Neva Howell | Missing Frames #0.86: Celebrating Superman

Ma Kent has joined the Superman celebrations! The wonderful actress Neva Howell, who portrays Martha Kent in James Gunn's new film, joins Shawn for a freewheeling discussion about her experience taking on this iconic role. They discuss how she started developing the character from her very first audition, some of her favorite memories from the set, and what it was like seeing the film on the big screen for the first time. They also express their excitement for Gunn's take on the Man of Steel, and how it's so crucial to emphasize Superman's kindness and love for humanity in a world that tends to take these things for granted.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to the net Paalty, Hello.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
And welcome to another special celebrating Superman edition of Missing Frames.
I'm your host, Sean Eastridge. Now normally on Missing Frames,
we watch all of the movies we should have seen
by this point in our lives, and I do promise
you that someday you'll get a normal episode again, I swear.

(00:43):
But for right now, I'm still just beyond ecstatic about
James Gunn's new Superman film. I can't stop talking about it,
I can't stop watching it. I mean, I've seen it
five times. Now, Who even am I? Honestly, I know
there's some of you up who are probably shocked I've
only seen it five times. You guys know me too well.

(01:05):
But as you also may know, I've been celebrating the
release of this new Superman film by interviewing some of
my all time favorite writers, editors, artists, and so on.
To celebrate all things Man of Steel. I've chatted with
the likes of Mark Wade, Philip Kennedy, Johnson, Dan Jurgen's
Tom King. I just spoke with Ryan North, the writer

(01:29):
behind Crypto, the Last Dog of Krypton, which is amazing.
He also did the Fantastic Four series, And I know
it's blasphemy to mention Fantastic Four in a Superman podcast,
but I'm sorry. It's just so good. Anyway. You can
listen to all of those conversations. They're all up and
running on this podcast. Go check them out, share them
with your other super friends. I greatly appreciate it. So

(01:52):
a lot of the conversations I've had so far happened
before the film was released. I haven't really gotten to
discuss my actual reaction to the film with anyone until now.
And let me tell you what, I could not be
more thrilled about my first guest following Superman's official release.
I'm speaking with none other than Ma Kent herself, Niva.

(02:16):
How Niva has been acting for nearly her whole life,
and she's had a steady career, but she's never had
a role like this. She's never been in a film
as giant as this. Niva is just I mean, she's
the absolute best. I had such a great time talking
with her. We do a deep dive into the film.

(02:36):
We discuss how she prepared for the role, some of
her favorite memories from the set, her favorite moments in
the film, how thrilled we are to have a Superman
movie that focuses on the importance of being kind and
showing love to people, even when they don't deserve it.
We also discuss our hopes for potential Superman sequels and

(02:58):
maybe a special like a Christmas with the Kents. James,
I know you're listening, so just putting that on your radar.
And we also talk about some of the controversy surrounding
the casting of her and Pruitt Taylor Vince, who plays
Jonathan Kent. Some fans have been vocal about their complaints.

(03:20):
They've said the kentser kind of country bumpkins, rednecks. We
talk about that. We discussed those complaints head on, and
just a heads up, this conversation is full of spoilers,
So if you have not seen the movie, seriously, what
are you waiting for? Go see it? It's out. How
have you not seen this yet? But just a fair warning.

(03:41):
If you haven't seen the movie, see it and then
come back and listen, this episode will still be here.
But really, I cannot see Neva's praises enough. She was
in absolute joy to spend time with. I could not
be happier for her. I think she's the perfect mak Kent.
I'm so glad James picked her to portray this iconic role,

(04:03):
and I seriously can't wait to see more of her
as Ma Kent. All right, let's go ahead and celebrate
Superman with Niva.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Howe now available to own non video cassette.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Niva, I am delighted beyond all rhyme and reason to
finally hang out with you. I feel like we've been
planning this for a minute a minute, so it's great
to finally see you.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
This is true. We have been planning for a while,
haven't we. I've had a little stress over the tech,
as you well know, but I'm here.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
You made it, and you did like there was no
We got on a little early because we were going
to try to troubleshoot, but you jumped right in. You're
a professional. You don't give yourself enough credit.

Speaker 4 (04:53):
Well, thank you.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
So this is the first time you've really gotten to
talk about the film without having to stress about spoiling
something accidentally or not being able to give specific details.
That stresses off your shoulders as well.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yes, the non disclosure agreement basically struck terror.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
In my heart.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
We own your first born we own everything.

Speaker 4 (05:19):
I can't say anything at all. But I was asked,
you know, how did you bond with David in another
interview with Pruitt and Prut was an easy answer because
he's phenomenal person. He's just a beautiful being and I
saw that immediately and we bonded immediately. We spend a

(05:43):
lot of time together. But David I really couldn't talk
about without possibly giving away too much. But in Ma's
relationship with David with Clark, at this particular time in
his life, he's a young man who's left home, he
has a new job, he has new friends who make

(06:04):
fun of his parents. I mean, people may have missed
that in the phone call because it went so fast,
but they were really making fun of myn pa, talking
about roadkill.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, the roadkill, Chittlands and stuff.

Speaker 4 (06:18):
And he had a girlfriend that they had never met.
So at this point, at this time, I distanced myself
a bit from David. We didn't talk, we didn't and
he didn't reach out to me either. So I don't
know what his rationale was, but mine was. Ma is

(06:39):
in that point in a mother's life where her son
is grown, he's gone, and he has a whole new
life that doesn't really include her.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yes, that's the vibe I gotten from early in the film.

Speaker 4 (06:54):
Well good, I'm glad that played, because it was a
deliberate choice not to go over our scenes or even
ask David how he felt about the relationship, because that
would have interfered with that feeling of her distance from
him because of where he was in his life. And

(07:16):
then the other.

Speaker 5 (07:17):
Decision I made, which may or may not be what
James Gun intended, was I came to the realization when
he was severely hurt with kryptonite poisoning.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
In my mind, that was the first time Ma realized
she could actually lose him, he could actually die. So
there was that need to let him lit his life
and go and save these people and do everything that
Superman had to do. But at the same time that

(07:50):
very natural mother's instinct to protect our child, and so
it was a very vulnerable time in Ma's life. That
that was what I was trying to convey.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
Well, I think you improve it, convey it beautifully, and
it's there from the first scene, you know, the first
time we're introduced to Ma and Pa Kent in this film,
they're calling their son, who is busy and the vibe
I get from David's performance a little too busy to
talk to his parents. He's like, I got things to
do right and how I mean, how relatable is that

(08:24):
for any parent who has had to see their kids
grow up and tried to keep in touch, but having
to contend with the fact that they're an adult trying
to live their lives and maybe aren't able to be
as connected. On top of that, you have a boy
who has superpowers and is also the hero of his city,
so you have all that stress too.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
It's not a very simple situation. She's navigating it from
her simple life.

