Most Smallville fans would agree that while Clark Kent's transformation into invincible goody-goody Superman is a fascinating and surprising journey, the real heart of the show beats within lean, mean baldness machine Lex Luthor. Though Lex battles the darkness within him he is destined to bring the world to its knees. It's only a matter of time before the brain within his gloriously chromed dome switches to evil and maniacal super villainy becomes the order of his day. Seeing Lex evolve into the man we're going to love to hate has made Smallville compulsive viewing, and that's due in no small part to actor Michael Rosenbaum's magnetic yet ambiguous performance.

"I landed the role of a lifetime with Lex Luthor," admits the smooth TV idol. "I can't imagine a more complex character. You never know what he's thinking. That was always my intention, to keep him borderline. His motives are good, and he does like Clark, though he is a bit envious of Clark's close family life. It's great that people are able to embrace Lex as his journey continues, because even though he's destined to turn into this monstrously evil figure, people can still relate to him. I think they realise that if they had lived his life they'd probably turn out wicked too."

Learning that with great roles come great responsibilities, 32-year-old Rosenbaum agreed to sacrifice his hair for nine months of every year to play the famously bald villain. "It wasn't until the second year that I started missing my hair. After 29 years I'd gotten used to the coverage. But I didn't have any say about it. I signed away my hair for five or six years, and now I'm bald. It's disconcerting, but part of the game. My biggest complaint, the only thing that sucks about the whole thing, is that when I audition for other roles all they see is Lex Luthor. They see the bald head. And unfortunately they're not always creative enough to look beyond it. Really though it's a small price to pay, as shaving my head has opened more doors than I ever thought possible."

Besides the allegiance of the folically challenged - "People are always thanking me for making baldness cool" - Rosenbaum's close shave has won the actor a reluctant place among the beautiful people. "I thought that shaving my head would only make me less attractive, but I do seem to stand out more now. I guess it works for me, but I don't picture myself as any kind of sex symbol. I think it's funny that some people see me that way because when I look in the mirror all I ever see is average. Could be worse, but nothing special."

Rosenbaum's fans would probably take exception to that, as with or without hair the actor has to deal with adoring mobs. "The attention can be overwhelming. I like to be around people and make them laugh. I'm a people person, but sometimes I get a bit nervous. I get a little anxious, a bit flustered. I don't know why it happens, I just deal with it the best way I can. You'd think you get better at it but you don't."

Helping Rosenbaum deal with the pressures of stardom is close pal John Schneider, who plays Clark's dad on the show but remains best known for his spirited performance as Bo Duke in redneck TV classic The Dukes of Hazzard . "He's a really cool guy. I guess I'm a fan myself. Sometimes when I see him I start humming the Dukes theme tune without even realising I'm doing it. The best thing we ever did was go for a ride in the Dukes' car, the General Lee. I was hanging out with John at his ranch and he offered me a ride home. So he opens up his garage and there it was. He wouldn't let me jump through the window though as he said I'd scratch it, but I was determined to honk the horn. It still plays Dixieland. I begged him to do it to impress a woman I thought was looking my way, and eventually he gave in and did it. It was very exciting, very rewarding and very cool."

As for the future of the show, Rosenbaum's keeping schtum. "I swear to God I don't know what happens," he insists, "but I'd like to see more pain. I want to see more anguish. I want to see Lex become a badass. I'm tired of him getting his ass kicked. I want to see him start kicking back."

Michael Rosenbaum filmography

Smallville Seasons 1-3 are now available to rent online. Click here for more Smallville.

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