Huesario.

Ritchson Jumps Back in the Water as Aquaman
by Jeffrey Renaud, Wed, November 17th, 2010 at 2:28PM

This week, Alan Ritchson is set to reprise his role as DC Comics' superhero Aquaman on The CW's hit TV series, "Smallville," and now that he's tested the water, he's bringing Mera along too.

First introduced to the show's mythos in the fifth season episode "Aqua," the role of Arthur Curry expands in this Friday's episode "Patriot" as the underwater hero and his wife team-up with Clark (Tom Welling) to free Oliver (Justin Hartley) from Col. Slade (Michael Hogan) who trapped the Green Arrow after he registered for the Vigilante Registration Act.

That's right, his wife. But Ritchson told CBR News that while Arthur's marriage to Mera – played onscreen by Elena Satine – will be explained, the episode very much centers on a Justice League-sized adventure.

Ritchson, who also stars as Thad Castle on Spike TV's "Blue Mountain State," also spoke candidly about the possibility of an Aquaman movie and why he thinks the Sea King doesn't necessarily translate well to television.


CBR News: Were you aware of Aquaman growing up as a kid? Did you have the Aquaman Underoos?

Alan Ritchson: No, I wasn't really a big comic book guy as a kid. My experience with comics was through my next door neighbor, who set the national weightlifting record in like eighth grade. He would come over to my house and he was always the Hulk and I had to pick somebody for him to beat up. I don't think I ever really chose Aquaman. That was the extent of my experience with superheroes.

Have you become acclimated with the character since you landed the role, because certainly in comics, Aquaman is front and center in the DCU these days as a featured player in "Brightest Day."

Yes, absolutely. I'm very much into doing research for roles and I feel like I've read everything written on Aquaman since coming onto "Smallville." I notice the popularity growing, as well. And there are also talks of an Aquaman movie maybe happening soon. You hear rumors in Hollywood, so it's good to stay informed. It's pretty cool when you have even a small fingerprint on a character's history.

Has your portrayal been well received when you meet fans at conventions and even on the street?

Yes, but believe me, I've definitely worn my share of the scorn for Aquaman, too. There's a lot to love about the character but I think it's such a hard thing to realize on screen, being that it's really a world that takes place underwater. He's basically the Superman of the Seas. It's a cool character and there's a great story to tell, but it's difficult to tell in that kind of media. He really hasn't been afforded the opportunities like the Batmans and the Supermans of the world. It's easier to tell those stories, so people can fantasize about that stuff easier, I think, and really see that character come to life and those potentials be realized. It's harder to tell the story with Aquaman, because you're kind of limited in terms of what you can do. I think that leads a lot of people to think, "Ah, this character sucks."

But I think there's a lot of good there and I think it's a pretty cool character but I definitely get it too. If you didn't know anything else, you'd be like, "You talk to fish? That's it. What else can you do?"

You obviously can't talk to fish, but can you swim?

I lived near the beach in Florida and spent a lot of time in the water. There was a public pool near my house that we used to go to all the time and learned how to swim. I mean, I wasn't competitive or anything, but I was proficient enough, so this was an easy dive to make.

In this week's episode, we're introduced to Mera, Aquaman's wife. Will the story of how these two got together be told, because when we last saw Arthur, I don't believe he was married.

The thing that I like about this episode is that it stays very present. It moves forward and I think it moves the series forward. We don't spend a lot of time telling the story about where we come from, but we definitely address it. Right from the get-go, you're in on us and I think you realize who she is to me. And that's cool. I just think that it's appropriate that the show continues to move forward and stays present. The fact that stuff has been happening but on the show it's just like, OK, here we are now. What are we going to do with this? I like that.

If the introduction of Mera wasn't enough for "Smallville" fans, Tom Welling directed this week's episode, too. How is Clark when he is behind the camera?

Being behind the camera is in his nature. He's a very giving person. He's got a lot of knowledge to share and he really knows how to share it. He's just a super smart guy and he's very gentle with actors. He comes from my side of things, so he understands how to talk to actors. A lot of directors don't. Some directors are so technically oriented the acting is an afterthought, and knowing how to talk to an actor is definitely an afterthought. I spend a lot time just interpreting what they actually want. "What are they getting at here, because they aren't saying it very well?" That's not the case, at all, with Tom. Like I said, he's just very giving. There's always a good back and forth and he's very receptive to hearing ideas. He wants all the ideas on the table so he can put forward the best product. It was great fun and I feel fortunate to have worked with him.

