Smallville's Lana Lightens Up

Smallville's third season was a dark period in the series, heavily mired in family issues and strange bedfellows. Now, in Season 4, the Superman drama's having more fun with its characters. No one's happier about that than Neutrogena spokesgirl Kristin Kreuk, who plays Clark Kent's longtime crush, Lana Lang. Her enthusiasm has more than a little to do with Lana's new boyfriend, Jason, who's played by Days of our Lives grad Jensen Ackles.

"I've had so much fun [this season]," Kreuk smiles. "Jensen is wonderful. To be in your character and laugh and to have that kind of relationship with another person on the show has been so lovely. I don't think Lana and Clark have ever really laughed together. They have had this intense, serious relationship, and to have another level is just so fun.

"[Lana]'s entirely different," the 21-year-old TV starlet continues. "I enjoy changing it up. The show has evolved a lot — we were going darker last year, which actually I thought was kind of interesting. We went more adult, but it wasn't appealing to the same audience anymore. So they brought it back to more youth and more sex."

In addition to acquiring a new beau, Lana has finally ditched those cutesy pastel sweaters she used to wear constantly. "I'm thrilled, I really am," Kreuk laughs. "The pink is fine; it just came to a point where the pastels didn't reflect Lana's personality anymore. She was dressing like a little girl when she wasn't anymore. There is a lot of black right now, but that is going to shift as well, so there is a nice balance. You shouldn't really be noticing the wardrobe that much. Now we can focus on something else."

What other directions will Lana take this season, besides fashion-forward? "Jane Seymour's come onto the show playing Jason's mother, who is quite evil and complex," Kreuk says. "Lana has dreamt of her in her past when she was a witch.

"It gets all convoluted," she grins, "but they are going to flesh out that story line and see how it connects to the mythology and these crystals, which will eventually lead to... well, that's a secret."