Why Lois From Superman And Lois Looks Familiar

When an actor is cast as Superman or Lois Lane, it isn't just another day at the office. These are iconic characters who have been around since 1938; they've gone through numerous iterations in comic books as well as films and TV series. Many actors have left their mark on them, which is a tricky balancing act. They have to simultaneously offer something new while paying respect to what's come before, and even though there have only been a few episodes of The CW's Superman and Lois so far, it's clear the actors in the titular roles have done precisely that. 

Tyler Hoechlin wonderfully embodies the Golden Age version of the Man of Steel who remains cheerfully optimistic even in the face of overwhelming adversity. By his side, as usual, is his wife, Lois Lane, played by Bitsie Tulloch, who's more than just a damsel in distress this time around. As the two get used to life back in Smallville while raising their two sons, they're equal partners, and Tulloch more than holds her own against her co-star even though he may be the one with superpowers. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Tulloch kills it in the role, as anyone who's seen the rest of her filmography can attest to. She's been a sizable presence in the film industry for a while, and whether you were aware of it or not, she's been in plenty of TV series and films over the last 15 years. 

For six seasons, Bitsie Tulloch played Juliette Silverton, girlfriend of Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), on NBC's Grimm. The series recontextualized many of the myths associated with Grimm's Fairy Tales as Nick uses his lineage as a mystical guardian to protect the world of humans from supernatural threats. Initially, Juliette is none the wiser on what he's really up to at work, but eventually, he lets her in on the secret, which ultimately leads to her demise. 

Luckily, you can't keep a good actress down for long, and Tulloch returned in season 5 as a new character named Eve. She was similar to Juliette and had all of her memories, but she lacked her emotions, leading to some very awkward moments between her and her former boyfriend. It proved to be a worthwhile shake-up that got her into the forefront of some more action, something that undoubtedly helped when she entered the Arrowverse as Lois Lane. 

The Artist was a tour de force at the 2011 Academy Awards, going so far as to win Best Picture that year — an outstanding feat for a black-and-white silent film. Bitsie Tulloch had the chance to play a small role in the ode to Hollywood as Norma, an actress who plays a part in the fictional film, Tears of Love, which is a passion project from protagonist George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). About halfway through the film, George's career is on the way out due to the emergence of talkies, but he's committed to preserving silent films the way they are. He puts everything into Tears of Love, which has the unfortunate luck of premiering on the same day as the stock market crash of 1929. 

The role may not have required as much action as some of her other roles, but there were still plenty of challenges. Back when The Artist first came out, Tulloch did an interview with the San Antonio Current. "I watched a lot of silent films to get prepared for it," she stated. "It was a little challenging because the gestures are so important. It's harder to convey emotion with just your facial expressions. [Director] Michel [Hazanavicius] was fun to work with. He always had music blaring to keep the cast and crew in the mood of that time period." Whatever the director did, it worked considering he went home with a Best Director Oscar that year as well. 

The NFL has known for some time that the physical demands of playing football can result in brain injuries, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). While the league has taken some steps to protect players' health, officials originally didn't want to hear anything negative about the sport, with one individual, Dr. Bennet Omalu, continuing to push the NFL to recognize the dangers. That doctor's journey was portrayed in the 2015 film, Concussion, where after a string of former players' deaths, Omalu (Will Smith) tries to get the information across against overwhelming odds. 

Bitsie Tulloch appeared in the film as Keana Strzelczyk, wife of Justin Strzelczyk, who starts losing his memory and saying bizarre things right before his premature death. In real life, the two divorced in 2001, but she carries on his memory by being a vocal proponent of Sisters in Sports, a group of wives and mothers of NFL players who require support to handle the medical conditions of their loved ones. 

Shortly after the release of Concussion, Tulloch did an interview with KDKA in Pittsburgh and offered a grim outlook for anyone who's suffered from brain injuries like CTE. "There's no hope to give then, and that's a hard thing to say to somebody," she said. "There's no hope. He will probably end up dead and you need to protect yourself is all I can say." 

As of late, Tulloch's been keeping busy on The CW with appearances on everything from Arrow to Batwoman, and now, she's headlining her own series. She may not have powers, but even Superman wouldn't want to upset her.