Exclusive Interview with Smallville Star Justin Hartley -- Part Two
By Ed Martin
MediaVillage Breakout Star of the Season Justin Hartley Talks About Working with Tom Welling, the Future of the Green Arrow and More
"The story does lend itself to the Green Arrow coming back. The way it's left, I don't know if he would come back to Smallville or another show."
In the conclusion of this two-part interview with MediaVillage entertainment editor Ed Martin, Justin Hartley talks about his experiences on Smallville, the future of the Green Arrow and his upcoming feature film roles. Hartley called from the Smallville set in Vancouver during his final day of work on the last of the seven episodes he is currently signed for. An edited transcript of their conversation follows.
MediaVillage: Is the episode you are finishing up tonight the one that introduces the Justice League?
Justin Hartley: Yeah. [Editor's note: This episode is scheduled to premiere in January and will feature several superhero characters from the D.C. Comics universe.]
MV: Will you be back for any more episodes after that one?
JH: I hope so. Nothing is for sure. The Arrow is not a contract role. But I would think so.
Justin Hartley
MV: Given how well this character has been received and how well the show is doing, I should think the producers would be interested in keeping you around for a while.
JH: I would love that. I love being on a successful show. It takes a little bit of the pressure off. Having your own show is kind of cool, too. I don't know what the plans are. I would be interested in doing this character in any capacity, whether on Smallville or another show.
MV: Would you be up for a Green Arrow spin-off?
JH: People are always asking me that, and my answer is always, "I'm doing Smallville right now and I can't really focus until I'm done with it." But now that Smallville is done it's like, yeah, I guess it's time to start thinking about [a spin-off]. Obviously it's not up to me. If someone calls we'll have to start talking.
MV: I take it the end of the Justice League episode leaves things at a point where the Arrow could continue on Smallville or in a spin-off.
JH: It leaves the door way open. The story does lend itself to him coming back. The way it's left, I don't know if he would come back to Smallville or another show. I don't know what's going to happen, but it definitely leaves the door open, which is kind of nice.
MV: The interesting thing to me is that you have actually had to create two characters, Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow, right out of the box. It seems to me that Oliver is very entrenched in the lives of several people at this point: His romance with Lois Lane, his friendship with Clark Kent, and his long antagonistic history with Lex Luthor. I can see the Arrow moving on, but Oliver has become such an integral part of the show that I think it would be difficult to just pull him out.
JH: I never thought about it that way. Oliver has touched a lot of the main characters. You're very insightful, man! I'm going to bring that up! I should go in there and say, "Somebody told me this!"
MV: Oliver definitely has a dark side to him. How would you describe him? What were you told about him?
JH: I got a character breakdown off the comic book character, which was a little confusing to me because it's very general, you know? I was thinking this is a really cool outline of a guy, but this could be anybody. I like to put a handle on people, like truckers have a handle. "You'll be Grease Man and I'll be Money Man," or whatever. My handle for Oliver is John F. Kennedy Jr. I thought, that's who this guy is, because he's in the news all the time, he's well respected and people want to be him or be like him or always know what he's doing. He doesn't seem to have a private life. There are probably a lot of skeletons in that guy's closet. Everybody has them and you don't really want them out in the open. Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow and that's the last thing he wants people to find out. Oliver is basically kind of Batman-esque. He's just a human being. He doesn't have any special superhuman powers. He's got a lot of abilities and a lot of cool toys.
MV: How would you describe his relationship with Clark Kent?
JH: They have become friends. There is mutual respect and mutual admiration. It's interesting because Oliver has chosen to be a vigilante and put on the Green Arrow costume and go save people, while Clark kind of got thrown into it not of his own free will. He was born into it. He was born with his abilities. They want the same thing. They both want justice. But they go about it completely differently. They knock heads that way.
The Green Arrow
MV: There is some conflict between the two.
JH: They do have that animosity toward each other. There's also a little resentment from Oliver toward Clark because it's like, "Look, man, I go out there and do this stuff. You can do it with your eyes closed and you don't get off your front porch." As the story develops you realize Oliver starts to feel a little bit of sympathy, like what it must feel like to not have a choice to do this stuff and be thrown into it. To have everybody barking at you and be expected to do this stuff and live with the kind of guilt this guy lives with. Oliver and Clark have become friends and they obviously have a relationship. Clark doesn't have any guys in his life that know the story like Oliver does and know him as well as Oliver does. It's kind of a brotherly thing. They kind of teach each other stuff. The Green Arrow is the vehicle to move Clark from phase one to phase two, or the next phase of becoming Superman.
MV: What is it like working with Tom Welling?
JH: I enjoy working with him. Tom's real cerebral. You wouldn't guess that. (laughs) I'm not saying he comes across as an idiot. He knows his character inside and out. He's such a thoughtful person. He's been doing it for six years, so it's got to be difficult, but he doesn't relent. He's a really interesting guy to work with and a lot of fun because he's always present. He's not one of those guys who's gone when the camera isn't on him. He's right there, even when he doesn't need to be there. He might not even have any lines, but he's there doing his thing. I don't know where he got that, who taught him to do that. It's appreciated, because not a lot of people do that. We get along pretty well. We make each other laugh. We have good on screen chemistry, I hope.
MV: Fans seems to be responding to that.
JH: That's the thing. If you get on Smallville and you don't have any onscreen chemistry with Clark Kent you're kinda gonna get off Smallville, right? (laughs)
MV: What's coming up for you after Smallville?
JH: I've got a movie coming out called Spring Breakdown in April. It's a comedy with a lot of the cast of Saturday Night Live, like Rachel Dratch and Amy Poehler. Parker Posey is in it, and my newest hero Will Arnett, one of the funniest people alive. I play Rachel's love interest. They go to spring break and I'm this guy she finds. We have this love story that kind of takes place in her head. It never really exists.
MV: What was Rachel Dratch like to work with?
JH: She can make you laugh at the same thing 100 different ways. I felt so bad, because I have hardly ever worked with anyone that funny, and there were so many blown takes. She would do something, and -- it was so unprofessional, you shouldn't do this but I'm human, I couldn't help it -- she would do something, and it was just great comedy, and I would just laugh. And I'm like, I can't laugh, I'm blowing her take! And they would do it again and she'd be even funnier. Rachel's delivery is hilarious. You're laughing at the delivery, and then when you try to focus back on what you're doing and you look at her face, and her reaction to your reaction, she makes you start laughing again. I don't think she knows how funny she is. She's really sweet and down to earth. I would work with her again in a heartbeat.
MV: Anything else?
JH: I did an independent movie called L.A. Blues. The Farrelly brothers are in that, and Dave Foley. I had a little part where I played a spoiled celebrity. I came in and chewed up the scenery and then left. I've got a movie in development right now that I wrote, a feature film that I'm going to star in called Brawn and Glamour. That should be really funny.
MV: While you've been working in Vancouver, your wife [actress Lindsay Korman] has been in L.A. taking care of your daughter Isabella and working on [the NBC soap opera] Passions. How has that worked out for you?
JH: Lindsay is my hero. She's done such a good job. She's just basically my rock. There are times when I feel horrible. Isabella will call me and talk to me. She's two and a half and she's asking me when I'm going to come home, how many days. She understands I'm not there. It's heartbreaking when I'm on the phone and she's like, "Do you wanna play this with me?" We don't lie to her and try to get her to ignore it. Lindsay is a wonderful, wonderful mother to Isabella and a great wife. She's incredible. She's taken a lot of the burden off of me.
t:
