Meet Lex Luthor's Devious Dad
While he's an accomplished stage actor, Tony winner John Glover (Love! Valour! Compassion!) is better known for playing big-screen baddies. Moviegoers often have loved to hate him in cheesy fare like Batman & Robin, Robo Cop 2 and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Currently, he's enjoying a meatier sort of gig on Smallville as Lex's father, shady mogul Lionel Luthor.
The show's prequel-style format — which follows Clark Kent's high-school years — intrigued Glover from the start. "It's when all the Superman characters are being formed," he tells TV Guide. "I think what's so interesting about it is, the viewer knows what they're going to turn into, but we're seeing the roots and the forces that made them what they are."
Naturally, Lionel's dysfunctional upbringing of Lex is partly what'll turn him into Superman's chrome-domed, kryptonite-wielding archenemy. "Of course, but I'm just giving him tests of strength, so it's not really my fault!" Glover grins mischievously. "People find Lionel interesting because Lex is still struggling with goodness. He's trying so hard to be a good person."
While Glover acknowledges some WB series are long on looks and short on acting talent, he says that's not true of Smallville's sexy, young cast, as led by Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum. "They're terrific," he enthuses. "We've all been growing. They're so enthusiastic and attentive; they're all real, human actors. I think that's why the show is so popular."
Speaking of popular, the Luthor patriarch finds he's getting recognized more often by fans. "They're so excited to see somebody from television," he smiles. "I think it's even more exciting to them if you play a villain. People like to be close to power, you know? It's seductive."