You mention the potential for an Aquaman movie and Justin [Hartley] actually shot a pilot for an Aquaman spinoff series in 2006. If there ever was a spinoff show, or if Warner Bros. turned to you to reprise the role for the big screen, would you be happy to play Aquaman again?

Oh yeah, I would like that for sure. But I don't think a TV show is a reality, to be honest. Not that I wouldn't like to see that story told. Like I said earlier, Aquaman's basically the Superman of the Seas and there's a really cool story behind that. I think it would be fun to tell it, but it's just so hard to tell a story involving water. And it's expensive. In today's day and age, people aren't looking to spend a lot of money on a TV show. Maybe someday they'll find a way, technically, to do it in a fiscally sound manner.

But a movie, on the other hand, I think is very much a reality. In fact, I think there's one in the works. Some people in LA are starting to get the ball rolling on that. I don't know what my involvement would ever be in that, but, yeah, I think it would be cool to see that happen. But it's just so expensive to do. It's hard to say if it's really going to happen.

Will we see more of Aquaman and Mera in this final season of "Smallville?"

I hope so. I had a great time working with Elena, I had a great time on the show in general and I like the direction that it's going. It's moving forward and growing up and you're seeing all these great storylines from the past, starting to tie up all these loose ends. It's fun to watch and it's fun to be part of.

I would personally like to see the Justice League assemble, so I'd like to be a part of that too. But officially, I haven't received anything on paper yet, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=29460

Smallville: Aquaman Returns
IGN talks to Alan Ritchson about the return of the aquatic superhero.
Por Eric Goldman US, 18 Nov, 2010


He's been gone for awhile, but DC hero Aquaman makes his return to Smallville this week. The new episode, "Patriot," finds Aquaman (Alan Ritchson) teaming with Clark Kent (Tom Welling) to take on Colonel Slade (Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan) – the character known to DC fans as Deathstroke.

I spoke to Ritchson about reprising his role on the series, which this time around including playing the husband to Elena Satine as Aquaman's wife, Mera, and working with Tom Welling as a director, as the Smallville star once again helms an episode of the series.

IGN TV: What brings Aquaman back into the Smallville story?

Alan Ritchson: The whole episode is pretty much Aquaman trying to encourage the others to join him in finding a solution to this problem that they face that really could mean life or death for them. So it's a struggle the entire episode to find a way out of this problem. That's really what the whole ride is going to be about.

IGN: Is it nice for you to see him stepping up and trying to lead these other superheroes in a new direction here?

Ritchson: Yeah, I always enjoy that. Of course, I think it's always fun to be the guy is trying to take the reins and push forward, so I do like that. Especially because Aquaman has that stigma that's like 'he's really not as capable as the others.' But I like that, because you see some of the fire that he has. I disagree with that stigma, so it's fun to kind of be in a position to where I can get out there and he can do his best to try and kick some butt.

IGN: Do you try to have fun with that perception that some people have about Aquaman?

Ritchson: [Laughs] Yeah, it's all a form of entertainment, you know? So it's not like I take anything personally. And I definitely take my fair share of shellacking from my friends and family – you know, I always get the fish jokes and the Aquaman jokes. I get a lot of stuff from fans who jokingly will maybe side with someone else. Maybe they're fans of Superman more or something and they'll kind of give me some heat for it, but it's all in good fun. It's not like it bothers me and I can see both sides of that perspective too, really.

If you're not as familiar with his actual story and all you've seen is what you've seen in television and film… it's a tough medium to tell that story in, so I understand that someone would feel that way. But being that I've done a fair amount of research and read a lot of his original stories, you kind of see that he is quite capable. It's just that he's from another world!

IGN: Obviously a big change for him this time around is he comes back and he's married. What was it like showing him in this very different dynamic?

Ritchson: Well, it's all a part of the evolution of this character. He's growing up. He's become a man. It's evident in his relationship. It's evident in the way he carries himself. It's evident in his acceptance of his responsibility and his passions. It's all part of that evolution and I think that's a really fun way to tell that story; to show yet another way in which he's stepped into this role that he was born to be in. I like that story. I think it's great.

