Breaking: Michael Rosenbaum Has Left Smallville
Lex Luthor has left the building.
And while it might not be a surprise really (Michael Rosenbaum himself told us a year ago this season would be his last) it is still 100 percent sucktacular to the fans who've loved him so dearly.
This statement was just issued by Smallville's Powers That Be (producers, CW and Warner Brothers):
"It has been an honor and pleasure to work with Michael for the past six seasons. He is one of the best actors on television and has never failed to bring a new layer to the character of Lex Luthor in every episode. While Michael won't be a series regular and we won't have the pleasure of working with him on a weekly basis this fall, we like to think that we haven't seen the last of Lex Luthor. Stay tuned."
And Michael himself (always a classy guy) took the time to write the following letter to you fans:
Dear Smallville Fans,
Well, it's been seven wonderful years. Your support is what has made Smallville so successful, and I appreciate you all more than you know.
That being said, it is time for me to start the next chapter of my life and career. I hope that I gave you some enjoyment over the years, and that you found my portrayal of Lex Luthor to be satisfying. I am truly grateful, as Smallville fans are the best fans out there. I sincerely hope that you will continue to follow my career through my hair growth period and beyond.
I'm very excited about what the future holds, but certainly, Smallville will always be a part of me. I will definitely miss the greatest crew in the world, and the wonderful cast that has been like a family to me.
Thank you Al and Miles for creating the show. Thank you writers, producers, directors and editors. Thanks Tollin, Robbins and Davola for being there for the pilot. Thank you Peter Roth for employing me for ten years. Lisa Lewis, I miss you already. John Glover, thanks for helping me feel more comfortable touching other actors, while acting. Bizarre, but helpful.
Mostly, I want to thank Greg Beeman for directing the "Oh Sherry" video, by Steve Perry, back in the '80s.
Thanks crew. Thanks fans. Thanks Smallville.
I love you all,
Michael Rosenbaum
As for what lies ahead, naturally, the studio, network and creative heads want to make sure you fans all know that a Lex-less Smallville will continue. So they have released the following details about two villains who are currently being cast for season eight:
Doomsday: In season eight, Clark will face his ultimate challenge with the appearance of the legendary, unstoppable destroyer Doomsday, who appears on Smallville for the first time. As comic book fans know, Doomsday is notorious for being the only character in the DC Comics universe to have killed Superman.
Female villain: Doomsday won't be Clark's only nemesis in the upcoming season. The executive producers are tight-lipped about a new female villain they will be introducing, but they can say she will be familiar to many fans and will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could. Intelligent, brilliantly manipulative, and dangerously sinister, our gorgeous new villain has one more weapon in her arsenal: Her mutual attraction with Clark may prove to be as deadly as kryptonite for him.
The question, though, is whether any newbie bad guy can fill Rosenbaum's ginormous shoes? With him and Kristen Kreuk seemingly out of the picture, will you keep watching? Share your thoughts below…
And if any of you regular readers need a cyber-bear-hug (Jesse? Smallvillefan16?), I'm here with open arms.
Smallville - Rosenbaum out, Doomsday in
We knew it was coming. At the end of February 2007, Smallville actor, Michael Rosenbaum, announced his intentions of leaving the show at the end of the 2007-2008 season in order to tackle new projects. For the past year, fans (I include myself here) hoped that the actor would change his mind. How can Smallville be, well, Smallville without Lex Luthor? Things looked grim when the actor reminded us last February that he was done with the show, come the Season 7 finale. And today, fans around the world must come to the realization that Rosenbaum wasn’t joking: he really is leaving the show “to start the next chapter of my life and career,” he says in a joint statement with The CW.
In his letter to Smallville fans, Rosenbaum thanks them for their support and making the show a success. He hopes that fans will follow his “career through [his] hair growth period and beyond.” The actor, who is excited about the future, also takes time to thank the people involved with making the show.
Having been involved at some point with Michael Rosenbaum’s official website, my support for the actor is undeniable. I support his decision to move on after seven years of shaving his head to portray Lex but I can’t help but wonder if I’ll tune in next season, now that both Luthors are gone. Michael Rosenbaum and John Glover were the best actors of the series and added a great evilness to the show. I guess only time (aka the summer break) will tell if I and the other Smallville fans regularly tune in next season. I say “regularly” because, let’s face it, we will watch the season premiere out of curiosity!
In the joint statement, The CW, along with the executive producers, thanks the actor for his great work in the past season. The network also reveals what’s in store villain-wise for next season.
Season 8 will introduce two new villains. One is the famous Doomsday, the only DC Comics character to have killed Superman. The second one is an unnamed female villain who is said, in the statement, to “be familiar to many fans.” The statement also says that she “will set her sights on Clark in ways Lex never could.” Could she be the person who’ll win Clark’s heart since Lana will be gone (Kristin Kreuk is said to appear in very few episodes next season)?
