Bitsie Tulloch, one half of the duo starring in the hit CW series of the same name superman and loiswe’re a few minutes late for our interview, for reasons that I—and presumably just about every other mom on the planet—can completely understand. Her daughter Vivian had been injured in the school playground, so Tulloch called me during an impromptu event that day.
She apologized (unnecessarily, of course) and assured me she was still willing to continue our call (Vivian was fine… “She’s a difficult person” and Tulloch planned to treat her to pizza, cheer her up). It was at that moment that I kind of hated myself for thinking of a cliche I’m sure Tulloch has heard more than once since she took on the role of Lois Lane: that she might be married to the on-screen Superman in Man of Steel, But she’s a super mom in real life.
As I chatted with Tulloch, a clearer picture emerged. Do I still think she’s an incredible mom who’s able to balance a demanding career with being a very present parent? Absolutely. But do I also remind myself that even superheroes get help, and that help is part of what makes them so extraordinary? Yes. Tulloch is quick to express her gratitude to the people in her world who allow her to be present whether on set or at home.
Just before the Season 4 premiere superman and loisTulloch told me about saying goodbye to her iconic character, and she and her husband, green Co-star David Giuntoli is currently live chatting about how their family is now making the most of their time together.
WARNING: This interview contains plot points related to superman and lois.
Scary Mom: As the show approaches its final season, what do you find most rewarding about playing such a beloved character?
Bitsie Tulloch: To be able to have an impact and leave my mark on a character that has been so iconic for 85 years… This is the first time we’ve seen Lois Lane as The mother figure, who goes through everything that working moms have to go through when their interests are between her as a journalist and pursuing the truth, and then at home dealing with hormonal teenagers and sometimes accidentally neglecting them. This is a really interesting twist on Lois Lane and her powers – we’ve had plenty of moments where the boys get themselves into trouble and she goes into mama bear mode.
It’s really a great honor. I’m sad that the show is coming to an end, but it was an honor to play her for these four seasons. Now, I’m going to hand the baton over to Rachel Brosnahan.
SM: It’s so cool to see your iteration of Lois because it’s a character we’re all familiar with, but your version feels like we’re really getting to know her as a person.
BT: Yes, there’s also the breast cancer storyline, although I was initially worried about it and how fans would react, [they] Really enjoyed it. I think it’s just because cancer is unfortunately so common… I would go to Comic-Con and people would come up to me crying and say, Thank you because I have lost a sister, aunt, or mother, or my wife is a survivor. I think making such a real and grounded story is a credit to the writers for allowing me and trusting me with such heavy material and something that really impacted so many people in their lives.
SM: Lois is still suffering from cancer this season, but Superman is apparently dead? What does that look like?
BT: Judging from where we ended up, no one was going to watch our series finale and not cry. Like, I dare you to watch it and don’t cry. Very touching, especially the first three episodes. In my opinion, it really hit its peak in the third episode, which was directed by my husband, David Giuntoli.
Like you said, the writers played a very relatable, grounded version of Lois and Clark, and I think that’s why people love the show so much – they feel like they can be their neighbors. The film puts a lot of emphasis on the family aspect rather than just the superhero aspect.
SM: David stars in one of my favorite shows of the last few years, A million little things, Among them, there has been a very touching experience in recent seasons. When you watch a movie or TV show together, do you jump right into a comedy for a bit of levity?
BT: No, actually he didn’t see it successionso we’re watching it. He was watching the movie for the first time and we were watching Season 4 – we had just watched Connor’s wedding, so that was a big reveal. I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t seen it. succession. Then we might look at Bear. But it really depends. What we watched together were good performances, and now that he is starting to be a director, he really wants to watch good directors.
He was a very involved father… He took her to school, picked her up, took her to the doctor, to the dentist. And I’m not a morning person, so I was happy to let him take her to school. But I think for him, when he had a baby girl, his heart exploded. I’m sure it really allowed him to open up because his storyline was very vulnerable, of course. a million little things. As an actor, I probably lean more towards the way I was trained, which is Stella Adler, which is Lois Howard.
SM: So many superman and lois Fans have compared you and co-star Tyler Hoechlin to Margot Kidd and Chris Reeve, which I guess is just the highest compliment. If you were to play another nostalgic character in the future, whose shoe size would you want to try on?
BT: I think it would be a really, really fun thing to do with Jane Austen. because we are watching successionI’m just talking about Matthew Macfadyen in pride and Prejudice With Keira Knightley.
We’re super excited…I’m sure you all know this podcast Yuanyuan For the kids? David and I contacted host Rebecca Sheir, and David and I worked together to create an episode that will premiere on Tuesday, October 8th.
SM: Oh, interesting!
BT: Yes, our daughter is fascinated Yuanyuanit’s always great to get her interested in something other than the screen. Every night she hears Yuanyuan An episode while she was asleep. So, I was really excited that they asked us to participate. David does the voiceover. He was actually the voice of Batman in several DC animated movies, so my marriage to Superman and Batman always amuses me.
SM: You definitely lived the dream.
BT: Yes. I can’t complain.
SM: It’s spooky season, are you doing anything big for Halloween?
BT: No, unfortunately, because no one in our community goes trick-or-treating. So, we would go out, but we didn’t really do that. My daughter did decide a few days ago – and this may change three or four times over the next month – that she wanted to be a Christmas tree because that’s her favorite holiday.
But no, we would be celebrating Christmas…if we were in a place where kids actually visited and trick-or-treated, I would decorate the yard and everything, but we’re not.
SM: Christmas trees are probably my favorite Halloween costume idea.
BT: Yeah, that would be cute.
SM: Vivian’s No. 5?
BT: Yes, she’s 5 1/2. She started kindergarten about a month ago.
SM: It’s an interesting time, but it’s also a very busy time. As a mom, what’s your secret to truly spending your time mindfully?
BT: The reality is, David and I, throughout our careers, have relied heavily on childcare and nannies because as actors, we don’t have 9-to-5 jobs, and I can’t stay home with her because I work too much.
Sometimes, they were shooting 15, 16 hours a day, and as the lead on the show, I wouldn’t even see her for days sometimes… I’d get up and walk out the door before she woke up, and I’d get ten or eleven When I got home, she was already asleep. So, I would sneak into her room and just smell her and kiss her gently because I knew she definitely didn’t have a grudge or anything.
SM: Oh, yes. It’s amazing how adaptable children are.
BT: The first few years of the show were a struggle; due to COVID, we weren’t allowed to have visitors. Not only did I not see much of her, but she couldn’t even come to my trailer to visit me. Then, in season three, they allowed visitors, and our nanny would bring her to my trailer, so I would go shoot a scene, run out and hang out with her, have lunch with her, and then they would go .
In fact, Season 4 was the first time she ever watched me work on a set, when David was directing. Taylor and I were having a loving scene that day, so she was kind of like, “Wait a minute, daddy is over there directing, mommy is over there holding Taylor’s hand, but okay.” She kind of complied. Very cute.
Then I made a movie superman and lois package, but as she transitions to kindergarten, it’s been wonderful, really, for the first time in five years, spending a lot of time with her… Since actors work such hard hours, I want to be older Mamoru and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. He takes her out to dinner and a little father-daughter date about once a week. Very cute.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