Speaker 2 (08:52):
Were you able to pull from your own experiences parenting
superpowered children.

Speaker 4 (08:57):
I have superpowers, and some of my nieces and nephews
definitely do. So I've been around superpowers, but I didn't
raise one, got it. So that's where the tape from
Pat Christie comes in.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
This is the woman who, when you were auditioning, you
received from the casting director, this woman who had a
very specific accent James was looking for.

Speaker 4 (09:20):
Yes, her name is Pat Christie and she's the son
of Richard Christie, who is on the Howard Stern Show.
And so he sent me a two minute tape and
then another two minute tape, and it was a conversation
between Pat and Richard, so between a mother and a son.
And although I started out trying to emulate her accent

(09:46):
on the tape, she says, Richard bought me an air dryer,
so I've been cooking some fish in for well. I
tried French fries, but it didn't turn out as well
as that's a hope. So I was working on getting
her accent. But what I ended up getting from that

(10:06):
tape was so much more. Because the conversation was between
a mother and a son, her personality started coming through,
and she had this matter of fact conversation with him
about tomatoes and dogs and hamburgers. But underneath that, underneath

(10:27):
that very normal, nothing flashy conversation, there was this deep
river of abiding love of the mother and I felt
that strongly. So when I did finally put Mad together
with all the pieces, there were other pieces to her
as well. But that vibration from Pat, that mother energy,

(10:53):
became a part of who MA was. The accent apparently
is become quite controversial. I didn't know this. According to
people online, I either sound like I'm from Tennessee, or
Kentucky or Mississippi, or Ireland or Scotland.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
Wait, you've got in Ireland. In Scotland, Scotland.

Speaker 4 (11:15):
I couldn't do a Scottish accent if my life depended
on it. But then for every one of those there's
someone who posts that says, I live in rural. I
hate the word rural. Yes, yeah, if you if you
leave out the middle R, it sounds like rules. And
if you say the middle R, it sounds like Scooby Doo.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
Which is, by the way, another James Gun project, one
of his early Scooby Yeah, he wrote the Scooby Doo movie.
I did not know that you did a pretty good
Scooby Doo accent.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
I did do that one, but apparently.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
A Scottish access a Scooby Doo.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
So that type of town in Kansas, people would I
live in a small town in Kansas, and you sound
just like my neighbor down the road. So it's such
a wide range of opinions. Finally, one person who I
think was a voice actor, said, what she's using is

(12:18):
Ozark English, which I've never heard that before, but that
it still used in south parts of southeastern Kansas. But
I don't know if I nailed it. There were a
lot of words in the script that were not on
the tape, but I do think I nailed Pat's personality

(12:39):
and the mother, the mother energy, and for me that
was more important.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think you did a great, great job regardless of
having those words to hear.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Well, thank you. I appreciate that. And then the other
thing that happened was you remember the scene where they're
at the bedside taking care of Clark. A lot of times,
not always, but usually when I do a role, I
have to find it in my body first. There has
to be some movement in my body. What moves first

(13:12):
and why does it move?

Speaker 2 (13:13):
So it's more physical than emotional at first, you'd say at.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
First, because the physical comes out of the emotional. So
if you find the physical, the emotional is already there.
A lot of times I will find what part of
their body moves forward first. And with Ma it was
her hands. And when we were in that scene, I

(13:38):
heard this song by Jewel It's called Hands, and there's
a line in it that says only kindness matters, and
so that's perfect. But the line that got me was
she says, my hands are small. I know, and the
humility in that, the humility of all I have are

(13:59):
these hands, but I will use them. I know they're small,
I know they can't do much. But I'll clean your boots,
I'll cook your meals, I will comfort you. And in
that scene, she has one hand close to his heart
and she has the other hand stroking his forehead, and
at one point she and I have to say she

(14:21):
because at that point it felt like ma, not me.
But she reaches over and puts her hand over Pau's hand,
and in that moment, she is holding her son and
her husband. She is holding her world in a space
of comfort, and that moment in the filming felt to

(14:43):
me sacred.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Every time I watch that scene, I tear up.

Speaker 4 (14:49):
I do too.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
It's unique for you too, just having experience that and
feeling all of those things. You know, in that way
you're embodying the role and you do kind of have
to feel those emotions in a very raw, in tense way.
But what I think is special about Martha and Jonathan
and their relationship, what they bring to the character of

(15:11):
Superman is exactly what you're describing. The like I we
are simple farmers. It's humility is what they bring to
the table, humility and love and that feeling of like
they will do everything they can to protect their son,
but not only that, to instill him with the ideals
that ultimately make him who he is. And that juxtaposition

(15:38):
of this incredible being from another planet who is the
most powerful hero in the universe, but has that humility
that to me is the core of what Superman is.
The powers are fun, that's icing on the cake, but
to me, it comes back to his heart and his humility,

(15:59):
and then are what instilled that in him? And I
love hearing you talk about that moment, that feeling of smallness.
But Ma is going to use whatever she can, whatever
she can bring to the table.

Speaker 4 (16:11):
Yes, she would use small hands to help her son
any way she can't and her husband.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, And it's a different like you said, this is
we have not necessarily seen this version of a relationship
with Clark and his adopted parents. A lot of the
times the parents are more actively involved, and whether you're
talking about stories in the comics or the TV series,

(16:40):
what we tend to see is that kind of constant
back and forth. But you're right, this is a different interpretation.
I think James wanted to maybe isolate Clark a little
bit and have him be separated from that love, maybe
because he's growing up and needs to find his own way.
But ultimately what he realizes is those values that John

(17:00):
and Martha instilled in him are what make him who
he is and kind of help him reground and rediscover
himself later on in the film.

Speaker 4 (17:08):
Well, that's a really good point that it may have
been James intentional along that there be that isolation, a
little bit of isolation for David or Clark.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Well, I love that we keep calling him David. It
is hard to distinguish between David and Clark.

