Glee-ful Supergirl

VANCOUVER, Canada --- First, a backgrounder: Supergirl is an American superhero action-adventure drama TV series developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlani and Andrew Kreisberg (the latter two were the creators of Arrow and The Flash), based on the DC Comics character Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, a costumed superheroine who happens to be the biological cousin of Superman and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. (Note: Season 2 of Supergirl will be available on HOOQ starting today, Oct. 10.)

Playing the titular role (and as Supergirl’s alter-ego Kara) is Melissa Benoist, a Glee alumna whose movie film credits include Whiplash, The Longest Ride (based on Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling novel) and Danny Collins (with Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner and Annette Bening). Trivia: In 2012, Benoist was in Manila with Glee co-star Darren Criss (who is half-Filipino) as ambassadors of Coca-Cola’s new product Coke Mismo.

Last week, The STAR was invited (along with 20 journalists from Latin countries) to visit the set of Supergirl (and Legends of Tomorrow, but more on that in a future issue) at the Warner Bros. Studios at the outskirts of Vancouver. The two other Filipino journalists in the group were Toronto-based Jayvi Aruta and Vancouver-based Rowena Papasin, with Vince Liwanag representing HOOQ.

Aside from Melissa, other members of the cast who sat with us for quickie interviews (each of them was pulled out of the set when not being shot) were Chris Wood, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan, Mehcad Brooks and David Harewood.

Excerpts:

How do you feel being a role model to little girls?

As Kara, the alter ego of Supergirl

“I definitely think that that’s what Supergirl stands for — a role model for everyone, not exclusively to young girls. But, yes, I do feel like a role model to young girls.”

Do you think the media puts a lot of pressure on actors to be role models?

“It’s a little bit of unfair because you have your own life. Well, yeah, I do think that, especially with social media, there is a huge pressure for anyone in a public position to be a good role model for kids. But I also think that that brings a lot of freedom with it to just be yourself and share how empowering that can be to be true to who you are at all times. And I do think that you just have to separate yourself a little bit. You have to keep a bit of yourself to yourself, a lot like the way Kara or Supergirl does.”

How has Supergirl changed your life?

“It hasn’t changed that much. I mean, I get to do a job that I’ve done practically my whole life and have always loved doing, and so that makes me very happy. So I don’t know how much it has really changed my life or who I am. I guess that if it did, the change was for the better.”

Do you feel comfortable in your costume?

‘Oh yes, I do. I can put it on by myself. Oh yes, it does take a while to put it on and to take it off, it takes some effort. Otherwise, it’s comfortable, it’s amazing!”

What do you love most about your role?

“Gosh, that’s a hard question. Uhm, I mean essentially when you get to play these superheroes that have their alter egos, it really is like playing two roles. You get to really explore every little bit of this character, you know, how she is when she really feels truly confident and how she is when she is hiding a part of herself so I feel really fortunate to be able to do that. My favorite part of the role? I like being Kara in the office. I think they’re the most fun for me to play those scenes.”

Really, why?

“Why? She’s just a goofball. It’s so fun to play Kara; she is infectious to me and I have fun in every scene where she’s being silly-goofy Kara.”

By the way, how will you celebrate your 28th birthday (last Oct. 4)?

“Oh, my birthday!” (Laughs) “I’ll be here (on the set). I mean, my way of celebrating is very low-key. Just a nice dinner and relaxing with our crew, just spending time with people whose company I really enjoy.”

Having come from Glee, you must be excited about the singing parts?

“I can’t wait for the musical episode; I cannot wait to see what they come up with. I think it’s such a good idea, these characters…The Flash and Supergirl… are so infectious and joyful and I think, for a song, they will be even more so.”

What was your reaction when you learned that Superman (played by Tyler Hoechlin) was joining the show’s Season 2?

“…yes, Supergirl’s cousin. He’s in the first two episodes and he will definitely enliven and complicate things. There’s a really beautiful family dynamic between the two Kryptonians and I am very excited about Tyler being on the show. Also, I think it’s about time. All the interactions that Kara had with Clark Kent last season, through the instant messaging and texting, never felt like enough to me.

“I always wanted them to stand together, so it’s incredible that we’ll get to see those two characters side by side this season. Their relationship is important because they are family. She has things that he doesn’t and he has things that she doesn’t. That means they are going to reap benefits from each other and I am also excited about that.”

If you had Supergirl’s power to change the world, how would you use that power?

“Gosh, I wish there was a power that you could just press a button and make everyone get along. As simple as that might sound, I think I wish peace could be achieved with a simple push on a button.”

How do you feel being the only female superhero leading a show?