The show is Smallville. It's not the Aquaman show. So it wouldn't be fair to dedicate a whole show to his history and his past and where he's been, while everybody else is doing their thing. And I've actually had a lot of questions from fans about that. "Why don't they tell more?" And it's like, well, it's not the Aquaman show. We've got to keep moving forward. And they do a great job of that. So I think they did a great job of telling that story and moving forward at the same time.

IGN: What was it like working with Tom Welling as a director?

Ritchson: I loved it. I can only say good things about Tom. You can't say a bad thing about the guy. He's a very giving actor, so starting from day one… I remember sitting in a hot tub one day, after shooting a scene in this water where we were freezing to death and it was so cold. And he's sitting there and he's just continuing to give me this advice during this conversation, about all that he's learned in his acting career. Just from day one, he was such a giving guy and that is a really great quality in a director. Someone who's willing to take the time with somebody to teach them, to listen, to collaborate. He's got all those qualities. He's a fine director and it was fun to work with him in that capacity.

IGN: I was a big Battlestar fan, so I know Michael Hogan can be very intimidating on screen. Was that the case working with him as well?

Ritchson: [Laughs] You said it! It can be intimidating with him on set as well. Not on a personal level, but this guy is very dedicated to his craft. Everybody's got a method that works for them, and watching him work and focus on set and become this Slade character… He's got a fierce intensity about him that's really fun to watch happen. And it keeps you on your toes as an actor. You can't sit back and just enjoy the show. You've got to be a part of it. And with somebody like him, just by nature of how good he is, he's going to demand more of you. So for me as an actor, it was pretty intense, but a lot of fun. He's great.

IGN: Fans loved seeing that big team-up in the episode "Justice." Do you think there's a chance of seeing you all gather together again, including perhaps some of the newer superhero characters introduced on the show?

Ritchson: Yeah, I hope so. I'm not the one that makes those creative decisions, but I think that they are doing a good job of establishing a movement towards that. I think that they're aware that people want to see that. It was a lot of fun to do that and I really like when these things become kind of more of an ensemble – when you've got all these superheroes needing to work together. Also, if there's any friction, it's also fun to see how they deal with that and still move towards their goals. There are a lot of fun stories you can tell with that and I hope it's moving in that direction. It seems like it is, but it's not for me to say!

http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/113/1135452p2.html

Alan Ritchson Exclusive Interview SMALLVILLE
by Christina Radish November 19th, 2010 at 8:36 am


The popular CW series Smallville is currently in its 10th and final season, pulling out all the stops to go out with a bang for its loyal fans. In this week’s episode, “Patriot,” there are life-and-death stakes once again, as Oliver (Justin Hartley), aka Green Arrow, decides to register for the Vigilante Registration Act, which turns out to be a trick to lure superheroes to an undisclosed location where they can be confined to a jail and subjected to brutal tests under the supervision of Col. Slade (Michael Hogan). As a result, Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, returns with his new wife Mera (Elena Satine) to team up with Clark Kent (Tom Welling) to free Oliver.

In this exclusive phone interview with Collider, actor Alan Ritchson talked about the journey his character has taken over the five years he has recurred on the series, working with Tom Welling as the director of this episode, and his hopes for the remainder of the final season. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

How did you originally get cast as Aquaman on Smallville? Had you been familiar with the character, or did you give yourself a quick crash course on him?

ALAN RITCHSON: You pretty much said it, as well as I could say it. I didn’t really grow up a comic book fanatic. I was a big baseball player and my passion in life, in third grade, was collecting baseball cards. That was my childhood thing. So, when this role came up for me, it came through some meetings. I’d worked on a movie and met some people that wanted to introduce me to some people at Warner Bros., and they were in the middle of casting this role and couldn’t find anybody, and suggested me for the part, so I went for it. It was just that one thing led to another. When I got the offer to do the role, it was just a matter of me doing research for this role, as I would any other. I read as much literature as I could, on his story and his background, and familiarized myself with him, and then went from there.

What can fans look forward to with this week’s episode, as far as your character goes? What brings him back to Metropolis and Clark Kent?

