them to the Kent Farm, where they hold Lana and Clark's parents hostage. The scheme amounts to nothing, however, and Clark cuts Lex out of his life completely when he finds out. His curiosity into the symbols, which he believes to be alien in nature, results in him being possessed by the spirit of the Kryptonian
criminal Zod
at the end of season five
. It is not until season seven
that Lex discovers that the symbols are connected to a secret organization, known as Veritas, which his father is a part of. The Veritas members learned that an alien visitor, "The Traveler", would arrive in Smallville during the meteor shower of 1989. He also discovers that the Veritas members knew of a means to control the Traveler, so Lex sets out to find the device. The device, an orb he finds in the mantle above a fireplace in the Luthor Mansion, leads Lex to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is confronted by Clark. At the end of the seventh season, Lex uses the orb to bring down the Fortress around Clark and himself. In season eight
, Lex is missing and Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman
) is put in charge of LuthorCorp and its subsidiaries. She wants Lex found, and believes that Clark is the key to finding him. In season eight's "Bulletproof", Lana informs Tess that she knows that Lex is alive—which Tess confirms—and that he has been keeping tabs on Tess via a nano-transmitter he surgically implanted in Tess's optic nerve against her will. In the episode "Requiem", Lex uses Winslow Schott
to plant a kryptonite bomb on the roof of the Daily Planet as a means of keeping Lana and Clark apart forever. As Lana stole Lex's bio-enhanced suit that is designed to absorb and emit kryptonite radiation, Lex forces Lana to absorb the kryptonite to de-activate the bomb and subsequently never be able to go near Clark again without killing him. Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley
) discovers Lex's location and uses one of Schott's bombs to blow up the medical transport Lex was travelling in, killing him.
In the season ten premiere, it is revealed that prior to his death Lex had manufactured a number of clones in an attempt to use them to heal himself. However, the majority of these clones are flawed and age at an accelerated rate. One of the clones (Mackenzie Gray
), aged approximately twenty years older than the real Lex, attempted to get revenge on Clark but died before he could finish. In the 2-hour series finale, it is revealed Lex had used the parts of other clones to create a perfected one; however, the clone lacked a heart. After a Lionel from an alternate reality
sacrifices himself to Darkseid
, his heart is placed inside the clone allowing him to live. The reborn Lex speaks with Clark, telling him he accepts they have a destiny as enemies, but for either of them to fulfill their roles Clark must defeat Darkseid by inspiring humanity. Lex later meets with Tess, and fatally stabs her; before she dies, Tess poisons him with a specialized neurotoxin
that removes all of Lex's memories. The series ends by shifting seven years into the future, where Lex has now been elected President of the United States.
decided that he would not be a precursor to the more comedic role performed by Gene Hackman
in the Superman film series; the pair wanted him to be likeable and vulnerable. The role was difficult to cast, as no one involved in the casting could agree on who they liked for the role. Gough and Millar wanted to cast a comedian for the series, on the belief that comedians always want to "please and be loved at the same time." Michael Rosenbaum auditioned for Lex Luthor twice. Feeling he did not take his first audition seriously, Rosenbaum outlined a two-and-a-half-page scene, indicating all the places to be funny, charismatic, or menacing. His audition went so well that everyone agreed he was "the guy".
Before Rosenbaum got the part, Martin Cummins
auditioned for the role of Lex Luthor; Cummings would go on to play Dr. Garner, a neuro-scientist who experiments on Clark, in multiple episodes of Smallville spanning season two and three. Michael Rosenbaum is not the only actor to portray Lex on the show. There have been four other actors that have performed the role; Matthew Munn, Wayne Dalgish
, Lucas Grabeel
, and Connor Stanhope have all portrayed Lex Luthor as a child in various episodes throughout the series. Rosenbaum relished the opportunities he gets to show Lex's evil side, even if it is only for a few seconds in earlier seasons. Specifically, he delighted in the chance to "go overboard", like he did in "Hug" where his character pulls out a machine gun and shoots everything in sight; to the actor, this gave the audience a glimpse into who Lex was becoming. To portray Lex’s signature bald head, Rosenbaum had to go through more than just a regular head shaving. Not only was his head shaved every day, but he had to undergo hours of make-up treatments on his head, in various color combinations, so that his natural hairline did not show up on film. After seven seasons of portraying Lex Luthor on Smallville, Michael Rosenbaum decided to move on with his acting career, so he departed from the show. On February 11, 2011, Michael Ausiello reported that after the back and forth speculation as to whether Rosenbaum would return to the series, the actor finally agreed to appear in the series finale. Rosenbaum expressed that his return for the final episode was for the fans, stating, "I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats."