Speaker 4 (17:25):
It is because he is that person. I mean, he
is that kind, he is that sweet.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
What was it like when you finally did get to
meet him and spend significant time with him shooting those moments.

Speaker 4 (17:39):
Well, because of the decision I had made, it was
wonderful to watch him work. But there was always that
you know, Mom doesn't really know where she stands right now,
so there was always that hesitation, which was totally absent
with Pruett. So it was a very different relationship based
on where he was, not where Ma was. Ma hadn't changed,

(18:03):
but he had changed a great deal.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
What I kind of inferred from the film is he
feels he is on this mission now. His biological parents
sent him to Earth to be a here as far
as he believes, to be a hero and a champion
for the people of Earth. And to me, I feel
like maybe where we see Clark at the start of

(18:26):
this film is the full embrace of that message. He's like, no,
I have a mission now, and I appreciate everything my
Earth parents did for me, but now it's time for
me to focus on the important things. And over the
course of the film, when he realizes, wait a second,
maybe I was sent here for more nefarious purposes and

(18:47):
suddenly realizes like, oh, my entire worldview and my perception
of who I am is it's been shifted in a
fundamental way. And what do you do? Like, you know,
you you return to the people you know, the family
you know, and you surround yourself with friends and loved
ones to kind of recover and recouperate. And I think

(19:10):
that's what's beautiful is that even though Ma and Pa
are not in the movie a whole lot, there you
and Preuit are. Your characterizations are so strong that performances
are so strong that those little moments become some of
the film's best Like the highlights for me are those
scenes because it gets to the heart of who this
character is.

Speaker 4 (19:31):
Thank you, thank you for that. Some people have asked me,
you know, I wish you'd had a bigger role, don't
you wish you'd had And I said, no, I don't.
I'm very happy that it was the size that it
was because for my first, you know, major major blockbuster film,

(19:51):
I wouldn't have wanted to have to carry what David
and Nicholason Rachel are carrying.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
I know, I can't imagine it was perfect. I mean,
it's exciting for you. You've been working as an actor
for years and years and years, but this is certainly
You've never done anything like this. You've never done a project.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
Like this before, never, and it's so strange. There should
have been a lot more trepidation and intimidation and worry.
But that's the wonderful thing about James Gunn He has
a way. I think he walks in rarefied air, I
really do. There's something about this man. He has a

(20:36):
way of imbuing his surroundings and the people around him.
Was such a calm, clear confidence that you feel comfortable.
I never felt intimidated by James Gunn. People have said,
how do you feel talking to James Gunn? I said, well,

(20:57):
I like him. He seems like a nice guy, James Gune.
I know I should I should be kneeling, but.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
He doesn't require that, right, very kind of him not
to make you kneel every time he walks into a room,
and that would be.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
Hard for me. My knees are not what they used to.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
Well, I was so excited as a fan of James's
and I you know, of course I've seen the Guardians
of the Galaxy films and have have loved those. And
I remember hearing he was taking over the reins of
DC with his business partner Peter Saffron and just being
so excited. I was like, oh, this is this is
going to be interesting. And then when I heard he

(21:45):
was writing a Superman film, I was I was very,
very excited because a lot of it had to do
with just you. I mean, you learn a lot about
a filmmaker from their films. You know, the films are
or no matter how fantastical, no matter how outlandish a
film can be, I think you're seeing into the heart

(22:07):
of that individual. And I think because of what I'd
seen in James's other films, what I'd kind of gathered
from that and then interviews i'd seen of him, I
was like, this is a man who has a huge heart,
and to me, that is what somebody making a big
Superman film needs. And so I remember when they announced it,

(22:31):
when he announced that he was going to be writing
and directing it, I was just like, this is going
to be something special. And a lot of that had
to do with just him and knowing that that was
someone I could trust as a fan to not only
respect the material, but do something new and fun with it,
something maybe shake the cobwebs off a little bit. But

(22:55):
was that kind of your feeling knowing he was involved?
Was that almost more excitybe than the part itself and
the movie itself.

Speaker 4 (23:05):
What was exciting to me was discovering how iconic a
character Ma Kent is and why she's that way, and
delving into the beauty of that and the power of that.
I can't tell you how many people have come up
to me or talked to me and said, I just

(23:28):
lost my mother or I just lost my grandmother, and
they would say that seeing me on screen for just
that short amount of time made them feel that connection again.
And I get pretty emotional when I think about that,
because I lost my mother and I know the pain
of that. So I became quickly aware that this was

(23:51):
a character that lived in people's hearts. You know, she
wasn't just a page in a comic book. She had
strength that people resonated with that was very simple, clear,
beautiful and kind and to be able to be asked
by James Gunn of all people, to bring that to

(24:13):
the screen, and he knew he was taking a chance
with me. I'm not the typical I'm not Diane Lane.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
For sure, right both of us.

Speaker 4 (24:25):
And I'll tell you when I when I went to
Trilotte's studios for the chemistry test, that moment Prut said
his first line, I said, that's Paw right there. I mean,
never mind, you know, everybody else can go home. That
has to be Paw. And if he hadn't gotten it,

(24:49):
I would have just been distraught, because I think he
was absolutely perfect.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
I loved him, and I remember when the casting was announced.
I remember thinking I was like, oh, this is a
little bit different, you know, as somebody who's seen a
lot of iterations of this, and like you said, you
know Dane Lane, and like, you know, we've seen that.
That's the most recent big screen version.

Speaker 4 (25:11):
We've seen people's minds.

Speaker 2 (25:14):
That's exactly right. And I and I think, you know,
I think Ma and Pauw Kent have also maybe been
they've certainly been the Hollywood the hunky Hollywood version of Farmers,
you know what I mean. Like it's like I was saying,
it was difficult for me to accept the level of

(25:36):
Hollywood glamour when he cast you, and I was like,
this is I need, Look, I need something more grounded, James.
I thought we were going for a more grounded approach,
but no, I remember seeing and I remember thinking like,
this is exactly right. Like I remember there were people
who were thinking of you know, Kevin Costner versus Pruett,

(25:59):
and just like like, is this what Paul can And
I remember thinking, I'm like, look, I trust James, and
I think this is going to be great, and I
think we're going to get something very special from this.
And that's exactly what we got.

Speaker 4 (26:11):
When I look at the old comic books, the old
Superman comic books, and I see Min and Paul they are.
They look far more like myself and Pruitt than what
has been portrayed.

