Smallville | SV25: Michael Rosenbaum on Playing Everyone's Favorite Lex Luthor, Finding His Confidence and Returning to Smallville

Smallville didn’t just launch a superhero icon, it gave Michael Rosenbaum a lasting legacy and a role so definitive that fans still call him “their Lex Luthor” 25 years later. In this candid conversation, Rosenbaum talks with The House of El's Derek Russell and opens up about the confidence it took to play one of TV’s most complex villains and the show's staying power. Rosenbaum also shares how he prepared for the role, from memorizing entire scripts ahead of time to staying grounded and avoiding a caricature, reflecting on the self-doubt and stress he faced during the show, why he chose to leave, and how returning for the finale gave him a sense of closure.