Season two delved deeper into Lex’s darker moments, from the time he wavers to save his father’s life, to his outburst at Jonathan for what he feels is unfair treatment. These moments play into Lex’s psyche
. Season three's "Memoria" finally explained the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Lex's infant brother, Julian. Gough explains that they had known the story of Julian Luthor back in season one, when the character was first mentioned in "Stray", but they wanted to find the right time to explain the situation. The creative team wanted the audience to think that Lex was responsible for Julian’s death as an infant, before finally revealing that Lex was merely covering for his mother.
Season four began expanding on the series long story arc of Lex’s feelings for Lana. Though the seeds were planted in the second episode of the first season, it was not until season four that Lex began to show more of his true feelings. According to Gough, not only was Lex trying to protect Lana for Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles
), Lana’s boyfriend who was also have the stones of knowledge, but he was also trying to get Jason out of the picture completely so he could have Lana for himself. Writer Darren Swimmer
questioned Lex’s motives from earlier seasons: "You have to ask yourself, in the words of Lex Luthor himself: Why would some billionaire want to be bailing out this girl and buying her a coffee house to begin with? What’s that all about?" Writer Todd Slavkin
described season five as "the darkening of Lex Luthor". By the time "Aqua" came around, Lex had removed the gloves, as there is no friendship with Clark that he needed to worry about, and his dark side began to show its face. Season five also saw Lex’s hunger for power begin to develop, as he campaigned for a Kansas senate seat. It was the events of "Lexmas" that drove Lex to continue his pursuit of ultimate power. In "Lexmas", Lex is shot and he gets a chance to live a life where he is married to Lana and he no longer on a quest for power. In this alternate reality, without all the power and money that he had originally had, Lex is unable to save Lana, who is on the verge of death after giving birth to a second child. It is here that Lex decided that he would always "go for the prize".
Taking a page out of Chazz Palminteri
's A Bronx Tale
, Rosenbaum ignored the script during his final scene with Kristin Kreuk for the season six finale. Here, as Lana is informing Lex that she is going to leave, Lex walks around her and closes the door to her exit. Rosenbaum was trying to invoke a moment of fright for the audience. To the actor, he wanted the audience to wonder what Lex was going to do to Lana; it was a moment meant to show just how unpredictable Lex can be.
As the seasons progressed, and the character began to grow darker and more sinister, Rosenbaum sought more opportunities to bring humor to the scene, either with physical subtleties like little smiles at key moments, or "self-deprecating humor". One such instance, which became popular with audiences, was in the season six episode "Justice", where Lex made a joke about wanting a ponytail. The producers were concerned over the piece of dialogue, but Rosenbaum convinced them that he could pull it off. To Rosenbaum, this quip by Lex makes him more credible as a person, because it is well known that Lex always wanted hair. This moment reflects an earlier episode, where Lex reveals his feelings of meagerness when comparing himself to Clark. In season five's "Lockdown", Lex provides a window into his thoughts about his place in Smallville. As writer Steven S. DeKnight
describes it, the audience gets to see a moment where Lex shows how he still feels like an outsider, and that he views Clark as this "perfect person". DeKnight believes that, from how Clark sees it, Lex is driven by his desire to attain everything that Clark has, like his family and girlfriend.
Lex also develops a craving for power, with that hunger expanding in season five. Al Gough believes that Lex’s political motivations are based on his lust for power. Rosenbaum echoes that opinion, believing that Lex can never get enough; "Lex is an insatiable character". Rosenbaum believes that nothing will satisfy Lex’s hunger, and that he will keep going until he is president of the United States. Even then, he will keep trying to make the majority of people like and believe in him.
Visually, the character of Lex Luthor has his own characteristics. In Smallville, Lex is usually given a "glass, steel [colored] background", and dressed in a lot of black, grey, and "cool tones" like purples and blues.
with superpowers".
Like Lana, who held emptiness inside her after the loss of her parents, which she tried to fill with the men in her life, Lex attempts to fill his own void, over the loss of his mother, with the women in his life. According to writer Holly Harold, Lex "needs and wants to be loved". Rosenbaum agrees, and feels that Lex is searching for that "unconditional love". The actor likens this feeling to one that everyone can relate to, but that Lex fails to achieve with not only the women he develops relationships with, but also with his own father. Rosenbaum and Annette O'Toole
(Martha Kent) agree that the only person that could give Lex that love is his mother, who died when he was a child. Whenever they have scenes together, O’Toole and Rosenbaum try and hint around the idea that Martha wants to provide that love for Lex, because she recognizes that he needs it, and that Lex really wants her to provide it as well.
