Lana Lang has come a long way since her introduction at the start of Superman & Lois. Actor Emmanuelle Chriqui brings the fan-favorite character's evolution to life as the Arrowverse series continues to progress through its second season. Lana has decided to step up and run for mayor of her hometown of Smallville while the Cortez family initially seemed closer than ever at the start of Season 2. Tragedy and betrayal struck, however, when Lana learned that her husband Kyle cheated on her years ago. The infidelity threatened to derail the Cortez family as a cohesive unit as well as Lana's burgeoning mayoral campaign. While Lana has her old friend Clark Kent to confide in, she still finds herself facing some major decisions about her life and career moving forward.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Chriqui unpacked the emotional fallout endured by Lana so far in Superman & Lois Season 2. The actor praised her co-stars for helping her venture into the more raw and vulnerable parts of her performance and teased what's next for Lana in the face of the recent upheaval.
This episode really feels like the culmination of a lot of Lana's journey. She makes some big decisions and goes through some major emotional moments. How was it getting the script for this episode and seeing you were taking the character in this direction?
Emmanuelle Chriqui: It was thrilling and scary, to be honest with you. I knew it was just going to be very emotional. When you have to go there for a whole week, it's exhilarating and exhausting. More than anything, when I read the script, I was just so happy because all you ever want as an actor is to feel like you're being challenged and feel like you're doing what you know how to do and not just playing it safe and playing on the surface. I felt like I really got to do that with these episodes. It was very gratifying, just to get to know Lana even more and see how she handles these situations in the moment. They've written her in such a way that, although she's vulnerable and finding her way, I think she's proving to show that she has a lot of resilience and strength.
If Superman & Lois Season 1 was about introducing Lana, Season 2 is about her reclaiming her hometown and her narrative. How was it seeing that season-long arc as the writers shared it with you?
It was so exciting because, from the first episode we talked about in Season 1, I had talked at length with Todd Helbing, our [series] creator. Lana was not necessarily the most empowered person. She was caught in the shackles of this small town that she loves, married at a super-young age. [She] is a young mom doing all those things and has this budding friendship with Lois that I think was initially very intimidating for her because she's not that person. Seeing her evolve and start to feel more grounded and more sure of herself, ultimately to take this leap running for mayor, is so not Lana in the first season. There's been such a nice evolution to her!
I was speaking with episode director Amy Jo Johnson and she was nothing but complimentary of you and your work. How was it having her behind the camera?
It was amazing! I was so lucky to have her as the director for this episode because she cares so much about us and made it so safe for us to go there. It's so fun when you have an actor who comes on to direct because they get nuance, character development, and what it takes. They give you notes that you understand completely. That's what she did. She created such a safe space for [us] and had such great ideas. She was such a pro. It was awesome and we all loved having her direct this episode.
This episode is particularly heartbreaking because, at the start of Season 2, the Cortez family seemed closer than ever only for everything to fall apart at Sarah's quinceañera. How was it working with Erik Valdez on these more emotionally fraught scenes?
I'm the luckiest that he's my scene partner because he's so amazing in the episode but he's also so generous. Erik is a very generous actor and if I have to be super-emotional... When we call "cut," he's not joking around and distracting me. He has a real respect for what's going on. He also provided such a safe environment for me to have to go there and vice-versa. We have an amazing working relationship and I'm so lucky he's my scene partner.
The other major scene partner you have within the Cortez family is Sarah. She is a lot more reactive than Lana initially, while Lana is trying to put on a brave face for her family. How was it working out that dynamic with Inde Navarrette?
It's the best. It's so funny because, with Inde, she's just so cool. [laughs] We get along anyway in life. I think it's funny because Inde's mom in real-life is a similar age [as me]. There's so many things that I like that her mom likes too. There's already this common thread that's just so cute. She's such a talent and I genuinely love working with Inde that, when the three of us get to do scenes together, there really is chemistry there. To play mother and daughter, it's just really rewarding and somehow feels real. Even though I don't have kids, we're able to slip into this dynamic and it just feels so good.
One last question about scene partners: I love that Lana and Clark really get the chance to check in with each other multiple times throughout this season. How is it sharing those scenes with Tyler Hoechlin?
It's so great. We're always so excited when we see that there's a scene with us together because I've known Tyler for twelve years or something. We have a personal history of affection and then we get to work together, with this whole history for Lana and Clark that is so cool. It's really gratifying because we get to see what they are to each other, which is a real strength. When Clark is feeling really shitty about something, he knows that he can go to Lana and vice-versa. I think that the audience really likes seeing that because they know that it's safe. It's not a shady relationship where they're flirty and it's sort of inappropriate. These two have known each other the longest and they know each other's families. I think it's refreshing when we get to see them together.
You touched on this a bit earlier but, now having a year to grow into and better understand Lana, what was something you were personally hoping for going into Season 2?
What the writers had written for me this season... I just felt like I was the conduit to tell the truth of this character and they gave me the opportunity to do that. That's just all I can hope for because they're creating the story. We talk about things but they've already mapped out where we're headed. I'm just so grateful that they've written this arc that's allowed me to be surprised and be challenged. It's just been a thrill ride!
Emmanuelle, is there anything else you can tease about Lana moving forward with Superman & Lois Season 2?
I think we can definitely say that her mayoral aspirations take front and center stage. It's really exciting and, obviously, all the stuff that's going on with Kyle! [laughs]
Developed for television by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing, Superman & Lois airs Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW.