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 Mark
Verheiden Talks About "Perry"
Interview
for KryptonSite by Craig Byrne - K-Site Webmaster
SPOILER
WARNING!!!!
One
of the great characters in Clark Kent's future who will help
guide the adult Clark in much the same way as his peers do in
the present day is Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet newspaper.
Perry has been a fixture of the comics since the early days,
and has been played by several different actors over the years,
most recently Jackie Cooper and Lane Smith. The character is
coming to Smallville on the October 29 episode, appropriately
titled "Perry," and he will be played by actor Michael
McKean (from This Is Spinal Tap, Laverne & Shirley, A
Mighty Wind, and many more... in fact, he once played Perry
White on SNL!)
Much
like Smallville shows us Clark Kent before he is the
great hero and Lex Luthor before he is the great anti-hero,
this Perry White isn't quite the great wise editor you see in
Superman's future. Writer Mark Verheiden, who has written past
favorites like "X-Ray," "Zero," "Rogue,"
"Heat," and several more, again writes another pivotal
chapter in the life of young Clark Kent. Verheiden was kind
enough to answer some questions regarding the episode. The interview
follows...
KRYPTONSITE:
Since many fans read about what happened before the writing
started in the Wizard magazine feature, can you tell us how
you were selected to be the one to write "Perry?"
MARK
VERHEIDEN: There are all sorts of reasons how and why executive
producers Al Gough and Miles Millar assign episodes, but I really
wanted to do this one because I felt an affinity for the Perry
White character. I worked for five years at the Los Angeles
Times, so I actually bumped into journalists -- usually at the
bar across the street -- with Perry-like characteristics. Also,
after writing "Heat" last year, I was looking forward
to working on another lighter episode.
K-SITE:
How does the Perry White character in Smallville differ
from the Perry we are used to seeing in the comics?
MV: We're
essentially seeing Perry before he transforms into the curmudgeon-with-a-heart-of-gold
at the Daily Planet. Our Perry has been rocked by failure, drinks
too much, and generally needs a kick in the pants to get back
on track.
K-SITE:
What can you say about how the characters interact with
Perry that won't spoil anything that hasn't already been said?
MV:
I think people will find Chloe's reaction to him interesting,
and not quite what you'd expect...
K-SITE:
Will we be seeing or hearing any in-jokes in the episode along
the lines of "Don't call me Chief" or "Great
Caesar's Ghost?"
MV: How
can you do an episode featuring Perry White without a little
callback? But it comes from an unexpected source.
K-SITE:
Is there a part of the episode that makes you particularly
proud?
MV:
"Perry" is probably my favorite of the ten episodes
I've written/co-written for Smallville. TV is an interesting
process, in that you're always waiting for the other shoe to
drop when you work on a script. Production issues can come up,
casting can be an issue, and sometimes what worked on the page
doesn't quite translate on screen. But "Perry" had
the smoothest transition from first draft to final cut of anything
I've done. Director Jeannot Szwarc really understood what we
were going for, the whole cast's great in it, and we were especially
lucky to get Michael McKean for Perry. He really caught the
spirit of a man who knows he's hit a dead-end road, but can't
quite figure out how to turn things around... until he meets
Clark.
K-SITE:
Tigress35 wants to know: Will "Perry" continue
the now 4 episode long Tom Welling shirtless streak?
MV:
You'll
know Oct. 29!
K-SITE:
Do you have any more stories coming up in the Smallville
comic?
MV:
I'm
overseeing the development of the story-lines, but Clint Carpenter
is doing an excellent job writing the book and I hope he continues
for the foreseeable future...
K-SITE:
Now that the series is in its third year, have there been
any characters that really stand out to you as being particularly
a joy to write? Are any of them difficult?
MV:
After
three years, I've learned that all the characters have their
own voices, and there are different pleasures/challenges in
approaching them. Chloe remains a special favorite, but each
member of the cast brings their own POV to a story...
K-SITE:
Is the door open for Perry White to return to the show?
MV:
Short
answer is "yes," if the right story comes up.
K-SITE:
And finally... after "Perry," when should we expect
your next episode?
MV:
I'm co-writing an episode with Drew Greenberg called "Hereafter",
which will explore the issue of fate and Clark's destiny from
a different perspective. It's way different from "Perry",
but challenging in all sorts of other ways. Look for it sometime
next year...
Return
to KryptonSite - Read
more spoilers about "Perry!"
View KryptonSite's "Perry"
Gallery
Please
do not reprint any portion of this interview without the express
permission of KryptonSite or Mark Verheiden. Thanks for reading!
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