After various failed relationships, Lex finally believes he has what he wants when he begins a romantic relationship with Lana Lang. In "Hypnotic", in an effort to stop hurting Lana emotionally, Clark told her that he no longer loved her. This drives Lana into Lex’s arms. Writer Darren Swimmer
explains that this was not something that just happened in the series, but something that had been hinted at for many seasons. Rosenbaum admits that Lex had a crush on Lana for many years, but contends that he tried to help Clark win Lana early on—he succeeded. When Clark and Lana’s relationship crumbled, because of Clark’s deceit, Lex was waiting. Rosenbaum believes that Lana was "tired of the boy and wanted a man around". By contrast, Swimmer believes that Lana started dating Lex as a way of making Clark mad, but the relationship "turned into much more". Kreuk contends that Lana went to Lex because "she knows she will never really love him." Kreuk believes that Lana’s relationship with the men in her life was originally motivated by a desire to fill a void in her life that was left after her parents were killed. This need to fill that emptiness was fulfilled in "Void", when Lana took a drug to induce death so that she could see her parents in the afterlife. Upon meeting her parents, Kreuk believes that Lana realized that she no longer needed someone else to fill that hole in her. Kreuk sees this filled void as the reason why Lana would gravitate toward Lex. Kreuk feels that if Lex had chosen a different path after the events of "Lexmas", then Lana would have been able to truly love him.
As Rosenbaum describes it, Lex views Lana as this beautiful, charming girl with a little naïveté. It is this naïveté that allows Lex to believe that he can trust and confide in Lana, and that she is his one true love. Lex also knows that Lana will always love Clark, but he expects her to love him for who he is just the same. Rosenbaum does not believe that Lana gives that to Lex. Writer Holly Harold finds parallels between Lex’s relationship with Lana, and that of Lionel’s relationship with Martha. Both men believe that these two women will be their saving grace, and pull them back from the dark side. In Lex’s defense, Rosenbaum contends that Lex is not using Lana in an effort to hurt Clark, but that he really does love her. The actor believes that Lex’s problem lies in the fact that every time he has loved someone and opened up to them he has been hurt, or betrayed. Even though Lex loves Lana more than anyone else before her, he just cannot bring himself to open up completely for fear of repeating the past. Rosenbaum believes that the eventual dissolution of the marriage between Lex and Lana was a tragic moment in both characters' lives. It is a moment that solidifies Lex’s history of opening up to women and having them hurt him.
It is not just the women in his life that Lex has a difficult time maintaining a healthy relationship with, but his father as well. Rosenbaum characterizes the relationship between Lex and Lionel as a form of tug-of-war, and disagrees with John Glover’s assessment that Lionel is merely testing Lex for the life he is going to take over. For Rosenbaum, Lex is being pushed and pushed, and Lex is afraid that he will reach the point that he knows he will no longer be able to come back from. In "Vortex", Lex realizes that he forgot who he was in that moment that his father was trapped under the column, and he felt guilty over the situation. According to Rosenbaum, Lex realized that by letting his father die he would have been traveling down a dark path, and would have become all that his father was—evil. As Lex continues to live in his father’s shadow, and as time progresses, he learns more about the "monster" that Lionel truly is. The breaking point comes when Lex learns that his father killed Lex’s grandparents in a tenement fire. Rosenbaum sees this as the ultimate ethical dilemma—he likens it to parents learning that their child has murdered someone, and then having to decide if they should go to the authorities or not—and Lex, who can no longer take his father’s abuse, decides to turn Lionel over to the F.B.I.
. According to Rosenbaum, the decision is justified to Lex, who sees that monster that Lionel really is from his actions—using electroshock therapy to erase Lex’s memories, drugging Lex, killing his own parents, and the way he treated Lex’s mother.
category of Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
for his performance as Lex Luthor. His first nomination came in 2002, which is the only year he has won the award. The same year he was also nominator for Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award, alongside co-star Kristin Kreuk. He followed that with consecutive nominations from 2003 to 2006. Rosenbaum was nominated for Choice Sidekick in the 2002 and 2003 Teen Choice Awards
. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 he was nominated as a Teen Choice Awards Choice Villain.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. He was a series regular from the pilot episode until the season seven
Smallville (season 7)
Season seven of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 27, 2007. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
finale, and has been played continuously by Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
, with various actors portraying Lex as a child throughout the series. The character of Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, first created for comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
in 1940 as archnemesis
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough III is an American screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Gough graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School and The Catholic University of America...
and Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
—this is only the third time the character has been adapted to a live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
television series. The character has also appeared in various literature based on the Smallville television series, none of which directly continues from or into the television episodes.
In this 2001 series, Lex Luthor is sent to Smallville, by his father Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character in the television series Smallville, portrayed continuously by John Glover. Initially a recurring guest in season one, the character became a series regular in season two and continued with that status until he was written out of the show in the seventh season...
, to run the local LuthorCorp fertilizer plant. After driving his car off a bridge, he is saved by Clark Kent
Clark Kent (Smallville)
Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
and quickly develops a new friendship with the farm boy. As the series unfolds, Lex's curiosity about Clark and all things connected to Clark ultimately destroys their friendship. Lex's relationship with his father is tension-filled from the start of the show, and eventually comes to an end when Lex murders his father in an effort to discover Clark's secret.
