ANDY MANGLES BACKSTAGE
With John Haymes Newton
Amazing Heroes #161. March 15, 1989. Interview by Andy Mangels.
Welcome to the third Andy Mangels Backstage column, and a talk with the new Boy Of Steel, John Haymes Newton. When a young Johnny Rockwell originally stepped into the super-shoes of a hero-to-be in the unsold Superboy TV pilot back in April 1961, his short flight left him out of work and never heard from in Hollywood again. Not so for the talented Mr. Newton, whose syndicated show is near the tops of the ratings every week all across America! And while many comic fans have quibbled with Superboy's Continuity, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind are making their fifth foray into super filmdom with the just-announced second set of Superboy shows.
Newton, who began "acting" at four, was much later seen in very-off-Broadway New York shows and a few commercials (catch him mainly in the Levis 501 commercials). Accomplished in the Martial Arts. Newton landed a job as a bodyguard to such celebrities as Melanie Griffith and Edward (The Equalizer) Woodward. It was on a chance family visit to Wilmington, North Carolina, that Newton got the chance to audition for Superboy, and...we'll let him relay the rest.
I personally like not only the Superboy show, but also the man playing that "boy". John Newton is friendly and funny, just self-aware enough not to take his "celebrity status" too seriously, but professional enough to do his job well. As for the show itself, while some episodes have been a little weak (especially those with Lex Luthor), the majority of them have brought back that sense of fun and adventure that my musty old Superboy comics used to have before the sturn and drang of modern comics (and the Crisis) wiped him/them from existence. With John Newton underneath that "S" symbol, I can return to those days when "fun" and "light-hearted" were not bad words...and that's just what I need on my Saturday afternoons.
ANDY MANGELS: My first question is the one you're probably tired of answering; How did you get the part of Superboy?
JOHN HAYMES NEWTON: I was in North Carolina, and went to go audition for a small film part right near my house. I went over to Dino De Laurentis Studios and read for a small lifeguard role in Heatwave. Lynn Stalmaster, who was in from Los Angeles, liked me as Superboy--he had been trying to cast it for two months--and flew me out to Orlando the next day for a screen test. I found out about 10 days later that I got the part.
MANGELS: You had to take a trip to the DC offices as well, didn't you?
NEWTON: I didn't know much about Superboy. I had read Superman when I was younger, but I was never a fan of Superboy's comics. I remember a few issues, but that's about it. I studied them after I got the part though, spending a couple of days in New York reading the comics.
MANGELS: Did you read the older ones or the revived '80s version?
NEWTON: I read some of the older ones and some of the latest stuff. I met with some of the writers and editors., and talked with Cary bates, who was over at Continuity at the time. I had a good time learning about the characters and all the continuity problems and what John Byrne did when he came in and so on.
MANGELS: Did you study Christopher Reeve's performances when you were getting ready for the role?
NEWTON: No, no. I made it a point not to go back and see the films, actually I had seen the first two when I was younger, but I wanted to bring my own ideas to the character. I didn't want to go back to what he was doing as an actor.
MANGELS: Have you seen them now, after you've been doing the show?
NEWTON: I saw Superman IV, and it was really bad! (both laugh) I haven't seen the third one or...I saw about half of the fourth one and I had to cut it off. It just tried to go for everything.
MANGELS: How do you see your protrayal of Clark and Superboy as being different from Chris's version?
NEWTON: They're basically the same in that they're the same person. I'm basically at the mercy of the scriptwriters. They can change characters if they want to, but I can't. The way I protray those characters comes from my gut feelings when I started out on the show--that is, a not-so nerdy Clark. I do Clark like he is in the comic books, which is more mild mannered and to himself and maybe a little shy sometimes. I think people get tired of the goofy, bumbling Clark who trips over things, especially if they see it too much. Chris did a great job with what he did, but I wanted to make some of my own choices.
MANGELS: What about how you play Superboy?
NEWTON: I think Superboy is learning a lot. He's in the beginning stages of his super-powers and he's trying to implement himself into society in the best ways possible. As Superboy, I'm learning how to balance my alter egos with what I'm really here to do. I'm establishing my priorities and figuring out what I can do to bring the most benefit to mankind without being egocentric and controlling.
MANGELS: You talked some about the continuity problems in the comic books. How do they address the continuity problems between the movies and the TV show?
NEWTON: They pretty much re-wrote everything. We didn't change anything major, but the Fortress Of Solitude and all that hasn't happened yet. The films changed what was in the comics...everyone changes what they want to do in their own reality, which I guess is fair. Superboy never existed, according to John Byrne. What can we do?
MANGELS: Where exactly are you in relation to the movies then?
NEWTON: That's the thing. It's after Pa Kent died, but he's on the show. It's when I went to college, and am a sophomore at Shuster University, and my father's still alive. But I haven't moved on to the Fortress Of Solitude or Metropolis yet.
MANGELS: What kind of shooting schedule are you on down there?
NEWTON: It's busy, as you know. (laughs) It's Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturday. We shoot 12 to 14 hours, but with travel time it's sometimes more. This year hasn't been as much as last year because the days are shorter in Wintertime and it gets darker earlier...that cuts two or three hours off of our shooting days. They just have to work that time cut in somehow.
MANGELS: You shoot on the Disney lot?
NEWTON: Yes, it's on the new MGM/Disney Studios.
MANGELS: Is that at Disneyworld?
NEWTON: Yes, it's on that property, but the studios are separate from the theme park. There is a tour beginning in April, which will come through our set.
MANGELS: So you'll have to contend with lots of gawking tourists.
NEWTON: Probably, yes.
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