RITCHSON: That’s an interesting question. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll be careful with what I say. He’s been gone for awhile, and I know a lot of people have been wondering what he’s been doing in the meantime, and we will touch on that briefly, in the episode. He resurfaces and they crash back into the story in Smallville, present time, and move forward. It’s a very present episode, and I like that. I like that they don’t really dwell on where he’s been ‘cause the story is not really about that. But, he’s been off doing his work and there’s a very real need for him to come back. He knows things that Clark doesn’t, and has to get that information to him. It’s a life-and-death issue for Clark and all the superheroes, so he has to come back and deal with them together and share that information with them. That’s what brings him back.

Is there anything you’re particularly excited about fans getting to see, as far as what’s going on with your character in this week’s episode? Were there any fun stunts that you got to do?

RITCHSON: There was some cool stuff that we did, but on the scale of stunt work, this episode was like a 1, for me personally, when in the past, it’s been a 10. There’s some stuff that I’ve had to do on the show that almost killed me, but I got off easy, this time around. I was suspended in the air by some chains for a couple days, which was not easy. That’s not easy on the wrists. But, other than that, it’s a fairly straightforward episode. It was fun for me because it was more about his presence on the show and a dialogue, rather than action, which is not something we’ve seen so much of before. There are some cool stunts and effects on the show that A.C. has a hand in, but not specific to that character. He gets captured and that sucks.

Since everyone is getting a bit of a new look to their suits for the final season, will you have a new look as well?

RITCHSON: Yeah, Aquaman dons a new suit. You definitely see a glimpse of the old, but you see a new suit and it’s very stealth and dark. It’s a black suit with a hint of the orange. It’s very high-tech looking. It was something I actually asked for, and they were one step ahead of me. I wanted that, and they had it ready to go. It was a really cool change. I like seeing the show grow up with its characters, and I think they’re doing a good job of that, especially through the costumes. You see the character growth on screen and in what they’re wearing and they’re looks, which is important, but more so, the evolution of these characters as people is happening right before your eyes and I think that’s really cool to see and to be a part of. Hopefully, that came through with my performance, this time around. That was definitely the goal. But, I’ve noticed that on the show, on this season so far, and that’s been interesting.

Are you surprised at all with the direction the character has taken, since the first episode you did?

RITCHSON: I wouldn’t say I was surprised by it. I’m delighted by it. I think it’s a great transformation. Anytime you have an opportunity, as an actor, to really grow along with your character, I think that’s a real gift. Starting out five years ago on this show, as a young man, just as happy-go-lucky as A.C., and to see in my own life, as my own responsibilities increase with the weight of the adult life in L.A., you see a very parallel world with A.C. He’s learning about the responsibilities of his world and learning about his past, and what he’s been called to do is his destiny. You see that in his eyes and the way that he carries himself. It’s a really cool transformation. To be able to bring that to a show is a rare opportunity. It’s due, really, to the longevity of Smallville and its success, but is a real gift to me, as an actor. I hope the audience enjoys that transformation.

What was it like to have the addition of a wife for your character? What did that female energy bring to your performance, and was it fun to establish that relationship between your characters?

RITCHSON: It was. We didn’t have a lot of time to establish that relationship. We only had moments on the screen to let the audience know a lifetime of information about who these two are. I hope we captured that. I think we did, and it’s really cool. The energy between them is just perfect. It’s a great blend. They are such perfect counterparts for each other and balance each other so well. It’s a really cool match. It’s neat to see them together, so hopefully we conveyed that well, in our performances. As far as the characters go, I hope the audience enjoys what they’re all about.

What was it like to work with Tom Welling, as a director? Did you ever get more nervous about delivering on your performance, when it came to having him not just as your co-star, but also your boss as well?

RITCHSON: That’s a great question. It’s really up to the individual, as to how much pressure they would put on me, or I would put on myself. He is not the kind of person that I would ever feel pressured to be working with. He’s such a giving person, by nature, and that translates into his directing. I’ve experienced it with his acting as well. He can put anybody at ease. His presence, his energy, just being around him, you just feel like everything is going to be okay. Even if other people on the crew are running around screaming and trying to get stuff done, he’s always just in control and calm. It’s such a necessary and perfect energy for a set, that the leader is able to put everybody at ease, and he’s very good at that. There’s definitely no pressure. That type of energy makes you want to perform better, but in a good way. He really knows how to bring the best out of you, as an actor, and really in every capacity, for those involved with the show. He was great. I wasn’t apprehensive about that at all.

