Kate Bosworth Reflects on Playing Lois Lane in “Superman Returns”

Much has been written about the 2006 movie “Superman Returns”, and a large amount of those discussions have centered around the casting of the film, especially in regards to Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Mixed reviews about her performance mostly focused on her age, with critics complaining that the 22-year-old Bosworth was too young to portray the fearless Daily Planet reporter. It seems, 11 years on, that Kate Bosworth agrees with them…

“I was just a kid. I don’t know how interesting I was at 22, or how interesting any 22-year-old is!”

She grimaces and corrects herself. “I mean, I’m 34, I’m still young, but the more time you have on this planet the more confident you become, the more experience you’ve had to fill you out.”

However, Kate looks back on that time with great fondness, having fallen in love with Sydney, Australia where the movie was filmed.

“You know, there are some characters you play that are dear to your heart, and I feel that way about Sydney. It was such a transformative time in my life. I really came into my own there and met people that became like family.”

Kate Bosworth is currently starring in “SS-GB”, a five-part BBC TV drama based on Len Deighton’s alternate history novel, which imagines a post-war Britain in the grip of Nazi rule.

Read the full interview at the Sydney Morning Herald website.

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redcape
redcape
May 4, 2017 1:14 pm

I for one found nothing wrong with how she played the character.
She got some what of a bad wrap only because of the ridiculous and caustic reviews of SR in general. And the majority of those weren’t warranted.

afriend
afriend
May 4, 2017 4:01 pm

I’ve mellowed a lot on the film in the intervening years, and I’m looking forward to seeing Brandon Routh at a Con next month. But even now, I think it’s fair to say that she was miscast for a Lois Lane that in the context of the film should have been closer to 30. Also, and this isn’t Ms. Bosworth’s fault, the character was rather poorly written; she reacts to Superman and his return as a sixteen year old would, not a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist…

superhero
superhero
May 4, 2017 4:52 pm
Reply to  afriend

i concur with you. i like bosworth, she’s an attractive, decent actress, but was not exactly right for the role

cpm72586
cpm72586
May 4, 2017 5:57 pm

I actually watched SR again this past weekend. I found myself enjoying it quite a bit, but I do think Lois is a week point of the movie. I didn’t mind Bosworth’s performance so much, but just thought the way her character was written was kind of annoying. Still, I can’t say I hated her. She was tolerable enough. On a side note, one thing I really like about that movie is the set design. Love the art deco look, and how Metropolis feels like it’s own unique city. I find it incredibly boring when Gotham or Metropolis are just… Read more »

redcape
redcape
May 4, 2017 7:03 pm

Sorry I’m going to disagree. Her as Lois was not meant to be the spot light of SR. They weren’t looking for old time Lois. Over writing her role in the first Superman movie in 20 years would have been too much.I liked the emotional aspect of how she played Lois. Yes to be sure, she played it some what different than what we’ve seen before but that was the point. There were enough comparisons to STM through out SR. But her portrayal of Lois wasn’t one of them. And that was fine at least for me. They had all… Read more »

sundevil82
sundevil82
May 4, 2017 8:44 pm

I don’t blame her for the films shortcomings. I remember being a little apprehensive when I first heard the concept of it being a pseudo sequel to the original 2. I feel they did a disservice to her, spacey and Brandon by making them portray previous versions of the characters. I for one think that it would have been a much better idea to start from scratch with all three bringing a different interpretation. Oh well… Shoulda woulda coulda.

Rod
Rod
May 4, 2017 9:29 pm

I have to disagree, she was actually one of the few things I liked about the movie, I mean people slammed her for her age? Margot Kidder made Lois look like she was 50 – that always bothered me, especially in romantic scenes with Reeves, it’s like she was a cougar. Bosworth is at least attractive and brought her own thing to the character. Superman Returns was a poor movie in every aspect in my opinion – people complain about Cavil’s Superman, far FAR worse was done in SR to the character. The only highlights were Kevin Spacey, Bosworth and… Read more »

redcape
redcape
May 5, 2017 1:15 pm
Reply to  Rod

Although I agree with you regarding her, I can’t agree on your assessment comparing what you describe as Singer/Batman and Clooney/Batman. Joel S directed the entire (at the time), Batman franchise right down to toilet bowl. Worse than what was allowed to happen with Lester’s buffoon S3. The last thing I found was that SR being a poor movie. You might not have liked the direction but it was anything but poor.