Speaker 2 (26:23):
I completely agree.

Speaker 4 (26:24):
So you had asked earlier if I was more excited
that it was James Gunn doing it or that I
got the role. The thing about James Gunn that I
had read and I loved Guardians, and I had read
about him was that he wanted to do it in
the old, the old way, like the Christopher Reeve vibration.

Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, and to me that's Volumes.

Speaker 4 (26:49):
I mean, because that's the one that I loved. So
I was very excited.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
I think to this day that's the that's the version
that resonates the most with people. It is and for
good reason. I mean, that's a phenomenal film. But I
completely agree. I remember thinking sometimes with the criticism and
some of the criticism we've seen now, I'm like, have
these people read a Superman comic? Have they looked at
a Superman comic? This is very in line with who

(27:15):
these characters are.

Speaker 4 (27:17):
I think sometimes people forget or aren't maybe aware that
it is based on a comic book. So there's a heightening.
Things are heightened. So if you're not expecting that, you know,
it can look over the top or you know, they
can have a negative reaction to it, but for me,

(27:39):
he brought it to life. He took paid comic book
and he put it on the screen and that was
what I wanted to see. So it thrilled me.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
Me too.

Speaker 4 (27:51):
I've seen it times and I just loved every minute
of it.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
I'm with you. I think I think part of it
too is maybe you know, uh Pa and Maw have
they do have limited screen time, and you have to
make sure that the screen time they have is as
you want to convey who these characters are as effectively
as possible. And I think in terms of how we

(28:17):
do it, the first scene with you is you know,
yelling into your phone like hoping that hoping that your
son can hear you. And you know, I could see
somebody saying like, well, it's a little it's a little heightened,
it's a little comical, and it's like, well, yeah, but
you have to convey in a very small amount of
time that these are two farmers. I don't know how

(28:37):
many of these people have had conversations with their moms
on the phone, but you know, I still get butt
dials from my parents on a regular basis where they
don't realize they've called me, or they don't know what's
going on. So you have to convey that technology is
not their thing. You have to convey that they are
grounded farmers who are maybe the world has left behind

(28:57):
a little bit. And you have to convey the contrast
between the life Clark is living and who his parents are.
So it's yes, it's heightened, but it's all in service
of the story and the time, the screen time you have.

Speaker 4 (29:10):
But I really take issue with people who say they
look like country bumpkins, and that's being kind. Some of
the comments were very rude and even cruel, But what
they I don't understand that people who value being in nature,
working with their animals, growing food, their relationships with the

(29:33):
people they love are not stupid because of that. Yes,
they may not know about a lot of technology, but
that doesn't make them slow. Yeah, and I personally never
saw Paul Rama that way, even for a second.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
There's a difference between simple and slow, you know, like
they are. Jonathan and Martha are simple, And I know
that can come across as condescending. When I say simple,
I mean they know what their needs are and they
know how to meet their needs and they know what
brings them joy in life.

Speaker 4 (30:07):
They live life at a slower pace by choice, and
they live life with certain values of what's important to them,
and that's not the next gadget. That's not where their
focus is. The only reason they probably have a phone
is so that they can talk to Clark, but that

(30:29):
doesn't mean they ever use it other than that. I
don't really think they ever use the phone except when
Clark calls. So for me, it was never about their intelligence.

Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yeah, I completely agree. I think that is a misconception.
These people are living their best life. And I also
think like the way, you know Pruit's scene with David
where he kind of reminds him like this is who
you like. What makes you who you are is your
choices and your actions. That scene and that whole sequence
with you and the family together, there's nothing remotely in

(31:04):
that scene that gives off a vibe of like, oh,
these slow, silly country folk. You know. The phone scene
has played for laughs to kind of convey who they are,
And then that whole sequence is that's that's mon Podkent,
Like all of it is mom Popkent to me. So
I think we'll just say the criticism. Everyone is welcome
to their own opinion, absolutely, and everyone who doesn't agree

(31:28):
with us is also rotten.

Speaker 4 (31:30):
But we can have opinions without becoming cruel.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
That's exactly right, and that's my point.

Speaker 4 (31:37):
You know that, yes, if you like it or you
don't like it, but there's no reason to be cruel.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
I think it's easy sometimes for fans to forget. They
feel such distance from these big films, and.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
They have the anonymity of yeah and the absence of
direct consequence. If you're having a conversation with someone in person,
there can be a direct consequence to you saying something,
but if you're just posting, you know, you don't feel
that feedback immediately.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
I want to say, as far as the state of Georgia,
and maybe I think, maybe now I have a competitor,
because I think you are, obviously as Superman's mother, his
biggest fan, but I've always considered myself Superman's biggest fans,
certainly of the people I know in my immediate vicinity,
and as as the person holding this title of greatest

(32:27):
Superman fan in the State of Georgia other than you,
of course, I can declare here on this podcast, that
you and Pruitt are absolutely phenomenal in the film, and
that this Jonathan and Martha are fantastic, And I would
like to have a stern conversation with anyone who is

(32:49):
being mean to you. I hope you are seeing that.
I don't know how many comments and kind words I've
seen from people, and these are opinions I agree with
compleat letely. But some of the the absolute highlights of
the film are your scenes. As they're they're not enough
of them. I agree, I want more, mon pod Kent.

(33:11):
I hope we get to see more of them.

Speaker 4 (33:12):
But your mouth to God's ears or to James, Yes.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Let's get it over to Let's get the message to James.
We need more mind Podkent. But I I adore every moment.
I think you both are wonderful, and I hope you're
you know, I hope you're seeing those comments as well.

Speaker 4 (33:30):
I hope you're seeing I am and I am, and
they're they're very beautiful. And I've cried more than once
about someone who The ones that touch me the most
are the ones that it brings back a memory of
their loved ones, And to me, that's that's the highest
praise I could ever hope for.

Speaker 2 (33:50):
Yeah, as an actor, you've not experienced this level of
people like I have people reached out to you like
this before to say like you are literally like you're
reminding me of my relationship with my mother. You're moving
me to tears, Like what's that like? Like, how does
that feel at this point in your career to beginning
messages like that?

Speaker 4 (34:07):
In a way, it feels surreal. But in another way,
and this I don't know how this will sound, but
it does feel like it's what I what it's all
been for. You know, all those struggle, all the rejection,
all the disappointment, all the hard financial times and you

(34:29):
know I'm not out of those yet, but I'm getting
there and all of that. But what's really important is
it feels like I'm on my path.