When you were originally cast, did you know that you would keep returning to the show?

RITCHSON: No. I had a feeling that the character was so large in that world that he would be back, but I didn’t know for sure. It’s not like I signed on for several episodes or seasons, but it’s been a pleasant surprise, every time I’ve had the opportunity to come back.

Were you thrilled that to learn that you’d get to return for the show’s final season?

RITCHSON: Being on the final season is such a gift. It’s 10 years of a show. Being on for a couple of years is not as significant, although it would still be nice. But, to be a part of a 10th year of a TV show is just absolutely epic. I feel so fortunate to have been asked to come back for this. I know they want every episode to be larger than life, now more than ever, so to be a part of that is just fantastic.

Do you keep up with the series, even when you’re not on the show? Is there anything you’re hoping to see happen with the story or the characters, before the final season is over?

RITCHSON: I don’t really follow the show when I’m not working on it, unfortunately. I know a lot of people are going to hate me for saying that, but it’s true. I have two or three shows that I follow, and even those are few and far, when I can see them on Netflix. I don’t really watch anything on TV. It’s not really a priority for me. But, I do have hopes for where the show is going to go. I’ve always wanted to see the Justice League come together and really go out and just hit hard. I want to see some heavy action, on the part of the Justice League going at it. I hear the chatter from the fans and I know that they’ve been wanting that for a long time as well, and I share that sentiment. I hope that happens. I get the sense, being a small part of the season so far, that that’s where this is going, and I hope it continues in that direction, but I guess we’ll have to see.

Do you think Aquaman might return again, or is his storyline wrapped up with this episode?

RITCHSON: They do a good job of leaving it open-ended, so if they want to bring him back, they can. They haven’t said a final goodbye. They didn’t kill him off or anything, so there’s always a possibility, but your guess is as good as mine, as to whether or not I’ll be back on the show. We’ll see where the storyline goes. I think it’s building towards something like that, but we’ll have to wait and see.

http://www.collider.com/2010/11/19/alan ... mallville/

Alan "AQUAMAN" Ritchson Returns to SMALLVILLE W/ New Duds
By Jenna Busch, 19 November 2010 12:01 pm ET


AC is back! Yes, Aquaman himself, Alan Ritchson is on this week's Smallville and Newsarama got a chance to chat with him about the show. Since we last saw our favorite underwater superhero, AC had gotten married, he knows his origin, and he's quite a bit darker than he used to be. And I'm not just talking about his new stealthy black costume we all saw online. We got the scoop on the new threads, the new wife, working with dolphins and what advice he has for the newest superhero couple on the block. And of course, Ritchson weighs in on the orange and green and why poor Aquaman gets such a bad rap.

Not sure if we can read anything into his final comment about 'another time and place.' What do you guys think?

Newsarama: Well, I have to start off with the obvious question. What is it like to be back on Smallville?

Alan Ritchson: [laughs] Oh! It's great to be back. It was a pleasant surprise to get the call and be invited back for the tenth season of a TV show. The final season. It's a real gift and I don't take that lightly. It's great to be back.

Nrama: I bet you thought the obvious question was about the costume?

Ritchson: [laughs] Yeah!

Nrama: Let's talk about that then. I actually like the black stealth costume...

Ritchson: Yeah, I heard...I don't read anything really, that people have to say about me or my acting and stuff. I stay away from that. But some people were telling me that some people were upset that I was in a different costume this time around. And that it was black and...[laughs]...and I'm like, what? How can you get upset? I think it's a really cool change. And I think that it's synonymous with the changes we've seen inside of AC. It's just a darker look at this character. He's changed and...not that he's a bad person now, but you know, he's not the same happy-go-lucky character that you've seen before. And I think that this is just sort of another step in that direction, so I think that the costume change is amazing. I'm a huge fan of it. I like the fact that it was darker, sleek, looked more high tech. It just looks more grown up because he is. I like that.

Nrama: Plus, it's hard to be stealthy in orange and green.

Ritchson: [laughs] Yeah! You stick out like a sore thumb. I don't quite get that, you know?

Nrama: Let's talk about the darker story. In the comics we have Aquababy...does that have anything to do with the darkness?