NeoRanger
NeoRanger
May 5, 2017 1:21 pm
Reply to  redcape

The comparison was indeed hyperbolic and the aftermath was clearly not as terrible, considering that Batman & Robin killed super-hero movies for a time and Batman wouldn’t see another installment, if Singer’s own X-Men hadn’t relaunched the genre. Having said that, I will always feel the need to defend Schumacher, because the comparisons he finds himself into are unfair as well. Lester and Singer can be directly blamed for their movies, because they made the movies they wanted (especially Singer); Schumacher, on the other hand, was forced to ham up his movie in the case of Batman Forever (remember, he… Read more »

Rod
Rod
May 7, 2017 3:59 pm
Reply to  NeoRanger

I don’t remember that but if you say okay. Schumacher didn’t have to take the job if he wasn’t going to be able to do what he wanted, it is as simple as that (but in reality he WANTED it). Burton’s 1989 Batman was a smash hit and Returns wasn’t as big but it did make more than enough money to warrant a sequel. However, Warner wanted to get away from the darkness of those Batman movies and they took the franchise away from Burton – giving it to Joel who didn’t like the darkness either and wanted to make… Read more »

Rod
Rod
May 7, 2017 3:34 pm
Reply to  redcape

Well, just as you have my opinion thinking SR was anything but poor, it is my opinion that it was poor – I have standards when watching and assessing movies – I like them to be good and not recycled plots or stories. SR was a recycled story with recycled dialogue from STM. Even recycled characters, Parker Posey was Miss Teschmacher 2.0, even down to betraying Lex at the end with a change of heart because she saw the “bad” in Lex, but was fine with everything other bad thing Lex did. And let’s not even get into making Superman… Read more »

manofsteel
manofsteel
May 5, 2017 8:50 am

She was way too young. Amy Adams is much, much better.

redcape
redcape
May 5, 2017 1:18 pm
Reply to  manofsteel

Well that was the NEW direction at the time wasn’t it? The roles between the two weren’t a comparison so saying one was better than the other isn’t relevant. You like AA better then fine. But the bottom line is is that she plays a much different Lois in a much different environment.

MattComics
MattComics
May 5, 2017 12:40 pm

I think it’s indicative of the film not being sure of what it wanted to be. Something new or a continuation. It didn’t really jibe to cast such fresh faced kids into roles of characters who were supposed to have had a history together let alone be in any sense the same characters from Superman I and II. Boswoth’s Lois had no spark or personality at all which makes even more galling that she’s supposed to be more or less the same Lois from the previous movies let alone anything in ball park of the iconic idea of Lois Lane.… Read more »

sundevil82
sundevil82
May 5, 2017 4:17 pm
Reply to  MattComics

i agree with your assessment and I’ll add that they did the same thing with Superman in the film. Other then the lines recycled from Superman the Movie, they didn’t give really any dialogue to brandon Routh and they suppressed his natural charisma(which while different than Chris reeve’s, he has in spades). I just never believed that these were supposed to be the same characters. Chris reeve’s superman oozed charisma and singers version was ‘meh’ at best. And that is no fault of Brandon’s. I’m tired of the writers making superman out to be less of a character and more… Read more »

Super El
Super El
May 8, 2017 7:10 am
Reply to  MattComics

The more I think about it, the more I believe that Parker Posey (who played Kitty Kowalski) should have been Lois Lane. She had the acting chops, and she was wasted in a silly role that was less serious then that of Ms. Teschmacher’s role.

NeoRanger
NeoRanger
May 5, 2017 12:48 pm

Wasn’t a fan, but nothing against her; she was too young, as an actress and in a role that she wasn’t typically cast in at the time. Didn’t help that the writing was less than stellar for her character, burdened with history from the Donner movies and a misunderstanding of the person Lois Lane is (feisty is often confused with obnoxious and rude). I mostly comment, because oddly enough she popped in my head a few hours before this article went up. I was thinking how it’s been 11 years since Superman Returns, which feels like yesterday, I pondered its… Read more »

LJ_602
LJ_602
May 17, 2017 1:44 am

If it were a reboot of sorts and it was about a young journalist fresh out of college who’s break through story was about the mysterious “Superman” who saved a crashing plane/space shuttle, then securing an interview would have worked better I think. An adaptation of the ’88 John Byrne run would have made more sense for these young incarnations of Lois and Clark. That would have probably secured a sequel and the DCEU might have been very different. The ages of both Routh and Bosworth didn’t make much sense for 2 individuals who had been established for several years.… Read more »

redcape
redcape
May 20, 2017 2:02 pm
Reply to  LJ_602

No offense but I don’t agree with a majority of what your saying. True they could have done it any number of ways. As for Parker Posey, I literally could not stand her role. She was just there for Lex and his need for bedroom activity since being away in prison. Other than that she was quite useless the entire movie.

LJ_602
LJ_602
May 21, 2017 4:50 am
Reply to  redcape

So you’re saying you don’t agree with me but agree it could have been done differently?
Then we are actually in agreement.
I was just pitching a possible idea that suited the age.
And as far as Parky Posey, anyone’s feelings on her or how adequate she was for the film isn’t what I’m getting it. I’m saying that the lead actor who’s playing the title character didn’t have the acting chops to outshine the unwell received comic relief to the main villain.