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Q: A movie you starred in is complete at this point, but waiting on a release — “Gosnell.” A lot of folks are excited for it, especially thanks to your involvement, Nick Searcy’s involvement, and the insanity of that story. We’ve talked to Anne McElhinney about the trouble the movie has had in finding distribution. From your perspective, why is there hesitance by Hollywood to tell that story? Can you tell us anything about the film?
A: “Gosnell” is a very tough but important movie. It tells the horrific true story of an abortion doctor in Philadelphia who is found guilty of multiple murders. The disturbing story is told by the talented director Nick Searcy (who also acts in the film) and is produced by the intrepid reporting duo Anne McElhinney and Philem McAleer.

The film was crowdfunded and the story is extremely compelling; however, the subject matter is so upsetting people are scared to death to distribute the film. It’s mind-boggling, because this kind of evil happens every single day. Many just want to pretend it doesn’t exist. This is why this film is so important. Folks need to know this exists.

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Q: You appeared in one of this writer’s favorite shows, “Comic Book Men,” Cast member Walt Flanagan said you were the guy waving the flag for superheroes like Superman when no one else was. Now, you can’t turn the channel without finding something based on a comic book property. Was there resistance in the ’90s from studios in regard to comic book material — a lack of respect for it? And what is it like now seeing time catch up?
A: Bless Walt for his wise words! “Comic Book Men” is the little show that could … and I enjoy the heck out of those guys! Walt has a great point. When we were shooting “Lois & Clark,” everyone was like, “What? A superhero show? Superman? No way.” It was seen as risky and silly. We were told often we were going to be responsible for killing the guy in the cape forever.

The creators of “Lois & Clark,” however, did a great job of creating relatable, smart, layered characters — and made the show about the relationship between Lois and Clark and Superman. That worked.

At the end of the day, it’s the relationships between the characters that keep us tuning in night after night — not just special effects. I think Teri Hatcher was the greatest Lois Lane of all time — I am biased — and the show had a lot of humor and romance to balance the action. It is very ’90s, but that kind of nostalgia is pretty awesome. I’m so proud to have been part of the show.

Seeing the number of superhero television shows and films today, it’s as though every other film has a comic book element to it. I’m not saying we ushered in that world, but we definitely didn’t destroy it.

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Q: I have to ask a “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” question. I’ve heard some say the series couldn’t work today because of the boom of the internet, iPhones, and so on. However, in a world filled with terms like “fake news” and a world in which the internet provides so much information, could a “Ripley’s” show actually work more today?
A: “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” is the kind of show that could go on forever. I wish it had. My company produced that show, and I had an absolute blast making it. Much of what you see today on the internet, iPhones, YouTube, etc. stems from exactly what we did on Ripley’s. Talk about going viral! People are fascinated by the strange and the unusual. With today’s technology, we would just have more and more incredible, strange, weird and unbelievable stories to tell. (go to page 3 to continue reading)[lz_pagination]