Michael Rosenbaum fans must watch the next two episodes as they will be Lex-heavy. The May 15 finale will be very important in Lex’s quest to find The Traveler. Let’s just hint that Lex will be traveling to the Arctic.
Smallville: Sleeper
(S07E17) In a mild diversion from the main story arc of the season, Jimmy Olsen becomes James Bond. At least he’s a James Bond that makes breakfast.
Of all the characters in the show, the ones who have undergone the most growth is Chloe. It makes sense since the character was created specifically for this series (although it was somewhat as a Lois Lane stand-in).
The episode focused mostly on the Jimmy/Chloe relationship and the impact on their lives because of her various efforts for Clark. Clark himself was featured very little. Lana was nowhere to be seen (which made the episode better). Lionel is dead, but I guess John Glover’s name and likeness are still contracted to appear in the credits. Lex appeared a little, but mostly to further his storyline to what will likely be the climax of the season.
It’s amazing that the writers on this show finally realized that actions have consequences. Given Chloe’s ridiculously great computer skills, I’m amazed the government hasn’t tried to get her before now. Although this is the Smallville universe, where the government is well-funded, sexy and is not afraid to show off its, uh, assets. With all the gadgetry, the lady government agent was Bond, Q and Miss Moneypenny all rolled into one.
It makes sense for Chloe to start working for the Isis Foundation. Lex fired Chloe. The Isis Foundation is run by Lana, who is Lex’s ex-wife. Both hate and distrust Lex. In short, it’s a marvelous employment opportunity for her.
This episode did have its share of technobabble, such as “ionic displacement”. It’s also very Smallville to put a government satellite tracking center in the same building as a hipster dance club.
Another interesting Smallville technology-related question: if you’re going to copy files from a computer, why pop up a window saying so? It’s amusing that Lex has a Dell laptop on his desk. Most television computers are Macs. This is obviously indicative of Lex’s evil nature.
I got another one. If you’re going to use a pawn to accomplish your scheme, why give him a bunch of devices to use against you?
At least the writers were consistent with their James Bond homage by throwing in a dance scene in the middle of the action. All that was missing was a gambling scene where Jimmy lost at first then won later.
Classic book placement seems to be a theme of this season. Clark was hiding the Kryptonian artifact in the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to mean anything specific.
The torture scene with Chloe was kind of harsh for a lighter episode. It was a very Abu Ghraib moment. If you want to e-mail Chloe some get-well wishes, the e-mail address for her given on the computer screen during the episode was chloe_sullivan@digitalwave.com. Let me know if you reach her.
It looks like Lex got some sort of Veritas star chart for his effort (admittedly, I thought at first he was getting an empty box). It is kind of a bait-and-switch to show Lex getting to the Fortress in the previews from last week but not show him actually getting there this week.
For all the espionage and intrigue, Jimmy was just worried that Chloe was still carrying a torch for Clark. Given all the weird stuff that happens in Smallville, I just can’t define the relationship between Jimmy and Chloe as “normal.”
Jimmy going to Lex for help in wiping Chloe’s government record is probably going to haunt him in the future. I wonder if the government agent was working for Lex to begin with?
Tonight’s episode was a likable one. It seemed somewhat lighter than the usual Smallville plotlines and was almost comic relief. It’s nice to see both Jimmy and Chloe grow as individuals and in terms of their relationship. Even though next week’s episode revolves around one of the biggest television sci-fi clichés possible (that would be time travel), it should be cute. Judging from the previews, Clark even starts wearing his trademark glasses. That’s assuming the previews show what happens next week and not later.
Dana Delany Biography
This attractive and engaging talent became a TV star as the Vietnam nurse Colleen McMurphy in the acclaimed ABC series “China Beach” (1988-91). Dana Delany is the granddaughter of the inventor of the Delany toilet-flush valve and was raised in upper-middle-class Stamford, Connecticut. After attending prep school, she graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in drama and headed to NYC where she soon found work in TV commercials and on daytime serials (”Love of Life”, “As the World Turns”), Her first real break, though, came when she was cast as the young version of Roy Dotrice’s wife in the Broadway production of Hugh Leonard’s play “A Life” (1980). Delany segued to the big screen in a bit role in “The Fan” (1981) and went on to play a nun in “Where the River Runs Black” (1986), John Glover’s lover in “Masquerade” (1988) and a member of the SLA who kidnapped “Patty Hearst” (1988), directed by Paul Schrader. At the same time, she found herself cast in the role of the consummate girlfriend in guest spots on “Magnum, P.I.” and “Moonlighting”. Delany headlined the little-seen NBC sitcom “Sweet Surrender” (1987) before finding fame and earning two Emmy Awards for “China Beach”.
After achieving small screen recognition, Delany returned to features, playing Steve Martin’s cold-hearted girlfriend in “Housesitter” and Willem Dafoe’s suicidal ex-lover in Schrader’s “Light Sleeper” (both 1992). She delivered excellent support as the actress wife of Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp in the modestly entertaining “Tombstone” (1993) before tackling her first screen lead as a leather-clad dominatrix in the tame and contrived crime yarn mixed with sex farce, “Exit to Eden” (1994). Delany’s much anticipated return to Broadway in 1995 proved a bust when the play–Brian Friel’s “Translations”–failed to attract an audience. She bounced back with the lead in the Lifetime biopic “Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story” (1995) and as a schoolteacher stricken with the potentially fatal disease scleroderma in “For Hope” (ABC, 1996).
Delany went on to portray the steadfast lover of an eccentric Jeff Daniels in “Fly Away Home” (1996) and a Texas suffragette in the Western miniseries “True Women” (CBS, 1997). She and Martin Donovan played a Dutch farm couple who harbor Jews during WWII in the 1998 Showtime original “Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples”. The actress next stepped into Ellen Burstyn’s Oscar-nominated role as a car crash survivor who develops healing powers in a small screen remake of “Resurrection” (ABC, 1999). Delany returned to the stage in the Pulitzer-winning Off-Broadway play “Dinner With Friends” in 2000. The following year, she netted another Emmy nomination for her guest turn on an episode of CBS’ “Family Law” and in the fall returned to series TV as society heiress in the Fox primetime serial “Pasadena”, with Martin Donovan once again cast as her husband.
In 2002, Delany protrayed Dr. Rae Brennan in the CBS medical drama series “Presidio Med,” which also co-starred Blythe Danner.
- Also Credited As:
Dana Welles Delany - Born:
on 03/13/56 in New York, New York - Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Father: Jack Delany. divorced from Delany’s mother in 1973; deceased
- Grandfather: created the Delany toilet-flush valve
- Mother: Mary Delany. divorced from Delany’s father in 1973
Significant Others
- Companion: Christian Navarro.
- Companion: Darius Anderson. born c. 1963; dated from c. 1994 to c. 1995
- Companion: Don Henley. formerly with the band The Eagles
- Companion: Henry Czerny. met during the filming of the TV-movie “Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story” (1995); together from c. 1994; no longer together
- Companion: John Sacret Young. co-creator of “China Beach”; no longer together
- Companion: Treat Williams. together in the early 1980s
Education
- Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, 1974
Milestones
- 1979 Appeared in the CBS soap opera “Love of Life”
- 1980 Performed in the Broadway play “A Life”
- 1981 Briefly acted on the CBS daytime serial “As the World Turns”
- 1981 Feature debut, small role in “The Fan”, starring Lauren Bacall
- 1984 Primetime TV debut in the busted NBC pilot “The Streets”
- 1987 TV series debut in NBC’s “Sweet Surrender”
- 1988 Breakthrough TV role as Nurse Coleen McMurphy on the ABC drama “China Beach”; won two Emmy Awards for the role
- 1988 First film with Paul Schrader, “Patty Hearst”
- 1992 Returned to feature films after a four-year absence to play prominent supporting roles in “Housesitter” and Schrader’s “Light Sleeper”
- 1993 Cast as actress Josephine Marcus in the feature Western “Tombstone”
- 1993 Had featured role as James Belushi’s wife in the ABC miniseries “Wild Palms”
- 1994 Played first leading role in a feature, cast as a leather-clad dominatrix in the comedy-drama “Exit to Eden”
- 1995 Portrayed birth control advocate Margaret Sanger in the Lifetime TV biopic “Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story”
- 1995 Returned to Broadway as co-star of the short-lived “Translations”
- 1996 Appeared in “Fly Away Home”
- 1996 Starred in the ABC TV-movie “For Hope”, playing a schoolteacher stricken with schleroderma
- 1996 Voiced the character of Lois Lane on the animated series “Superman” (The WB)
- 1997 Starred in the CBS miniseries “True Women”
- 1998 Played opposite Martin Donovan in the Showtime original drama “Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples”
- 1999 Had lead in the small screen remake of “Resurrection”; played a woman who develops healing powers after surviving an automobile accident
- 2000 Joined cast of the Pulitzer-winning Off-Broadway play “Dinner With Friends”
- 2000 Signed to star in the NBC pilot “Good Guys, Bad Buys”; series not picked up
- 2001 Returned to series TV as star of the fall primetime serial “Pasadena” (Fox); Martin Donovan co-starred; series cancelleafter first series
- 2001 Made guest appearance on the CBS drama “Family Law”; received Emmy nomination
- 2002 Co-Starred in the CBS drama series “Presidio Med,” which also co-starred Blythe Danner
- 2004 Cast in Lifetime’s “Baby for Sale”
- 2004 Set to guest-star on ABC’s freshman drama “Boston Legal” as a friend of Alan Shore (James Spader)
- After college, moved to NYC to pursue an acting career
- Appeared in the Off-Broadway and L.A. stagings of “Bloodmoon” by Nicholas Kazan
- Began appearing in TV commercials
- Raised in Stamford, Connecticut