Ritchson: [laughs] Aquababy would probably contribute to a lot of sleepless Aqua nights, but that's not the case as of now. But there is Mera (Elena Satine), and she really helped him understand...Mera really helped him understand his past and where he comes from. And with that sort of...he had to accept or reject his destiny. That's sort of the trip that you're on with Clark (Tom Welling) watching him decide his fate and whether or not he's going to accept that. That's really where AC has been and that carries a lot of burdens with it, and I think you see that and it's changed him in a way. It's been an interesting transformation and she played a big part in that and it has a lot to do with that change.

Nrama: So you now know your own origin story in this episode?

Ritchson: Yes.

Nrama: Since Aquaman is married...I have to ask about the reaction when he sees Lois (Erica Durance) again.

Ritchson: You know, I was waiting for that as well. When I got the script...I had spoken with the producers about where the story could go and what the plans were...that was the first question I had too. Are we going to...what are we going to do here? And I've been back since that first meeting where we didn't have a chance to touch on it a whole lot, but yeah, it's interesting, because all these relationships are starting to cement. There is a nod at it, I would say. I'm not sure how it's going to play out, but it seems like they've all accepted where they are now and they're moving forward. And that's a good thing, but I think there is a little nod at it.

Nrama: Now that Clark and Lois are moving towards a pretty solid relationship, is there any marriage advice that AC doles out? I think the last time he saw a married superhero, it was the sad story of Hawkman (Michael Shanks).

Ritchson: Yeah. There is a conversation about Clark and Lois for sure and I think it's a pretty good one. Pretty necessary. I like that they can have those moments, you can have those conversations now. Again, it goes back to where they really are. I don't know, if anybody ever dreamed that there would be conversations like this going on between superheroes, but these conversations are happening now because that's where they are. It's great. There is definitely a conversation about that and it's a necessary one.

Nrama: I have to ask you about working with the dolphins. What was that like?

Ritchson: That was awesome! I've worked with live animals before but I've never worked with a dolphin before. It was cool. It was like all those little childhood dreams come to life. You dream about being down by the trainers in an aquarium, and being able to pet them. And some of them...it was just so cool to be so hands on with those creatures. They're so smart and so well trained. But it was funny because, the way the shot was set up required a certain positioning for the trainers and myself to the dolphins, proximity-wise. We found out, in the middle of the scene, that part of the way that these trainers communicate with the dolphins is by their proximity to the dolphins. It happened once on accident [laughs] and it freaked me out. When they take a step back from the dolphins, the dolphins come up. They rush the dock and then they pose. I was literally on the edge of the dock, thinking they're going to swim off backwards and we're about to shoot, and they take their step back to get off the frame, and three dolphins rush me and surround me. [laughs] I freaked out! I didn't know what they were doing! I hadn't seen them do that before and it was the scariest moment ever! I thought I was going to get eaten! [laughs] It was part of their show. It kept happening so we had to actually play with the shot a little bit and it took a long time. But we finally got it and it was just a lot of fun. Very memorable.

Nrama: DVD outtakes?

Ritchson: [laughs] Ha! Yeah, there will be several DVD outtakes for sure.

Nrama: I know Tom directed this episode. What is his style like?

Ritchson: His directorial style is excellent. He's very laid back, which is his personality. He's not...even in very stressful situations when you're going over on time, normally people would start freaking out in the last couple hours, going, 'Now the studio will be breathing down my neck. We've got to get everybody out of here. We've got to get off the clock.' He's just always present and always calm and it makes him very easy to work with him. He's focused about what he does. He knows how to get what he wants, and he'll do what it takes to get the product and get the shot done right and to make sure he's happy with it. He's calm and controlled until that happens. He's great. He's great to work with and he makes it very fun to come in and do your work every day.

Nrama: So what do you think of the current storyline? The outing of superheroes. It seems sort of appropriate to the time period we're in.

Ritchson: Yeah. I think it's a cool evolution for the show, and the necessary thing, I think, is that it's pushing that story forward in that, if they're exposed or forced to expose themselves, I think that's one step closer to realizing who they are and needing to be together as one unit. And that is really what I want to see and I think that's what the fans really want to see. I like that maybe this is how that's going to come to fruition.

Nrama: How much underwater work are we going to see in this episode?

Ritchson: You know what? I got the easy deal this time. Justin (Hartley) had it harder than I did in the water. [laughs] He was water boarded for two and a half days. I took it easy, sitting pretty, suspended from some shackles.

