John Schneider Talks About Smallville

[Stuck In The '70's]

Schneider Ponders Mortality on 'Smallville'
By Rick Porter
Friday, January 27, 2006
12:00 AM PT

NOTE: This story contains a major revelation about the Thursday, Jan. 26 episode of "Smallville." If you don't want to know about it, click away.
John Schneider says he and his wife were looking at new cars when he got word that his character on "Smallville" was not long for the world.

"So I bought two," he says with a smile.

That was during production of The WB show's ninth episode this season. During the 12th -- and the 100th for the series, which aired Thursday (Jan. 26) -- Jonathan Kent suffers a heart attack and dies on the night he's elected to the Kansas state senate.
"It was bittersweet, but it was so necessary," Schneider says of his character's demise. "It seems to me that it's fairly obvious that the passing of Jonathan Kent may very well be the impetus for Clark to become Superman."

Jonathan's death is an especially cruel blow to Clark (Tom Welling) because he's reliving the day to save his true love, Lana (Kristin Kreuk). After witnessing her death midway through the episode, Clark pleads with his Kryptonian father, Jor-El, to have the day back so he can save her. He's able to do that, but he can't bring Jonathan back.

"There are consequences, which is great because that's one of the messages Jonathan has taught Clark from the beginning: There are consequences to your actions," Schneider says. "There are things beyond your control, no matter how strong you are."

Schneider says he was grateful for the advance notice the "Smallville" producers gave him, as it allowed him to field projects for next season through his production company, Johnenelly. But it also meant he had to keep Jonathan's death secret from the rest of the cast, who didn't find out about it until shortly before Thursday's episode began filming.

And even he was a little bit surprised when he read the script.

"As you read it, Lana dies [first]," he says. "They even fooled us. I started reading and thought, These guys have been full of crap. Look at them -- it's not me, it's Lana, for crying out -- oh, wait a minute. Oh."

Knowing his character's fate didn't make it any harder for Schneider to play Jonathan in his final few episodes, which lead up to the senatorial election. In fact, he says, the opposite is true: "It really did help me be more that non-plaid-wearing guy that these three shows have."

As on-screen deaths go, Jonathan's is not the most operatic or protracted. But his passing is likely to be felt on "Smallville" for a long time to come.

"We know he's strong, we know he's fast, we know he's moral," Schneider says of Clark. "But what is it beyond that that makes him want to do the right thing, so viciously want to do the right thing? I think it's because Jonathan put that in him, and Jonathan's no longer around. Clark in many respects has to become Jonathan."

While Schneider will gladly take the time he now has to be with his wife and three children, he says he'll most miss working with Welling, who has gone from relative unknown to certifiable star in "Smallville's" five seasons.

"We have a really remarkable relationship with regard to the father-son thing," Schneider says. "We're peers in many respects, but when you really get down to it, the relationship you see on 'Smallville' is very much like the relationship we have."

[barb1686]

Thanks for the article! I enjoyed reading it!

[lockdown06]

That was a good article thanks.

[tv star collector]

Yes, it was. Thanks for the article.

[Rachel3118]

Yeah, It was interesting to read an article to see how someone feels about being killed off.