Speaker 2 (34:41):
Like you couldn't have You couldn't have done this unless
you would had the life that you lived. It all
brought you to this point.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
Yes, that's a good summation. Yes, everything that I've been
through and everything that I am has brought me to.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
Mom and speaking just as an extension and of this
larger than life experience. I think while on the set,
you know, you're seeing David in his Superman outfit, so
there is that vibe of like, oh, wait a second,
we're in a Superman movie. But in general, it sounds
like what you're saying, and what I've heard reflected from

(35:18):
other people who have worked with James is this is
a pretty It feels tight knit and small and almost
like an indie production, So you're not necessarily feeling, like
you said, the pressure or the scale in that way
in these smaller scenes. But let's switch a little bit

(35:39):
and talk about going to that red carpet premiere and
then getting to see the film with an audience for
the first time. I mean, what was that experience like,
after kind of waiting and having to sit and keep
everything secret and worrying about you know, Warner Brothers in DC,
taking your home away if you say the wrong thing

(36:00):
to the wrong person, what was it like finally getting
to celebrate all of this work and then seeing it
for the first time with an audience who had not
seen it before.

Speaker 4 (36:12):
Well, I never could have gone without my nephew, Jean.
He took care of everything, and he took care of
me because this was all just completely overwhelming for me.
So Jeane made sure I got there and was taken
care of. But when it came time to walk the
red carpet, there was again that kind of split feeling.

(36:36):
Part of it was surreal, like this is beyond. Nothing
could have prepared me for how overwhelming that walk is.
But on the other end was I knew I'd be
here someday, which is such a bizarre juxtaposition of thought.

(36:57):
At one time, I can't believe I'm here, and then
the other part, yes, I'm here, yeah, as if I
were landing after a long, long flight.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
There were the highlights of seeing yourself and hearing people's
reactions to you and your performance, and also just getting
to see because my guess is correct me if I'm wrong.
But because when it comes to big productions like this,
there's a lot of secrecy around it. Were you aware
of what the film was as a whole or were
you only seeing the bits and pieces that you were

(37:30):
involved in.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
Well, because most of all of my scenes were at
the farmhouse, I wasn't making where the Daily Planet was
for a couple of days, but I wasn't filming. I
did get to see just a tiny, tiny bit of that,
but I got to read the script. I couldn't keep it.
They let me read it when I got on set

(37:53):
and then give it back. So the first time of
that I read through the script, the entire script. That's
when I have got wow. This is a massive, massive,
massive film. There is an incredible amount going on in
this film. But seeing it on Imax, well, first of all,

(38:14):
I got to sit right next to Pap through it
and I was together, which to me was wonderful because
we got to, you know, enjoy seeing it for the
first time together. But seeing it on the big screen,
I was afraid because who likes their self thirty feet wide?

(38:37):
I don't know how big that screen is a lot
more than that. It was huge, and so who really
was to see every wrinkle? And you know, but when
the audience laughed when the phone call started, I thought, Okay,
he's got it. He knew what he was doing, and

(38:59):
it brings in humor and kind of sets up who
they are in a way that I felt like was good.
You know, some of the criticisms as we've discussed, but
I don't agree with those. I think he did a
wonderful job with that phone call. So after the phone call,
I was I felt better because I actually felt more

(39:21):
confident about the other scenes because I found the hands.
You know that we talked about. Her hands are small,
I know, but she does what she can with them.
So I had that piece, and I felt more confident
with the other scenes that that was going to be there.
But when I watched it back, I realized her hands
were in the phone call too, but because she had

(39:41):
them on both sides of the phone and she was
kind of like she was holding him there on that call.
So when I saw that, I thought you were doing
it subconsciously, even before you found that piece. So overall
it was and the ending just tore me up.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Oh, I know, it.

Speaker 4 (40:01):
Was so beautiful. I just I just wept, you know,
it was just beautiful.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
What was it like shooting those scenes with the little
little Clark?

Speaker 4 (40:12):
Oh? Well, it was a lot of fun, but you know,
we had to we had to do it with a
lot of different kids to find the right ones, the
ones that he wanted, and some of them were very
scared and nervous and prove it was great with them,
and I like I hope I was. But it was

(40:33):
a little difficult in those because I felt for them.
You know, they're very young kids and to be put
on camera like that, and it was intimidating. But then
the ones that he ended up picking were the very
ones that I thought, oh, yeah, this this is Clark,
this is Clark when he was a little boy. So

(40:54):
when I saw them, I thought, my goodness, it was perfect,
just perfect. But again that's James Gunn's vision is so
clear that once he sees it, he knows it and
he knows it's going to happen both things. He knows
that's the way to do it, and he knows it's

(41:15):
going to happen. What amazing confidence.

Speaker 2 (41:19):
I love you made. This is a comment I'd seen
a couple of times which is a very very sill
It's a very silly, nerdy internet comment to make, which
is the wait a second, who was filming all this
family foot.

Speaker 4 (41:34):
Yes, well the robots.

Speaker 2 (41:37):
The robots filmed it like they.

Speaker 4 (41:39):
Did the other one. You know, somebody filmed the other one,
So the robots filmed it for posterity.

Speaker 2 (41:46):
I have I had so many home videos of me
and my parents together as you know, them bringing me home,
and like, who's filming that? The Superman robots? I guess
film that filmed my home videos, you know what I mean, Like,
I just like I remember seeing that and just thinking like,
has nobody did nobody have a home video of themselves

(42:07):
as a kid. You don't ask these questions. I never
asked like who, wait, who filmed my home videos?

Speaker 4 (42:13):
Crypto?

Speaker 2 (42:14):
Crypto filmed it. That's it, that's you heard it here. First.

Speaker 4 (42:18):
He does have superpowers.

Speaker 2 (42:20):
After all, that dog can do so many, so many
different things. You didn't, now you you didn't. There was
a young girl on the set who was kind of yes, yes,
so Murphy did the kind of the motion capture and
was she working with an actual live dog on set?