Nrama: Oh, is that all?

Ritchson: [laughs] I didn't have nearly as much water work as normal. I mean, we shot in the water one day. We shot around the water quite a few times. But man, I got it easy this time. There have been times where I was, like, close to death in cold water and just hating it, and this time I was expecting that. But it was nice and dry most of the time. [laughs] I was happy.

Nrama: So what is the relationship like this time between AC and Oliver?

Ritchson: You know, it's amicable. AC is somebody who...he knows what his purpose is in life and what his responsibilities are, and he'll do what it takes to get that done. It doesn't really matter to him who stands with him and who stands against him. He's just going to do what it takes. He knows that Oliver is a good person and has good intentions, and that they can benefit each other. So I think that's sort of a very subconscious motivation for their friendship. But there time together this time is pretty stressful, so you don't really get to see as much of that happy-go-lucky banter as before. It's pretty serious stuff this time, and they've got to figure out a way to get out of a life or death situation. Both of them at the same time. It was kind of a stressful situation but they work well together.

Nrama: I know you've been a really strong supporter of poor Aquaman. He gets such a bad rap and I love him. So what are your feelings on the way feelings have changed about him since the show started?

Ritchson: [laughs] You know, I can't blame anybody, when they make the jokes about Aquaman and what he's capable of. I definitely hear a lot. It's not like I can get upset about it. [laughs] It's funny. And in a way, they're right. There are some problems with the character. But only in the sense that in the world that we're watching him in on screen, there's a problem. In the comic books and in that world, he's one of most powerful superheroes. He's phenomenal. He can do a lot. He rules the seas. But when you're watching him on screen, and you're trying to tell a story about a character like that, you can't do it underwater the whole time. And Smallville takes place on land, so you're sort of injecting this character from another world into this place and it's just...you're already sort of putting him at a disadvantage. For the true fans, I think they recognize that. And for the less supportive fans, it's because they haven't had the opportunity to see him at his full potential. And that's a very, very difficult thing to do on screen. Because water work is not easy. It's not our element. I can't blame them, but I don't agree. I think it's a really cool character and there is a lot of potential there. It's just difficult to get that on camera.

Nrama: And the orange and green...well, the superhero outfits don't always help the situation.

Ritchson: [laughs] Not at all! And even on this show, I don't think it helps the situation, because they could have gone a different route from the beginning. I remember when we were first assembling the costume and I went to...Justin and I went to this shop in Vancouver. This leather shop where this guy custom makes leather jackets. Beautiful custom pieces. It's like an art. And we go there, and he was going to assemble our costumes for us. So he takes some measurements, we pick out the colors and the fabrics we like. And I'm going, oh this is beautiful! This could be an awesome costume. So he gets his, and I come out of my trailer. I'm going to put mine on and I was told that it arrived on set. His was there. His was on. And it's the costume that you know and love from the show. I thought, Green Arrow with the hood and the leather...it's a pretty sick costume. And I thought, oh yeah. That's what I had in mind. Cool, man! Take off the hood and I'm good to go! I want that! And I go in and they hand me a Ziploc bag. I was like, okay cool. I'll put this on. Is this like...does this go underneath? And they said, 'No. That's your costume.' I was like, what? Where's the costume? [laughs] Where's all the leather and whatever? This is like a giant Speedo! And they said, 'Yeah, well, that's the material we thought would work best.' [laughs] So I feel like, what's the guy's name in A Christmas Story when he comes down in the pink bunny suit? That's what I felt like. Like I came down in the pink bunny suit. Like ashamed. [laughs] Like everyone is looking at me in my tight Speedo. But yeah, there has finally been an evolution to the costume. He's got a new costume and it's this really cool material. It's black neoprene kind of thing. It's just a really cool thing. Really high tech-looking. I think it's a cool evolution. But starting out in that, I don't think helped diminish any of those thoughts that those detractors had for that character and whether or not he was really a great superhero. [laughs]

Nrama: Will we actually see any of your origin?

Ritchson: No, you know we talked about it, but it's a very present conversation and a very present episode, so we don't delve into his past a lot. But we mention it. There is a nod to it in the conversation. But you're not going to see where he's been or his origin or what he's learned. Maybe in another time and place, but not this episode.

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