The Smallville incarnation of Lex Luthor is first introduced as a morally ambiguous character, who walks a fine line between good and evil. Lex is an inquisitive person, and it is that curiosity that drives him to attain as much power as possible as the series progresses—it will ultimately lead him to being Clark's greatest enemy. Michael Rosenbaum has been nominated for and won a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
and a Teen Choice Award
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on Smallville. After seven seasons as a series regular, Michael Rosenbaum left the show, but reprised the role for the 2-hour series finale.
Role in Smallville
Lex LuthorLex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, introduced in the pilot as the son of billionaire Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character in the television series Smallville, portrayed continuously by John Glover. Initially a recurring guest in season one, the character became a series regular in season two and continued with that status until he was written out of the show in the seventh season...
(John Glover
John Glover (actor)
John Soursby Glover Jr. is an American actor, perhaps best known for a range of villainous roles in films and television, including Lionel Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.-Personal life:...
), is sent to Smallville by his father to run the local fertilizer plant. As a child, he is caught in the first meteor shower
Meteor shower
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller...
that renders him completely bald. After Clark Kent (Tom Welling
Tom Welling
Thomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
) saves his life, the two quickly become friends. Lex tries to be a hero for much of the earlier seasons, but his motives are usually driven by curiosity for the unexplained, like the day Clark rescued him from drowning. As the series unfolds, Lex becomes involved with various women, with all of the relationships ending badly. In season one
Smallville (season 1)
Season one of Smallville, an American television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, began airing on October 16, 2001, on The WB television network. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to his developing superpowers in the fictional town of...
, he starts a relationship with Victoria Hardwick (Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
), who was attempting to use him so that she and her father could buy out LuthorCorp. Lex’s lifestyle of bedding women and then leaving them the next day would catch up to him in season four
Smallville (Season 4)
Season four of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 22, 2004. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The fourth season comprises...
when one of the women he had previously slept with attempts to kill him.
Lex has been married three times in the show. First, in season two
Smallville (Season 2)
Season two of Smallville, an American television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, began airing on September 24, 2002, on The WB television network. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas,...
, he married Desiree Atkins (Krista Allen
Krista Allen
Krista Allen is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the television series Days of Our Lives, Baywatch Hawaii, and What About Brian; and in the Hollywood films Liar Liar, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Anger Management, and The Final Destination...
), who used her meteor-created powers to seduce Lex into marriage so that she could steal his money. Later that season, Lex met and courted Dr. Helen Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier
Emmanuelle Vaugier
Emmanuelle Vaugier is a Canadian film actress, singer, songwriter and television actress who has had recurring roles as Detective Jessica Angell on CSI: NY, Mia on Two and a Half Men, Dr. Helen Bryce on Smallville, and FBI Special Agent Emma Barnes on Human Target...
) who would try to kill him on their honeymoon for reasons unknown. In season six
Smallville (Season 6)
Season six of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 28, 2006. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, Lex married Lana Lang
Lana Lang (Smallville)
Lana Lang is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. She has been a series regular since the pilot episode, and has been played continuously by Kristin Kreuk, with two other actresses having portrayed Lana Lang as a child and as an elderly woman...
(Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of...
) after deceiving her into believing that she was pregnant with his child. Upon learning the truth, Lana faked her own death and attempted to pin the murder on Lex.
Over the course of seven seasons—beginning on the day Clark rescued him from drowning—Lex has been trying to uncover the secrets that Clark keeps. In season one, Lex hires Roger Nixon (Tom O’Brien
Tom O'Brien (actor)
Thomas Patrick "Tom" O'Brien is an American actor since the age of sixteen, having first trained at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, where he appeared in ACT's mainstage productions of The Holdup; and A Midsummer Night's Dream as Puck, opposite Annette Bening.O'Brien's feature...
), a reporter for the tabloid newspaper The Inquisitor, to discover how he survived the automobile accident where Clark saved him from drowning. All the evidence points to Clark having been hit by Lex’s car, but Lex refuses to believe that is what happened so Nixon attempts to expose Clark to everyone. At the beginning of season two, Lex kills Nixon before the reporter can kill Jonathan Kent (John Schneider
John Schneider (television actor)
John Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
), who was protecting his son from Nixon. Lex also enlists the help of Dr. Hamilton (Joe Morton
Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. is an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early life:Morton was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York. He is the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. army intelligence officer. Because of his father's...
) around the same time he hires Nixon in season one; Hamilton is commissioned to study the effects of the meteor rocks. Dr. Hamilton finds an octagonal disc, with unknown symbols imprinted on the disc’s surface that match those on Clark’s ship, while searching for traces of an alien ship that landed in Smallville in 1989. The disc is eventually stolen by Nixon, who learns that it will open Clark’s ship.