Speaker 4 (42:40):
Uh? There was a dog on set. I never saw
her working with the dog, but I did see her
jumping around on all fours. I love a dog, and
I was just blown away. I mean, how do you
do that? You know? She was fantastic and such a joy.
That's my thing about James Gun I want to say,

(43:01):
is he picks joyful people. He picks good people that
enjoyed being together and enjoy creating something together. There's no
diva behavior on a James gunset that I ever saw.
And that's all the way up to David. You know,
nobody was like, I deserve special treatment, that it was

(43:21):
a team effort, and maybe that might be his secret power.
His superpower is he's able to assemble a group of
people who will get behind his vision in a way
that they all are willing to work together equally to
create it with him.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
Did you feel a little bit like a proud mother,
not just for David, like watching him kind of you know,
this is his big moment too, like getting to carry
this movie and he does it. He makes it look
easy and you know it's not easy, but like that,
similar to how you were saying, like it felt like
you had you'd been to the moment, arrived, and somehow,

(44:02):
in a weird way, you're like, yeah, I kind of
knew I was coming to this moment. I'm sure in
some small way David must have felt that too. And
what was it like, what was it like, I mean,
just being being you know, you're his mother, but also
you know for James too, like kind of feeling that.
Did you feel that sense of protectiveness and that sense

(44:23):
of pride getting to see them both succeed in that way?

Speaker 4 (44:28):
Yes, And I've thought a lot about David and how
you know he carries it so and he carries it
well and without seemingly without stress, but you know, there
had to be. There had to be. It was what
people don't realize that who have never done a role
like that, is how physically demanding it is. You know,

(44:51):
he's yanked around and flying around, and that suit itself,
he had trouble breathing when he was laying. You know,
they finally had to unhook it a little bit because
that's a tight, heavy kind of suit. So even just
the physical aspects of it that he handled so well,

(45:11):
but the emotional for me, I thought his portrayal was
spot on perfect. He was able to convey that comic
book heighten heightening, you know, without losing himself his personality,
his humanness, and that's a fine line to walk. I

(45:32):
think he did a phenomenal job. And I heard him
say in an interview that people were asking, what if
this is you know, you get typecast as this and
this is all there is? And he said, even if
this is all there is, it was worth it. In
other words, he knew the risk of possibly Superman being
all he was known for from here on out, that

(45:55):
that was all people could see because it was so big,
and because it was so iconic, but even if it was,
it was worth it to him. And I think I
feel the same way in his place.

Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, I love that, and I think it speaks to
who he is as a person. And i'd like to
think also, I'd like to think that we and I've
referred to myself as the audience are more Christopher Reeve
had the downside of maybe an audience that was not
willing to accept him and other roles. And I feel

(46:28):
like because of his portrayal and because it's been so
many years since, the audience is more willing to see
these actors in different roles. And I hope that is
what we see for David, for you, for all of
the actors in this film, that we get to see
that because I think the audience has learned from years

(46:49):
of hearing these stories of typecasting that we're more accepting
I think of seeing characters and actors go to different places.

Speaker 4 (46:59):
Yeah, I hope he works all the time. But you
mentioned James james script. I didn't fully appreciate how brilliant
his script was until I saw everything come together. You know,
even from the first shot that they showed. You remember

(47:20):
the very first steal that they put out was David,
I mean Clark putting on his boots, remember putting on
his boots, Ma, I cleaned your boots, he tied, he
ties everything you know punk rock, you know, kindness is
the new punk rock. And then the end with I'm

(47:42):
a punk rocker.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yes, brilliant, brilliant.

Speaker 4 (47:46):
Everything, everything just a wove into this tapestry of magic.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
It was that was that all the punk the maybe
that's the new punk rock? And then down to the
song choice was that in the script at the time.

Speaker 4 (48:02):
I think the kindnesses of new punk rock may have
been in the script, but I don't remember any reference
to a song at the end. But he found the
perfect song and I can't get it out of my head.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
I've been listening to it pretty much every day since.

Speaker 4 (48:21):
It was just perfect. Everything was and mister terrific. I
have to say that scene with him with the tea spears,
I had the same look on my face that Rachel did.
It was so amazing and I liked that.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Scene gets applause every time I see it in theaters.

Speaker 4 (48:41):
Which is the choreography in it. James was talking about
that too in some interview that he just told whoever
did all of that. I wish I could remember his name.
I'm sorry about that, but he was saying, all I
had was a general idea of seeing it in Rachel's

(49:01):
perspective as it happened around her. That's what he gave
this guy, and that's what he ended up creating. Is
just phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (49:11):
I also read that because of the environment they actually
shot in and the way the choreography when they went
to shoot it looked on camera, they actually had to
redo everything on the day because the choreography, even what
they practiced. They kept some of it, but what they

(49:33):
practiced just didn't look as good on camera as they
envisioned it, so they had to on the day then
improvise a little bit even more and combine the old
with the new in the middle of Georgia heat in
Georgia summer, I can't imagine.

Speaker 4 (49:49):
But that makes me think of something else that James
Gunn does. You know, if he gets an idea or
someone gives him an idea, it doesn't matter to me.
It didn't seem to matter if they're already setting up
for another scene. Now wait, let's go do this, and
you're just I don't even know how to describe it.

(50:10):
It's like on a dime.

Speaker 2 (50:12):
Do you have a specific example when you were working.

Speaker 4 (50:13):
Yes, it didn't end up getting in the I don't
think it's in the end sequence, but maybe it'll be
on a director's cut. But Putt hadn't I he just
threw out a joke. He said they were talking about
the flashback scenes and all the ones that they needed,
and he said, well, I could do Shakespeare. JA said, okay,

(50:34):
let's do that.

Speaker 6 (50:35):
And so through it has got a towel or a
towel or a blanket or something around him, pinned with
a clothes pin, and he's got a room as a
and he's saying to be or not to be.

Speaker 2 (50:50):
He's performing with Clark.

Speaker 4 (50:53):
Clap Mayes watching and clapping and fixing his cape, and
Clark just goes, yes, to be. It's the cutest thing.
I hope it does end up somewhere I want. So
that's an example of him just saying okay and he's off.
I mean, there's no hesitation. It's not like, well we
need to move this, No, let's just do it, and

(51:16):
the world moves.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
The world moose right.

Speaker 4 (51:19):
And I heard Wardrobe saying what kind of what where
where is this in the.

Speaker 2 (51:25):
Right the continuity and trying to figure all that. Yeah,
I love that though.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
Well.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
It keeps it fun and it keeps the energy high
on a set. To know that you can play that
even within the realm of this very like you know,
millions and hundreds and millions of dollars and people breathing
down your neck. That James was able to find those
moments in play and have fun is crucial.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
I was so jealous, you know, I was jealous because
Prude had Prude just threw it out there. I had
ideas too, and I told James later, I said, if
I get to come back as mom, I'm going to
play Okay, now I see that you can.

