John Shea

(On Adam Kane, the leader in Mutant X) John: It's fun for me because I am a father in real life, so I understand that parental thing.

(On his character, Adam Kane in Mutant X) John: I think of him more as a kind of leader or a coach or a big brother. Rather than think of myself as their father, I think more of myself as an older brother who is maybe a little bit wiser about the ways of the world. Who can inspire them and lead them. A leader, if you will. A director who is directing them into a path.

(On his role of Lex Luthor) John: I did every single episode the first season. I was living in New York when I shot Lois and Clark and I was commuting to Los Angeles every week to shoot. It was very difficult on me and my family. So I asked them if I could get out of my contract at the end of the first season, and they wouldn't let me out altogether, but they let me diminish my participation so that I only did certain episodes that were called Lex Luthor episodes.

(On his character, Adam Kane in Mutant X) John: I think Adam's story is one of betrayal, you know? He's somebody who believed he's an idealist. He's a wounded idealist. I think he's felt the sharp pain of a knife squarely placed between his shoulder blades. I think a lot of what he does is trying to recover from this betrayal.

(On his portrayal of Lex Luthor) John: I don't think there has been a character quite like this. This villain is written as a human being, and not just a one-dimensional comic villain or a two-dimensional comic villain, the way he might have been portrayed in the comic books or even other films. I thought Gene Hackman was brilliant, but it was a different kind of comic villain.

John: When I read a role, I try to find something that I can bring to the role and something that the role brings to me. Something that I don't know anything about and that the character can teach me.