When Clark discovers the Kawatche Caves in season two, under a LuthorCorp construction site, Lex opts to become the curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the caves to preserve them after he notices symbols on the cave walls that match the symbols on the disc, as well as an octagonal shape in the wall of the cave that would fit the disc perfectly. His interest grows more and more when he finds Clark constantly in the caves, and later with a piece of paper that appears to indicate that Clark has deciphered the language on the cave walls — although, Clark denies being able to read the language. Lex’s company, LexCorp, eventually loses the Kawatche caves to his father Lionel, who has also developed an interest in the caves and the octagonal disc. Lex’s curiosity into the symbols, and Clark, leads to a blowout between the two at the end of season three
Smallville (Season 3)
Season three of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on October 1, 2003. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The third season comprises 22...
. When Lionel gives Clark a key to a room in the Luthor Mansion where Lex has been collecting information on Clark and his family, Clark informs Lex that their friendship "is over".
In season four
Smallville (Season 4)
Season four of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 22, 2004. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The fourth season comprises...
, Lex’s attention turns toward finding three ancient stones, which contain the same symbols as those in the cave and on the disc. He fails to find all three stones, but suspects that Clark did, and used them to find the treasure of knowledge they were supposed to have led to. In season five
Smallville (Season 5)
Season five of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 29, 2005. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, Lex becomes obsessed with uncovering Clark's secret; to this end, he breaks three metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
criminals out of Belle Reve
Belle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
and sends them to the Kent Farm, where they hold Lana and Clark's parents hostage. The scheme amounts to nothing, however, and Clark cuts Lex out of his life completely when he finds out. His curiosity into the symbols, which he believes to be alien in nature, results in him being possessed by the spirit of the Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
criminal Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
at the end of season five
Smallville (Season 5)
Season five of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 29, 2005. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
. It is not until season seven
Smallville (season 7)
Season seven of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 27, 2007. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
that Lex discovers that the symbols are connected to a secret organization, known as Veritas, which his father is a part of. The Veritas members learned that an alien visitor, "The Traveler", would arrive in Smallville during the meteor shower of 1989. He also discovers that the Veritas members knew of a means to control the Traveler, so Lex sets out to find the device. The device, an orb he finds in the mantle above a fireplace in the Luthor Mansion, leads Lex to the Fortress of Solitude, where he is confronted by Clark. At the end of the seventh season, Lex uses the orb to bring down the Fortress around Clark and himself. In season eight
Smallville (season 8)
Season eight of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, Lex is missing and Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman
Cassidy Freeman
Cassidy Freeman is an American actress and musician. She is known for her role as Tess Mercer in The CW's Superman-inspired action drama Smallville, which she starred for three years.-Early life and education:...
) is put in charge of LuthorCorp and its subsidiaries. She wants Lex found, and believes that Clark is the key to finding him. In season eight's "Bulletproof", Lana informs Tess that she knows that Lex is alive—which Tess confirms—and that he has been keeping tabs on Tess via a nano-transmitter he surgically implanted in Tess's optic nerve against her will. In the episode "Requiem", Lex uses Winslow Schott
Toyman
The Toyman is the name of three comic book supervillains and one adolescent superhero in the DC Comics universe. They mostly appear in Superman stories. The first Toyman appeared in Action Comics #64 . His real name is Winslow Schott.The Toyman uses toy-based or toy-themed devices and gimmicks in...
to plant a kryptonite bomb on the roof of the Daily Planet as a means of keeping Lana and Clark apart forever. As Lana stole Lex's bio-enhanced suit that is designed to absorb and emit kryptonite radiation, Lex forces Lana to absorb the kryptonite to de-activate the bomb and subsequently never be able to go near Clark again without killing him. Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley
Justin Scott Hartley is an American actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles of Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, and as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on the WB/CW Superman-inspired series Smallville....
) discovers Lex's location and uses one of Schott's bombs to blow up the medical transport Lex was travelling in, killing him.
In the season ten premiere, it is revealed that prior to his death Lex had manufactured a number of clones in an attempt to use them to heal himself. However, the majority of these clones are flawed and age at an accelerated rate. One of the clones (Mackenzie Gray
Mackenzie Gray
Mackenzie Gray is a Canadian film, television, and stage actor. He is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Canada. He divides his time between Toronto and Vancouver....
), aged approximately twenty years older than the real Lex, attempted to get revenge on Clark but died before he could finish. In the 2-hour series finale, it is revealed Lex had used the parts of other clones to create a perfected one; however, the clone lacked a heart. After a Lionel from an alternate reality
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
sacrifices himself to Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, his heart is placed inside the clone allowing him to live. The reborn Lex speaks with Clark, telling him he accepts they have a destiny as enemies, but for either of them to fulfill their roles Clark must defeat Darkseid by inspiring humanity. Lex later meets with Tess, and fatally stabs her; before she dies, Tess poisons him with a specialized neurotoxin
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
that removes all of Lex's memories. The series ends by shifting seven years into the future, where Lex has now been elected President of the United States.