Speaker 5 (52:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
So were there any other scenes in the final film
that that you loved that impressed you the most, mister terrific?
Were there any other moments that stood out to you Metamorpho?

Speaker 4 (52:17):
Yeah, Anthony Kerrigan deeply emotional. I was just really sweet,
and I just loved everything he did, even the you
know at the end where he says he wants to
join the gang and he says, not with that mug
Nathan Pillen, whom I love, and he says that's a

(52:40):
cool name. You're in, You're in.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
That's so good. Well, I love I'm not I'm not
as familiar with Metamorpho. I've read a lot of comics.
I've read a lot of Superman, and I think this
is what James and he talked about it. But it's
like he puts his money where his mouth is, where
this is. This is a film that could have collect
under the weight of all these characters and all these

(53:03):
things happening, but they're all they are all so well defined,
well written and then beautifully performed. And Metamorphos stood out
to me because you see him in visual form, just
on the posters and in the behind the scenes footage,
and you're thinking like, oh, this is an intense and
scary guy. But then Anthony's performance is so human and

(53:24):
so moving. You don't expect it, but it throws you
like You're like, oh, this is there's so much more
to these people than you think. And I love that.

Speaker 4 (53:35):
I didn't have that reaction to his photo at all.
I thought this poor being God was him, he is suffering. Yeah,
there was so much pathos or pathos. I don't know
how you pronounced that.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 4 (53:53):
Yeah, that I thought, Yah, I'm going to root for
this character. I don't even know who he is. I'd
never heard of from Minamori. Just that photo. I said, Oh,
he's going to be somebody.

Speaker 2 (54:03):
That is there's pain, there's a pain there, there's a
pain behind the eyes that you knew. I knew going
into it there was going to be more to that
character than what I was perceiving from the images.

Speaker 4 (54:15):
It's funny because you said he looks scary, and he does,
and it's it's I never thought about it, but I
never was scared of him, even how bizarre he looks
and how frightening he looks. That never even came into
my consciousness until you said it. But yeah, he's scary looking.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
Well, it's a great bait and switch because, you know,
I think James's brilliance and the marketing's brilliance as you
are setting this up as like we don't know exactly
what role he's going to play in the film, you
just get these visuals and then very quickly it's you
suddenly this character sitting in a cell looking very like

(54:57):
strange and very alone, and you learn like he has
a son right across and then all of a sudden
I think with the moment that really sold me was
after you know this, this poor citizen is killed, you
have Rex's immediate reaction is he just bursts into tears
and he's just like, he just killed that guy. And

(55:17):
it's just a very human thing to say, and you
don't expect it coming out of this big, kind of monstrous,
strange looking creature. And I think that is something James
has excelled at in past projects, is just making you
suddenly empathize with these characters you didn't expect to. But
I think speaks to Anthony's performance because that's like an
emotionally charged scene and you like, you know, he plays it, you.

Speaker 4 (55:43):
Know, after he says he just killed that guy says
I didn't do anything.

Speaker 2 (55:47):
Yeah, and wow, yes, yeah, but I love I love Metamorphos.
I'm glad you brought that up. I also love Apparently
this is another this is another big controversy James told
in a recent interview, did you hear this about the
squirrel nearly being cut out of the film?

Speaker 4 (56:07):
The yes, Yes, I did.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
Yes, I'm like, again, this is why James was the
right person for the job. I can't imagine if that
scene had not been in the movie, and to me,
that is so at the heart of who Superman is.
Like he saves the squirrel, of course he does.

Speaker 4 (56:27):
You know, people have to suspend their disbelief a little bit.
Of course, there were people, you know, there was an
entire city under seat. But he saves the squirrel. But
the point is all life is sacred and you save
what you can. Yes, to me, that's the point, and
he does.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
I think. I tell people all the time the reason
I think Superman is special is that. And this is
literally the example I would use before I even saw
James's movie, this new film, I would tell people it
is like, the reason and Superman is the best is
because you know, of course he's stopping an alien invasion,
and of course he's saving people. He's saving Air Force

(57:08):
one is crashing and he has to hold it up
so it can land safely. I was like, but in
the midst of all of that, he's also going to
stop and save a little girl's cat from getting stuck
in a tree. And to him, that's all equally important.
And I remember when he's when he saves the squirrel
in the movie, I like, I cheered louder I think
than I've cheered in a movie theater for in a

(57:30):
long time, because I was like that. To me, it's like,
that's literally what I've been saying about this character is
it's of course you're going to get the larger than
life moments, but it's all about those small moments, and
to Superman that is just as important and that's why
he's his special character.

Speaker 4 (57:46):
And going back to check on the people, are you okay?

Speaker 2 (57:49):
Yeah? No, after that guy, the giant monster, yeah, the
fire Yeah, that's if Superman is not protecting us, then
I feel like you lose, you lose a lot of
what makes that character special. So it's those little moments
of him checking and then the girl nods at him
and he kind of nods back like okay, okay, and
then his next move is like, let's get the creature's

(58:10):
focus away from the people. And you know, that to
me is perfect. It's perfect.

Speaker 4 (58:17):
And all the moments where he tried to reason with
the people who were trying to kill him, yes, you
know we don't have to do this.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
Yeah, And the last moment between him and Lex is
not a scene in which he kind of gloats and like, yes,
I finally defeated you. It's a moment of him trying
to empathize with him and connect and saying like, you're
capable of so much more, and you're a better person
than this, and.

Speaker 4 (58:41):
I hope one day you see that exactly.

Speaker 2 (58:43):
That to me is so at the core of who
Superman is.

Speaker 4 (58:50):
And when Nicholas cried, that was such a powerful moment
for me. I loved what he did with Lex Luthor.
I love the whole cast. They're just phenomenal.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
It's got to be fun because you haven't gotten to
work with a lot of them and see a lot
of this, so you're getting to finally see them.

Speaker 4 (59:05):
Yes, And at the after party, I got to meet
a lot of them that I wasn't on set with,
and in particular Alan two Deck.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
Which oh yeah, I just love.

Speaker 4 (59:17):
Him and he's so gracious and funny and he's a
phenomenal performer. I just I just adore him.

Speaker 2 (59:24):
That is so so great. So other favorite moments from
the production, any fun memories of working on the set.

