Michael Rosenbaum is “honored” to be called the best Lex Luther more than two decades after Smallville premiered.
“I wasn’t aware of it for a long time, that people thought this way or felt this way,” Rosenbaum, 52, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting his new book The Talented Farter. “It wasn’t until the last five or ten years that I started to feel it. People would have top ten lists, and I just didn’t believe it for so long.”
Rosenbaum made his debut as Lex Luther on season 1 of Smallville, which aired throughout 2001. He departed from the show following its seventh season in 2007, but returned for the 2011 series finale.
“It’s been a lot of years. I think when you’re doing it, you want people to appreciate what you did,” Rosenbaum said of the show. “There [are] so many Lex Luthers in the past, and I wanted people to be happy with what I did. I was happy.”
Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luther The CW
Social media wasn’t really a thing when Smallville was at its peak, so Rosenbaum didn’t experience an “instant response” from fans. “It was kind of a crapshoot,” he admitted.
Rosenbaum told Us that he’s really “humbled” by the continued response from Smallville fans.
“I’m proud of it. It’s amazing how many new people are watching Smallville, and their kids now are watching it. A new generation,” he added. “We started it all. Before us, there was no Flash and Arrow and Superman & Lois and Gotham.”
He went on to call Smallville a “well-crafted” and “great show,” crediting the writing, acting and cinematography.
Michael Rosenbaum Jon Kopaloff/WireImage
“I think that’s why there’s so many of those [superhero] shows now, and even more movies,” Rosenbaum said. “I think Smallville was a big reason for that.”
Smallville also created a “beautiful thing” for Rosenbaum offscreen. The actor’s friendship with former costar Tom Welling — who portrayed Clark Kent on the WB series — has transformed over the years mostly, in part, because of the show’s continued success.