Portrayal
When crafting Smallvilles version of Lex Luthor, series developers Al Gough and Miles MillarMiles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
decided that he would not be a precursor to the more comedic role performed by Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
in the Superman film series; the pair wanted him to be likeable and vulnerable. The role was difficult to cast, as no one involved in the casting could agree on who they liked for the role. Gough and Millar wanted to cast a comedian for the series, on the belief that comedians always want to "please and be loved at the same time." Michael Rosenbaum auditioned for Lex Luthor twice. Feeling he did not take his first audition seriously, Rosenbaum outlined a two-and-a-half-page scene, indicating all the places to be funny, charismatic, or menacing. His audition went so well that everyone agreed he was "the guy".
Before Rosenbaum got the part, Martin Cummins
Martin Cummins
Martin Cummins is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in Dark Angel . He attended the Vancouver Actors Studio where he trained under Mel Tuck, a highly respected pioneer of Canadian theatre...
auditioned for the role of Lex Luthor; Cummings would go on to play Dr. Garner, a neuro-scientist who experiments on Clark, in multiple episodes of Smallville spanning season two and three. Michael Rosenbaum is not the only actor to portray Lex on the show. There have been four other actors that have performed the role; Matthew Munn, Wayne Dalgish
Wayne Dalgish
Wayne Richard Dalglish is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Brad Ward on the FOX Network series, The O.C.. He also has a first degree black belt in karate.-Filmography:-External links:*...
, Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Grabeel
Lucas Stephen Grabeel is an American actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, director and producer. As a performer, he is best known for his role as Ryan Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie's High School Musical and its sequels High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year , and as...
, and Connor Stanhope have all portrayed Lex Luthor as a child in various episodes throughout the series. Rosenbaum relished the opportunities he gets to show Lex's evil side, even if it is only for a few seconds in earlier seasons. Specifically, he delighted in the chance to "go overboard", like he did in "Hug" where his character pulls out a machine gun and shoots everything in sight; to the actor, this gave the audience a glimpse into who Lex was becoming. To portray Lex’s signature bald head, Rosenbaum had to go through more than just a regular head shaving. Not only was his head shaved every day, but he had to undergo hours of make-up treatments on his head, in various color combinations, so that his natural hairline did not show up on film. After seven seasons of portraying Lex Luthor on Smallville, Michael Rosenbaum decided to move on with his acting career, so he departed from the show. On February 11, 2011, Michael Ausiello reported that after the back and forth speculation as to whether Rosenbaum would return to the series, the actor finally agreed to appear in the series finale. Rosenbaum expressed that his return for the final episode was for the fans, stating, "I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats."
Storyline progression
Rosenbaum believed that Lex was trying to be a hero in season one, but that his character showed signs of having to fight "ambiguity" and stay on the straight path. The tension-filled relationship with his father, which is first established in the pilot episode, comes to a crossing in the season one finale, when Lex is left with the decision to either help his father remove the structural beam that has fallen on him, or let him die. Rosenbaum wanted the audience to see that Lex was really contemplating what his life would be like if Lionel was no longer around. As Rosenbaum explained the scene:Season two delved deeper into Lex’s darker moments, from the time he wavers to save his father’s life, to his outburst at Jonathan for what he feels is unfair treatment. These moments play into Lex’s psyche
Psyche (psychology)
The word psyche has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and has been one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view. The English word soul is sometimes used synonymously, especially in older...
. Season three's "Memoria" finally explained the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Lex's infant brother, Julian. Gough explains that they had known the story of Julian Luthor back in season one, when the character was first mentioned in "Stray", but they wanted to find the right time to explain the situation. The creative team wanted the audience to think that Lex was responsible for Julian’s death as an infant, before finally revealing that Lex was merely covering for his mother.
Season four began expanding on the series long story arc of Lex’s feelings for Lana. Though the seeds were planted in the second episode of the first season, it was not until season four that Lex began to show more of his true feelings. According to Gough, not only was Lex trying to protect Lana for Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
), Lana’s boyfriend who was also have the stones of knowledge, but he was also trying to get Jason out of the picture completely so he could have Lana for himself. Writer Darren Swimmer
Darren Swimmer
Darren Swimmer is an American screenwriter and producer, most famous for working on the American television program Smallville. As of October 6, 2006 he has written or co-written 18 episodes of Smallville.-Smallville:*Writer...
questioned Lex’s motives from earlier seasons: "You have to ask yourself, in the words of Lex Luthor himself: Why would some billionaire want to be bailing out this girl and buying her a coffee house to begin with? What’s that all about?" Writer Todd Slavkin
Todd Slavkin
Todd Slavkin is an American screenwriter and producer, most famous for working on the American television program Smallville. As of October 6, 2006 he has written or co-written 18 episodes of Smallville.- Smallville :*Writer...
described season five as "the darkening of Lex Luthor". By the time "Aqua" came around, Lex had removed the gloves, as there is no friendship with Clark that he needed to worry about, and his dark side began to show its face. Season five also saw Lex’s hunger for power begin to develop, as he campaigned for a Kansas senate seat. It was the events of "Lexmas" that drove Lex to continue his pursuit of ultimate power. In "Lexmas", Lex is shot and he gets a chance to live a life where he is married to Lana and he no longer on a quest for power. In this alternate reality, without all the power and money that he had originally had, Lex is unable to save Lana, who is on the verge of death after giving birth to a second child. It is here that Lex decided that he would always "go for the prize".
