Supermanis due to fly into theaters in less than two weeks, and now one of the film’s leading stars has unearthed a major connection between him and a former Clark Kent actor.Juilliard graduateDavid Corenswetis the latest to take on the role of the Man of Steel inJames Gunn’s Superman, following in a long line of stars such asHenry Cavill,Tom Welling,Dean Caine,Brandon Routh,Tyler Hoechlin, andChristopher Reeve, another fellow Juilliard graduate. Collider’sPerri Nemiroffcaught up with Corenswet and new Lois Lane actorRachel Brosnanahead ofSuperman, and she asked what it is about Juilliard’s training that so effectively prepares stars like him and Reeve to excel at playing Superman:
“I was astonished. I did not expect it at the screen test to feel, multiple times, thatmy training at Juilliard had perfectly prepared mefor the screen test specifically, and then the role in general. I think there’s a lot at acting school that’s really cool and fun, but you sort of think once you’re out in the world, you’re not going to use a lot. It’s sort of like high school trigonometry. You’re like, ‘Am I really going to use this?’ But then… When do you use trigonometry in real life? I don’t know. You do! I can’t think of it off the top of my head, but pay attention in school, kids. Love trigonometry.”
Brosnahan also joked that the two would be taking shots every time someone asked them a question about Juilliard orStar Wars— pour them up, Clark and Lois. Corenswet then went into further detail about the audition process for James Gunn. Not only did he speak about howtheSupermandirectormade the audition feel more like an“old-fashioned screen test,”but also how challenging the stunt evaluation is. Luckily, his time at Juilliard more than prepared him for both:
“Anyway, sorry. First of all, the screen test for Superman was this sort of old-fashioned screen test where we actually did the scene and shot the scene as though it were a scene, whereas most screen tests are more like auditions where there’s one camera and you do it once or twice, maybe get a note, and it all feels over too quick and much more like an audition.James [Gunn] immediately made working on the screen test scene feel like we were going to work, not like we were auditioning. The work felt much more like rehearsing a play than it did like shooting a movie. So, I immediately thought, ‘Well, that’s what I trained for, rehearsing a play.’ I did a lot of that in school.
He also further went into detail about the more physically demanding part of the audition: “Then, when we got up on wires for the stunt evaluation, it’s something I had never done before, but thechallenge there was all about having isometric control over your body and your limbs, while keeping a relaxed and hopefully somewhat charming facial expression, although not always.It’s sometimes not necessary or counterproductive. So, again, I thought back to Moni Yakim’s movement classes at Juilliard, where you’d be lying on the floor and he would say, ‘And the right legupand down and up and down!'”
He wrapped up by recalling feeling like he was“about to die”while hanging from wires and doing stunt work, and recalling,“What does this have to do with acting?”It’s here he remembered that keeping a calm face and level head while flying around on wires has“everything to do with acting.”He even admits wondering,“Did Christopher Reeve think back to training with Moni?”and shares his amazement at just how“directly translatable”everything he learned was to the screen.
Christopher Reeve Has a Special Connection to James Gunn’s ‘Superman’
James Gunn recruited many of his regulars and also some newcomers to star inSuperman, but there’s one name that stands out on the call sheet.Christopher Reeve’s son,Will Reeve, has been tapped to play a TV reporter inSuperman. This gives the film atouching connection to a different era ofSupermanstories, while also allowing Gunn topay homage to one of the original superhero titanswho helped move the industry forward. It’s unclear if Reeve’s reporter will show up in anotherDCUproject, but his involvement inSupermanis an extraordinary show of good faith from Gunn.
Supermanflies into theaters on July 11. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the film, and find tickets below for a showtime near you.
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