who plays young lex luthor in smallville?
Michael Rosenbaum
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 The Smallville incarnation of the character is first introduced as a morally ambiguous character , who walks a fine line between good and evil . Lex is an inquisitive person , and it is that curiosity that drives him to attain as much power as possible as the series progresses — it will ultimately lead him to being Clark 's greatest enemy . Michael Rosenbaum has been nominated for and won a Saturn Award and a Teen Choice Award for his portrayal of Lex Luthor on Smallville . After seven seasons as a series regular , Michael Rosenbaum left the show , but reprised the role for the two @-@ hour series finale . 

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 Lex Luthor is a fictional character from the television series Smallville . He was a series regular from the pilot episode until the season seven finale , and has been played continuously by Michael Rosenbaum , with various actors portraying the character as a child throughout the series . The character of Lex Luthor , first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1940 as nemesis of Superman , was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar — this is only the third time the character has been adapted to a live action television series . The character has also appeared in various literature based on the Smallville television series , none of which directly continues from or into the television episodes . 

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 Several members of the regular cast were nominated for awards . In 2001 , Rosenbaum , Kreuk , and Welling were nominated for Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series , Best Actress , and Best Actor , respectively . Rosenbaum and Kreuk received additional nominations for male and female Cinescape Genre Face of the Future awards , and the entire season was nominated for Best Network Television Series . Rosenbaum was the only one to win an award ( Best Supporting Actor ) . Tom Welling won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star — Male in 2002 . Smallville 's first season placed sixth on the Parents Television Council 's list of the " best shows for families " . 

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 When crafting Smallville 's version of Lex Luthor , series developers Al Gough and Miles Millar decided that he would not be a precursor to the more comedic role performed by Gene Hackman in the Superman film series ; the pair wanted him to be likeable and vulnerable . The role was difficult to cast , as no one involved in the casting could agree on who they liked for the role . Gough and Millar wanted to cast a comedian for the series , on the belief that comedians always want to " please and be loved at the same time . " Michael Rosenbaum auditioned for Lex Luthor twice . Feeling he did not take his first audition seriously , Rosenbaum outlined a two @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half @-@ page scene , indicating all the places to be funny , charismatic , or menacing . His audition went so well that everyone agreed he was " the guy " . 

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 While no casting was finalized , Zito expressed interest in actor / stunt man Scott Leva , who had posed for Cannon 's promotional photos and ads , and made public appearances as Spider @-@ Man for Marvel . The up @-@ and @-@ coming actor Tom Cruise was also discussed for the leading role . Zito considered Bob Hoskins as Doc Ock . Stan Lee expressed his desire to play Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson . Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn were considered for Aunt May , Peter Cushing as a sympathetic scientist , and Adolph Caesar as a police detective . With Cannon finances siphoned by the expensive Superman IV : The Quest for Peace and Masters of the Universe , the company slashed the proposed Spider @-@ Man budget to under $ 10 million . Director Zito opted out , unwilling to make a compromised Spider @-@ Man . The company commissioned low @-@ budget rewrites from writers Shepard Goldman , Don Michael Paul , and finally Ethan Wiley , and penciled in company workhorse Albert Pyun as director , who also made script alterations . 
