Laura Vandervoort, currently portraying the Visitor Lisa on ABC's "V", returns to Smallville this season as Kara (a.k.a. Supergirl), Clark Kent's cousin. In this exclusive interview the actress discusses the episode on the role Kara plays in Clark's destiny as Superman.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Each time we’ve spoken, a recurring theme was how badly you wanted to go back to Smallville. Now, of course, you’ve had that chance.
LAURA VANDERVOORT: I was so excited, because I really had a good time shooting season seven, and everyone would ask me after then, “When are you going to return?” It started becoming a theme, where the answer would be the same: “I don’t know, they haven’t asked,” and then they called.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Have you shot that yet?
LAURA VANDERVOORT: Oh yeah, we’ve shot it and actually I wrapped the day before we started season two of “V”, so it’s been done for quite a few weeks now. It went well.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Timing wise it worked perfectly.
LAURA VANDERVOORT: Yes, the timing worked. We were worried that it wouldn’t and we’d have to wait a little while, but had I started “V” I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to shoot Smallville, so we got it in there. And I just finished a film prior to doing Smallville, with Ray Liotta. So that wrapped, and then two days later I started Smallville.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: What’s the film with Ray Liotta?
LAURA VANDERVOORT: It was called Entitled, but they recently re-titled it to Bring The Night. It’s a psychological thriller. Ray LIotta is great – I enjoyed working with him -- he was in for a few days, and I had a chance to do a long scene with him, so that was neat. He was quite a guy. I was so impressed to work with him, and Victor Garber was in it, and to watch him work is amazing.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Stepping back to Smallville, did the experience feel different than it had back on season seven?
LAURA VANDERVOORT: It was a little strange, I hadn’t played her for almost two years. I had returned in season eight for an episode, but it was so brief, so it felt a little strange getting back into Kara. But once you get there, it’s not too difficult. I was excited and she’s almost a different character in season 10 than she was in seven or eight – she’s more mature, and she sort of figures out who she is. The tables have kind of turned, with her and Clark – in the past she would mess up and Clark would give her a lecture, and teach her about her powers, and when she returns the tables are reversed. She’s come back with more knowledge, and she’s teaching him things and giving him ideas about who he could be in the future. She definitely plays a huge role in his becoming Superman.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: What kind of role does she play in helping him become Superman?
LAURA VANDERVOORT: She’s in the red and blue, semi-Supergirl uniform, without the S, but she does do the brunette wig and glasses, which teaches him that he can have an alternate identity. He can have a face to the red/blue blur, and still be able to walk among the people with another identity. She kind of gives him that idea. I saw the photo – so I guess it is public knowledge that she wears that – but the second part of the reason, the producers told me, about wearing that, was to give him the idea to do it, to have the courage to show his face as the red/blue blur.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: I know the fans are going to be very happy about your return to the show.
LAURA VANDERVOORT: I hope so. And you know, I’m not sure if this is the conclusion of Kara, but I wanted to return for the fans, because so many fans at conventions are like, “V”’s great, but are you returning to Smallville?” That’s been the big question, so I wanted to return for them and to give them the chance to see her in her Supergirl colors and the uniform.
VOICES FROM KRYPTON: Was it kind of cool wearing those colors?
LAURA VANDERVOORT: I actually wore those colors through the whole show, but in a different context, like jeans and a red shirt. Like Tom Welling does. But that was the first time they had made the Supergirl skirt to look similar to the comic books, and the boots are the same. It was kind of cool – it was the closest I’ve been to full Supergirl, besides owning the little DC comics Barbie Doll version of her.
Tomorrow Laura Vandervoort discusses "V" and her character, Lisa