“Oh, remember that Lynda Carter was here long before me and she really set the stage. Having her here was incredible. I learned so much from her. And I was really inspired by the attitude she has about all of these, how she truly embraced about being Wonder Woman. She kind of gave the advice that you have to really embrace this character, who she is and how people respond to that.” (Lynda Carter is appearing on Season 2 as the President of the United States.)

By the way, are you active on social media?

“I try to be. I wish I were better at it. I think that social media can be such a scary place but at the same time I think we are lucky to have a really large outpouring of positive energy. And the fans of the show and of the character and her mythology, they’re so passionate and supportive. It’s a good way to gauge whether or not what you’re doing is at par.”

Chris Wood (As Mon-El)

Credits: Made-for-TV movie Browsers (2013) and, among other TV shows, as the main antagonist Malachai “Kai” Parker in The Vampire Diaries

What do you find interesting about your character?

“Mon-El is sort of a fun-loving guy, he likes the party and to make jokes and to go out. His whole arrival on Earth is mostly filled with discovering what this planet is like, what his role is gonna be, what he’s gonna be doing in terms of work, in terms of life. And he’s got to get used to the other characters to find out how Earth works.”

In the first episode, Superman gave Mon-El his name. Would Mon-El need perhaps a mentor?

“Mon-El definitely is a guy who was like Kara when she was coming into this planet. So it’s an entirely different place, entirely different planet, there are different rules and what his, sort of what his body is like even on Earth, it’s gonna be different than it was on Daxam (the planet where Mon-El, a superhero like Superman and Supergirl, came from). So finding out what he’s like if he has powers, what his powers are and how he’s gonna use them, obviously he’ll need some of a mentor.”

How do you feel about becoming a superhero in real life?

“It’s exciting. I grew up watching comic-book movies and reading comics. I’m a really big Batman fan more than a Superman fan but obviously I love the concept of flying and having superpowers. There’s an athleticism that the show sort of demands and it actually caught me by surprise when I got here because there’s so many stunts and so many action sequences. So just watching you go through the gauntlet you sort of brace for impact yourself and you try to be as prepared as you can be.”

If made to choose what other character in Supergirl you would like to play, which one would it be?

“That’s hard. I don’t know if I would swap, I’m having a lot of fun with the character and I think he brings a really exciting different dimension to the show. I think they’ve found a nice little pocket that was missing and built this really cool character to fill it up.”

Chyler Leigh (as Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Kara’s adoptive sister)

Credits: Best known for her portrayals in Not Another Teen Movie and as Dr. Lexie Grey in the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy.

You must be excited about Season 2.

“Oh yes, I am… like everybody else I love the storyline, especially about the relationship between Alex and Kara. So many times, you see relationships between sisters; they are always fighting or they are buddy-buddies. I love that we’re on a show that shows that family isn’t perfect…that even of you fight with each other you do work for each other and you grow together. I’m a mother of two little girls and for them to see that, the bond, is invaluable to me.”

What do you enjoy most about playing Alex?

“It’s so much fun because Alex originated with the show. There’s no Alex in the comics, so to be part of the story is a totally cool thing to deal with. I get to be in Supergirl! It’s an honor to be part of that legacy; it really is. When it comes to my character, I don’t have any boundaries. There’s nothing that I have to adhere to because I’m not married to anything in the comics.”

Do you have any scene with Lynda Carter (who plays the President of the United States in Season 2)?

“Maybe I do; maybe there’s a little undercover action to make sure that certain people are taken care of and protected. Maybe.”

How does work on Supergirl compare to work on Grey’s Anatomy?

“They are night and day. This is the most fun I’ve ever had, genuinely. As far as the stunts and the fighting and the physical aspect of the show are concerned, Melissa and I both got thrown into them very quickly. It has been challenging and difficult but I’m very stubborn and I try to do as much as I possibly can. Physically, Season One was definitely taxing but it was also incredibly rewarding. My 12-year-old son now thinks that I’m literally the coolest person on the planet, so I’m good with it. It’s fun!”

Jeremy Jordan (as Winslow “Winn” Schott Jr. who has an unrequited crush on Kara)

Credits: Rock of Ages (2009) and as Tony in West Side Story, both on Broadway; and guest appearance in the Streetwise episode of NBC’s Law & Order.

Which superhero do you look up to as role model?

“I’m a Batman dude. I like the no-superpowers-but-still-can-kick-some-butt superhero but also has some serious issues.”

Having come from theater, you, like Melissa, is a good singer. So you must also be excited about the singing parts.

“Yeah, I’m super excited. I mean, my whole career has been based on singing. I’ve done a lot of shows on Broadway. The first TV show I did, Smash, required a lot of singing. This show has kinda been this weird, where crazy things happen, you know. That we can have a musical episode is really exciting and we’re all like super pumped. I mean we just kinda goof off and sing on set all day.”

Describe your character.

“Winn tries to make a joke of everything. He has a sort of defense mechanism where everything is funny. I think that’s kind of his way of dealing with the world and all the crazy things happening around him. He just kinda makes light of it, then it’s fine. But in terms of like how he helps out, yeah, he’s kind of a computer genius so he helps out all the tech stuff, all the research, all the hacking, all the finding things out, the decoding alien messages and things like that so, yeah, he’s a big asset to them.”

Is Winn over Kara now?

(Laughs) “Oh man, it’s gonna be a long road for Winn and Kara, I think. I hope it’s not over, you know. The last we left, Winn had kissed her and she was like, ‘Eeehhh…I don’t know about that.’ So they really never talked about it though. He told her what he felt, and she was like, ‘I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to say, I just want to be friends. I just want things to be how they are.’ And they kind of like left it at that.”

Mehcad Brooks (as James Olsen, a former Daily Planet photographer who received a Pulitzer Prize for taking the first photograph of Superman)

Credits: Former fashion model known for his roles as Matthew Applewhite on ABC’s Desperate Housewives, as Jerome in The Game, and as Terrance “TK” King in the USA series Necessary Roughness.

When you read the pilot script for the show, did you expect Kara and James to get together?

“Before I signed on, the producers said that I would be a possible love interest for Supergirl, so I expected it to happen earlier. I was like, ‘Man, how long can we drag it out?’ It’s nice to finally see them connect. We ended Season One with a lip-lock and we open Season 2 with a wedding…just kidding!”

What can you say about Superman’s larger presence in Season 2?

“Superman coming into the show is a great idea. It’s like wish fulfillment for fans. Tyler is an incredible choice. He’s really funny and smart. Plus, he’s in great shape. He does look like Superman. We have a great chemistry. Character-wise, it’s great because the conversation that everybody’s been waiting for is going to happen. You know, ‘You bro, you’re dating my cousin!’ And it doesn’t end up with any punching or choking, thank God! That’s a good thing because James would lose.”

How excited are you to continue to reinvent Jimmy Olsen (or James, as you call him)?

“It’s really exciting. When I first started the job, I was super nervous. I kept saying, ‘Okay, you know I’m black, right? James is not black in the comics so is this for real? Have you called the right number?’ I had a lot of questions. But they said, ‘We’re going to recreate Jimmy around you. You’re the new James for a whole new generation of kids. Just be you.’ And that’s it.”

(HOOQ came from the word HOOK. It is Asia’s first premium video-on-demand service to launch across the region. HOOQ is a start-up joint venture established in January last year by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. It delivers over 10,000 Hollywood, regional and local movies and TV shows to customers anytime. For more information, visit www.hooq.tv.)

David Harewood (as Hank Henshaw/J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter, a former CIA agent and head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations [DEO])

Credits: As Nelson Mandela in the BBC drama Mrs. Mandela, as Martin Luther King in The Mountaintop, and as David Estes (the director of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center in Homeland).

When you first signed on to the show as Hank Henshaw, did you know that the character was going to evolve into something very different?

“I had no idea what character I was playing. They only told me about a week before we started filming that I was not really Hank Henshaw. I knew he was changing, but I didn’t know what he was changing into. I’m really happy that it was Martian Manhunter. He looks awesome; he’s got a great look and the outfit is great, and he’s been cool to play. I wasn’t aware that viewers love Martian Manhunter. Everyone keeps coming to me and saying, ‘Thank you for bringing this character to life and giving him such humanity.’ It’s awesome to feel that love and that respect.”

What went into your research for your character?

“I spend three weeks reading Martian Manhunter comics. I wasn’t familiar with the character, but I really couldn’t wait to play him. You know what? It’s been a real honor and a real privilege. I related to the family aspect of the character; the fact that he hasn’t got children. When we shot the first season, I was away from my family for an awful long time, so I drew on that sense of isolation and loneliness.”

The cast of Supergirl has a lot of actors with as theatrical background. Does that help in the superhero genre?

“What great about that is that everybody brings his ‘A Game’ to the set. There’s lots of messing around and there’s lots of pranks. But what’s wonderful about it is when it’s time for action and everybody brings his, yes, ‘A Game.’ It’s fantastic! Jeremy and Melissa sometimes break out in a song and they’ve got such awesome voices. When that happens, it really makes the day go quickly.”

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