Why ‘Superman & Lois’ Star Tyler Hoechlin Refuses to Watch the Show
Superman & Lois gives star Tyler Hoechlin an exciting new part to play in Season 2. And while he is getting a lot more screen time, the actor refuses to watch himself on The CW show.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Superman & Lois, Season 2, Episode 3.]
‘Superman & Lois’ reveals surprise villain for Season 2
For weeks, Superman & Lois fans have wondered who would appear as the season 2 villain. The first two episodes made it seem like it could be Doomsday or Brainiac. But in Episode 3, viewers were shocked to see Superman’s evil doppelganger Bizarro make his Arrowverse debut.
Fans weren’t the only ones thrilled about the new Bizarro storyline. When talking to TV Line, Hoechlin revealed how excited he first learned he’d be playing the new villain.
“I remember the conversation I had with Todd Helbing, our amazing showrunner,” he recalled. “I was insanely excited about it when he told me.”
Noting the new challenge Bizarro brings for him as an actor, Hoechlin added, “With TV, there’s always the fear that sometimes you’ll get locked into doing the same thing over and over to the point where you feel like it’s Groundhog’s Day. This was a really cool chance to do something different — an opportunity to play on set and really let go.”
Tyler Hoechlin won’t watch his ‘Superman & Lois’ episodes
Hoechlin is getting a lot more time on screen as the hero and villain of Superman & Lois Season 2. But the actor admittedly refrains from watching himself on the show in fear it may hinder his performance style.
“I actually decided last year when we were shooting the pilot that I wasn’t going to watch any of the episodes,” Hoechlin told TV Line. “It was just a decision I made with the character to make it easier to go into work and continue to commit to what I’m doing.”
Hoechlin noted that he does collaborate with his directors and producers and asks them to guide any changes he needs to make. And he suggested that in not watching his scenes back, he can move forward without self-doubt.
“For me, it’s just a way of not judging it and being so critical with what it is,” Hoechlin revealed. “There may be something that I don’t like seeing myself doing, but if it works for the character on the show, that’s the important thing. It really doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Maybe when the series is wrapping up at some point in the future, I’ll consider going back and watching them,” he added. “For now, I’m going to let Clark and Superman live unimpeded by my opinion of them.”
But he says seeing himself as Bizarro was freeing
As the John Henry Irons‘-Earth evil Kal-El in Superman & Lois Season 1, Hoechlin didn’t have to change much of his look. But for Bizarro, he noted the costume and makeup team worked hard to make him look other-worldly. And he said seeing himself felt liberating.
“The moment you don’t see yourself in the mirror is a really freeing experience,” Hoechlin said in his chat with TV Line. “You realize that one else is seeing you, either. They’re seeing this character. So it gives you the freedom to be a little more cavalier and just let go. That was really cool. Our makeup, hair, and wardrobe teams collectively did a great job with this.”