Speaker 4 (59:31):
Every moment I spent with Pruett. He's just a delight
and has so many wonderful stories to tell. And we
had dinner several times and really just enjoyed meeting him,
getting to know him. It was a true highlight of
the whole time I was there. But then another favorite
moment I have is during the phone call, you know

(59:53):
the phone, the yelling and the phone. Well, I first
was just a little loud, you know, little I said,
you know, I'll be a little bit louder than normal.
And then all of a sudden, I hear James in
the other room saying, do it louder. So I would
do it louder, and he would say, Neiva, do it louder, louder.

(01:00:18):
I'm going to blow out the sad guy's ease. But
that was just so fun. That's just so James louder louder,
and I could hear him laughing in the other room.

Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
See, And that's how you know you're doing a good job,
if you're making the director laugh. That's the important thing.

Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
Well, that's the other thing about James. I had every
confidence that if I ever did anything that he didn't like,
that he wanted me to do differently, there would be
no hesitation, you know, he would definitely let me know.
So that gives you a confidence too, to feel like
you're doing what he.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
Wants you to do, or you can go as far
as you need to, and then he'll pull you back
if he needs to, or he'll push you to be
even louder if you need right.

Speaker 4 (01:01:02):
He'll push or pull, which where you want you to
go exactly?

Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
So what are you hoping maybe in future films? We
don't know what will happen, but we obviously need more
Ma and Pa Kent. I would love that even beyond
just your characters. What are you hoping to see in
future Superman films?

Speaker 4 (01:01:24):
Well, I hope he keeps I hope he keeps the
same flavor, you know, particularly with Clark with Superman, because
I think he's right on point with that, and I
hope that he stays in that vein with him. I
would love to see Batman Superman.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
Yes, I would love to see this version of a
Batman in Superman movie.

Speaker 4 (01:01:49):
Several people have said, we need Christmas at the kNs. Yes,
there's never been a Superman Christmas movie that I can
recall an instant classic.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
I think we need a Christmas at the Kents. We
and you know James has done the Guardians of the
Galaxy holiday special, So let's just put that out into
the universe. Please, that would be amazing. But can you
imagine because you know, uh there and there, maybe there's
uh there is material that we will see on a
Blu Rayar and extended version. But Lois, this is literally

(01:02:24):
the first time she gets to meet Martha and John
is in this moment of crisis where their son is recuperating.
But I would love to see a Christmas would be
the best time to do it, to have like Clark
officially meeting or bringing Lois home to meet his parents
and how that was.

Speaker 4 (01:02:43):
And you know that the Superheroes could be there too. Yes,
who turns down a MA can't deserve.

Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
That's exactly right. This is this is all gold. This
you need to you need to get on James.

Speaker 4 (01:02:56):
Make sure I have mentioned I would.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
I think people would love to see that, and I
think that would be a ton of fun.

Speaker 4 (01:03:05):
I'm there for anything James wants to do in the future.
But MA is a role that I love and I
hope I get to.

Speaker 2 (01:03:14):
There's so much. Is there a part of you that
you know you are busy and you've got your own
life to live, But is there a part of you
that feels like, you know, I kind of want to
look into the comics a little bit and maybe see, like,
you know, what other stuff is there for me to
play with? Is there any curiosity at all? Or are
you more like I'm just gonna wait and see what
James comes up with and just go with that.

Speaker 4 (01:03:34):
Well there is now I had not thought of that,
but sure, I mean, why not. Yeah, But I definitely
love Ma, so I'm all in for anything regarding her
in the future.

Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
Great.

Speaker 4 (01:03:52):
And you know, there's it's been my clear that I
am La in that universe, so it would have to
be another universe that I got cast and something else
which happen.

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
But I have a good, strong feeling we have not
seen the last of Ma and Paw, and.

Speaker 4 (01:04:14):
From your mouth to God.

Speaker 2 (01:04:15):
To I will be the first person on the picket
lines if there is a world in which we we
don't get to see more of them. I will be
knocking down James's door and sending him some some sternly
worded letters and emails. And it'll be great, of course,

(01:04:36):
well as we as we finish up and wrap this up.
I guess just final thoughts on Superman as a character.
I mean, this is it's crazy to believe, but this
character has been around for nearly one hundred years. I
think this new film is a wonderful, wonderful celebration of
everything that has made him so special. But for you personally,

(01:04:57):
this is you've gotten to experience this care character in
a very personal way in your own career and then
playing his mom. What to you do you think makes
this character so lasting and so special? What do you
think it comes down to?

Speaker 4 (01:05:12):
I think at different times in history he may have
held significance for different reasons. In today's world, to me,
Superman is a shining light. You know, He's a light
in a lot of darkness. And we've gone society today

(01:05:32):
is gone without getting modeling, We've become callous and like
we were talking about before, cruel. Sometimes in the anonymity
of the Internet, we've got this disconnect of human life
and the value of that. And to me, Superman is,
like you said, equally values all life. So anything that

(01:05:57):
can get us back to that way of thinking, I
think is a blessing to the world.

Speaker 2 (01:06:02):
And I love I mean, people are posting all over
the internet just the ide you know, maybe maybe that's
the real punk rock, is that kindness and seeing people
as beautiful and I love once again to have a
Superman film where I think sometimes the mistakes that have
been made with this character are to be a little

(01:06:23):
embarrassed by that worldview and to kind of shy away
from it. So to have this big, gigantic, high profile
film that embraces that heart and that idea is so
crucial to Superman. I think speaks to James as a person,
but also just speaks to why this film is so wonderful.

(01:06:45):
Is just emphasizing the kindness and the beauty of people,
and that kindness is the new punk rock in a
world where people are mean, being rebellious and choosing kindness
is a wonderful, wonderful message to put out into the world.
I'm so grateful to him and to this team. I'm
so grateful to you for being so wonderful in this

(01:07:05):
movie and being a part of this experience. It's such
a treat. I'm so happy that this is the that
this is the Superman that we have out here right now.

Speaker 4 (01:07:16):
I've said this before another interviews, but if in the
whole history of Superman, if I were in one, I
would have chosen this one. Yeah, this particular Superman because
of the message of hope and love and kindness.

Speaker 2 (01:07:34):
I'm glad you got to be in it me too. Niva,
thank you so much for celebrating Superman with me. I
really appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (01:07:41):
Well, thank you, I appreciate you.