Characterization
One of Lex’s key characteristics is his curiosity for the unexplained. Lex’s primary motive for his "shady" actions derives from his curiosity, specifically beginning from the moment he and Clark meet after Lex hits Clark with his Porsche. Clark always appearing when something strange happens in Smallville does nothing but fuel Lex’s curiosity. Rosenbaum believes that Lex’s only sees two options: "For Lex, it’s either take a nice ride to Metropolis and work with his dad, or find out what’s going on with this strong, strange fellow, Clark Kent." Another characteristic of Smallville’s Lex Luthor—one that is being developed over the course of the series—is his evilness. Rosenbaum believes that what the audience sees in Lex’s dark side in the early seasons is merely a taste of what the character is truly capable of. In the season two premiere "Vortex", Rosenbaum requested Greg Beeman to shoot a close-up of him after he shoots Nixon, in an effort to open a window into Lex's darker side. Rosenbaum intended to leave the interpretation of whether Lex enjoyed killing Nixon open to the audience. As Beeman explains Rosenbaum's thoughts, "...either Lex is horrified and appalled, or he liked it, and it felt good to him". According to Rosenbaum, when Lex reaches that point where he uses all of his mind, and "really flips out", that is the point where the "world needs to hide". Television reviewer Brian Byun felt that it was this struggle between good and evil inside Lex that not only made him an anti-hero, but also, given that the audience familiar with Lex's mythology and the knowledge that he will end up being Superman's greatest enemy, make Smallvilles Lex Luthor a "tragic figure [of] almost Shakespearean grandeur".Taking a page out of Chazz Palminteri
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
's A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
, Rosenbaum ignored the script during his final scene with Kristin Kreuk for the season six finale. Here, as Lana is informing Lex that she is going to leave, Lex walks around her and closes the door to her exit. Rosenbaum was trying to invoke a moment of fright for the audience. To the actor, he wanted the audience to wonder what Lex was going to do to Lana; it was a moment meant to show just how unpredictable Lex can be.
As the seasons progressed, and the character began to grow darker and more sinister, Rosenbaum sought more opportunities to bring humor to the scene, either with physical subtleties like little smiles at key moments, or "self-deprecating humor". One such instance, which became popular with audiences, was in the season six episode "Justice", where Lex made a joke about wanting a ponytail. The producers were concerned over the piece of dialogue, but Rosenbaum convinced them that he could pull it off. To Rosenbaum, this quip by Lex makes him more credible as a person, because it is well known that Lex always wanted hair. This moment reflects an earlier episode, where Lex reveals his feelings of meagerness when comparing himself to Clark. In season five's "Lockdown", Lex provides a window into his thoughts about his place in Smallville. As writer Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight is an American television screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for working on Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel. He has also written "Swell", a story in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight comic series, and served as a consulting producer...
describes it, the audience gets to see a moment where Lex shows how he still feels like an outsider, and that he views Clark as this "perfect person". DeKnight believes that, from how Clark sees it, Lex is driven by his desire to attain everything that Clark has, like his family and girlfriend.
Lex also develops a craving for power, with that hunger expanding in season five. Al Gough believes that Lex’s political motivations are based on his lust for power. Rosenbaum echoes that opinion, believing that Lex can never get enough; "Lex is an insatiable character". Rosenbaum believes that nothing will satisfy Lex’s hunger, and that he will keep going until he is president of the United States. Even then, he will keep trying to make the majority of people like and believe in him.
Visually, the character of Lex Luthor has his own characteristics. In Smallville, Lex is usually given a "glass, steel [colored] background", and dressed in a lot of black, grey, and "cool tones" like purples and blues.
Relationships
Rosenbaum realizes that the friendship between Lex and Clark is destined to fail, but that Clark’s friendship truly is important to Lex early in the series. The actor also believes that if Clark could see the darkness that Lex is constantly fighting then he would understand more of Lex’s actions. Reviewer Brian Byun expressed that the choice to explore the friendship between Clark and Lex, before they become sworn enemies, which was something that had been used in the past but never to the depth of what Smallville is doing, helped keep the show from becoming "Dawson's CreekDawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
with superpowers".
Like Lana, who held emptiness inside her after the loss of her parents, which she tried to fill with the men in her life, Lex attempts to fill his own void, over the loss of his mother, with the women in his life. According to writer Holly Harold, Lex "needs and wants to be loved". Rosenbaum agrees, and feels that Lex is searching for that "unconditional love". The actor likens this feeling to one that everyone can relate to, but that Lex fails to achieve with not only the women he develops relationships with, but also with his own father. Rosenbaum and Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
(Martha Kent) agree that the only person that could give Lex that love is his mother, who died when he was a child. Whenever they have scenes together, O’Toole and Rosenbaum try and hint around the idea that Martha wants to provide that love for Lex, because she recognizes that he needs it, and that Lex really wants her to provide it as well.
