The CW’s latest series, Superman & Lois, is just a week away from its debut and while the series will offer viewers a new story about some of comics’ most iconic characters as well as some new faces, Arrowverse fans are already familiar with the titular characters. Tyler Hoechlin first appeared as Clark Kent/Superman on Supergirl and Elizabeth Tulloch made her Lois Lane debut in 2018’s Elseworlds crossover event. Now, Tulloch is sharing her casting story and how her choice to “have fun” with the character is ultimately what landed her one of comics’ most iconic roles.
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Speaking with Den of Geek, Tulloch said that a lot of other actresses were reading for the role, but she chose to approach the audition scene a little differently That scene is one that Tulloch admits read as serious — the scene being a deleted moment from 1980’s Superman II which sees Margot Kidder’s Lois shoots at Clark (Christopher Reeve) in an attempt to prove she knows he is Superman. It’s only after Clark reveals himself and reprimands her that she reveals the gun was shooting blanks — but she decided to simply have fun with it.
“They were reading a lot of other actresses I recognized,” Tulloch said. “I kind of had a feeling, after I did it once, that I totally was doing something different from the other actors. The choice I made was to just have fun with it. I think, based on some of the feedback I got in the room, a lot of women had been reading that scene more seriously because, on paper, the scene did read as serious.”
Tulloch continued, “I just sort of played it joyfully. And at the end, when he doesn’t die, I squealed happily and said, ‘I knew it.’”
She went on to say that a note from Supergirl co-showrunner Jessica Queller confirmed that her approach had been what they were looking for.
“She was like, ‘This is what we were looking for… there needs to be a joie de vivre about Lois,’” Tulloch said.
It’s fitting that Tulloch’s audition scene is one from Kidder’s turn as Lois. Back in 2018 when news of Tulloch’s casting broke, she paid tribute to Kidder, noting she’d watched screen tests for 1978’s Superman early in her own acting career.
“When I started acting, one of my teachers asked me to watch the screen tests for the role of Lois Lane for 1978’s Superman,” Tulloch wrote at the time. “All of the actresses were terrific, but it was always clear to me why Margot Kidder won the role: she seemed lit from within, full of joie de vivre.”
Superman & Lois premieres on February 23rd on The CW.
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