Interview: Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang

From LoveToKnow Sci-Fi

In 1988, the series Superboy introduced fans to a young actress named Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang. As only the second actress to portray this pivotal role (the first being Annette O’Toole in Superman 3), Haiduk quickly captured the hearts of her fans.

Stacy Haiduk began her television career as Lana Lang.

Interview: Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang

In June, Stacy Haiduk interviewed with Love To Know Science Fiction about her roles on Superboy, Seaquest DSV, Kindred the Embraced, Heroes and Brimstone to name a few genre pieces she’s stared in throughout her career. The actress began appearing on The Young and the Restless in 2009, but she is well known to genre fans for her work on so many different series.

The young actress made her debut on Superboy, which told the life of Clark Kent during his college years at Shuster University. Haiduk portrayed his girlfriend Lana Lang who came into her own during the second season.

You played Lana Lang. Is there any chance we'll see you on Smallville?

I was 19 when I earned that part. You know there was a writer’s strike then, too. It delayed our getting started, but it was my first major role in anything. We did over 100 shows. It’s funny because when I think about that time it was the big 80s perm, flyaway bangs and the Flock of Seagulls thing.

It was a fantastic experience. I’d love to do Smallville, but that’s up to the producers. It would be neat to come on as a female superhero.

You could do Wonder Woman

Oh, thank you, you’re so sweet. Wonder Woman would be so great to play. It’s what I always loved about Lynda Carter, she was so strong and powerful and utterly feminine.

SeaQuest DSV gave you a chance to strut your stuff in a uniform. You worked with some great actors like Don Franklin and Roy Schenieder.

The show was very ecologically aware. It was a lot of fun to do and to work with the cast. But the second season, we moved to Florida and spent more time above the water than in it. Don Franklin and I used to joke that it was SeaWatch, more like Baywatch than Seaquest.

You played a vampire in Kindred the Embraced. What was that like?

The series was based off the role-playing game. I played Lillie Langtry, she was of the Toreador clan. It was such a fun part, Lillie was very much underestimated by her peers and she was very much in love with Julian. The show did really well and it had such terrific ratings, vampires were really big because the only major production at that time was Interview with the Vampire. I was so sad when Mark (Frankel) passed away.

Let's talk about Brimstone next

Brimstone is a really underrated show that aired for one season. I played the doomed Rosalyn Stone, the catalyst in many ways for the hero's 'fall'. I worked with John Glover (Glover also portrayed Lionel Luthor on Smallville for seven seasons) and it was so much fun. I just got to see him doing the Drowsy Chaperone in New York.

More Recent Roles

Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang, as Rosalyn Stone, as Lillie Langtry and many other wonderful characters enjoys a varied and colorful career. In 2006, she appeared in four episodes of that television season’s newest sensation: Heroes.

The actress portrayed hard core FBI agent Elise Thayer. The character appeared in the unaired pilot as well. She was convinced that Matt (Greg Grunberg) was involved somehow in the Sylar slayings.

How was that experience? Did the producers indicate you would be back for more? Thayer seemed to have such verve.

I would have loved to do more. The show got huge. They had so many characters and I was just recurring and they focused on their regulars. I had this great line that I was sure would end up on the cutting room floor, but they kept it on there.

The line the actress refers to is in direct response to Matt Parkman protesting that they didn’t search everywhere in the Odessa paper factory. He suggests that maybe there is a secret room to which Haiduk’s Elise Thayer responds: “… and maybe I can whistle the Star-Spangled Banner out of my ass.”

Love To Know Science Fiction would like to thank Ms. Haiduk for her time and wish her continued success in all her endeavors.

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