After various failed relationships, Lex finally believes he has what he wants when he begins a romantic relationship with Lana Lang. In "Hypnotic", in an effort to stop hurting Lana emotionally, Clark told her that he no longer loved her. This drives Lana into Lex’s arms. Writer Darren Swimmer
Darren Swimmer
Darren Swimmer is an American screenwriter and producer, most famous for working on the American television program Smallville. As of October 6, 2006 he has written or co-written 18 episodes of Smallville.-Smallville:*Writer...
explains that this was not something that just happened in the series, but something that had been hinted at for many seasons. Rosenbaum admits that Lex had a crush on Lana for many years, but contends that he tried to help Clark win Lana early on—he succeeded. When Clark and Lana’s relationship crumbled, because of Clark’s deceit, Lex was waiting. Rosenbaum believes that Lana was "tired of the boy and wanted a man around". By contrast, Swimmer believes that Lana started dating Lex as a way of making Clark mad, but the relationship "turned into much more". Kreuk contends that Lana went to Lex because "she knows she will never really love him." Kreuk believes that Lana’s relationship with the men in her life was originally motivated by a desire to fill a void in her life that was left after her parents were killed. This need to fill that emptiness was fulfilled in "Void", when Lana took a drug to induce death so that she could see her parents in the afterlife. Upon meeting her parents, Kreuk believes that Lana realized that she no longer needed someone else to fill that hole in her. Kreuk sees this filled void as the reason why Lana would gravitate toward Lex. Kreuk feels that if Lex had chosen a different path after the events of "Lexmas", then Lana would have been able to truly love him.
As Rosenbaum describes it, Lex views Lana as this beautiful, charming girl with a little naïveté. It is this naïveté that allows Lex to believe that he can trust and confide in Lana, and that she is his one true love. Lex also knows that Lana will always love Clark, but he expects her to love him for who he is just the same. Rosenbaum does not believe that Lana gives that to Lex. Writer Holly Harold finds parallels between Lex’s relationship with Lana, and that of Lionel’s relationship with Martha. Both men believe that these two women will be their saving grace, and pull them back from the dark side. In Lex’s defense, Rosenbaum contends that Lex is not using Lana in an effort to hurt Clark, but that he really does love her. The actor believes that Lex’s problem lies in the fact that every time he has loved someone and opened up to them he has been hurt, or betrayed. Even though Lex loves Lana more than anyone else before her, he just cannot bring himself to open up completely for fear of repeating the past. Rosenbaum believes that the eventual dissolution of the marriage between Lex and Lana was a tragic moment in both characters' lives. It is a moment that solidifies Lex’s history of opening up to women and having them hurt him.
It is not just the women in his life that Lex has a difficult time maintaining a healthy relationship with, but his father as well. Rosenbaum characterizes the relationship between Lex and Lionel as a form of tug-of-war, and disagrees with John Glover’s assessment that Lionel is merely testing Lex for the life he is going to take over. For Rosenbaum, Lex is being pushed and pushed, and Lex is afraid that he will reach the point that he knows he will no longer be able to come back from. In "Vortex", Lex realizes that he forgot who he was in that moment that his father was trapped under the column, and he felt guilty over the situation. According to Rosenbaum, Lex realized that by letting his father die he would have been traveling down a dark path, and would have become all that his father was—evil. As Lex continues to live in his father’s shadow, and as time progresses, he learns more about the "monster" that Lionel truly is. The breaking point comes when Lex learns that his father killed Lex’s grandparents in a tenement fire. Rosenbaum sees this as the ultimate ethical dilemma—he likens it to parents learning that their child has murdered someone, and then having to decide if they should go to the authorities or not—and Lex, who can no longer take his father’s abuse, decides to turn Lionel over to the F.B.I.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. According to Rosenbaum, the decision is justified to Lex, who sees that monster that Lionel really is from his actions—using electroshock therapy to erase Lex’s memories, drugging Lex, killing his own parents, and the way he treated Lex’s mother.
Reception
Michael Rosenbaum was nominated multiple times for the Saturn AwardSaturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
category of Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television
The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Supporting Actor on Television:N.B. Year column refers to year of eligibility, the actual ceremonies are held the following year to those stated....
for his performance as Lex Luthor. His first nomination came in 2002, which is the only year he has won the award. The same year he was also nominator for Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award, alongside co-star Kristin Kreuk. He followed that with consecutive nominations from 2003 to 2006. Rosenbaum was nominated for Choice Sidekick in the 2002 and 2003 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 he was nominated as a Teen Choice Awards Choice Villain.