|
Melissa (USA)
Allison on the other hand seems to grow into a more vibrant, passionate, talented woman by the day. Just take a look at her website, www.allisonmack.com to get a feel for the various interests she has. Allison is a woman with a love and excitement for art. She values friends and family and celebrates their accomplishments. In fact that value of friends might just be the only similarity there is between her and Chloe. So why the emphasis on their differences? Because many young (and older stars) have something in common with the characters they play. Television in particular is known for incorporating personality traits of the actor into the character. Take Smallville’s Tom Welling. Clark Kent is a hesitant hero. He steps up and leads, but he doesn’t like being the hero. Tom Welling was a hesitant Superman. He wasn’t sure about the role and he’s still known for keeping to himself. That shyness has been used in his acting. I could go on with a list of other actors who have done the same thing. That’s what makes Allison different. She’s practically nothing like her character and yet fans love them both. It’s the mark of an excellent actress.
Even more impressive than Allison’s ability to truly embody a character that is uniquely different from her own personality is the fan favorite she turned Chloe Sullivan into. For those of you who aren’t comic book geeks (trust me, you’d know if you were one. We tend to pick apart movies and critique every possible detail to a story. And of course, we know far too many Star Wars facts.) you have to understand the intense detail Smallville is held to. Sometimes fans don’t like the way a storyline may go. Tough luck. There’s a thing called “comic book canon”. In a nutshell, it means that there are specific rules to storylines and characters to a comic book line. So if you make a Superman movie, there are rules to follow. For example, any Smallville fan got more than a little frustrated at the length of time it took for Lois & Clark to admit their attraction. Part of that was because Clark has to be out of school and also because Superman Returns was being released and had to be allowed to tell the origins of that love story first. It’s a wide variety of those details that make Smallville so much harder to make.
But I’ve deviated a bit. You see, all those details make characters very specific. But the Smallville creators did something different. They created their own character in Chloe Sullivan. Chloe doesn’t appear, ever, in Superman comics. Which makes her a difficult character in many ways. It means there are limits to Chloe’s involvement in Clark’s life. Most shows would have explored a romantic relationship between Chloe & Clark especially in light of Chloe’s feelings. But because according to the comics, Clark never knows someone named Chloe Sullivan, the only time those feelings are explored are when Clark is under the influence of red kryptonite (and usually Chloe is under some sort of spell too) so that its strange behavior. And its not just a problem with the way Chloe is worked into the story. As a show based off comics, fans tend to be more picky. Yet Allison has taken a non-existent character and turned her into a beloved character, central to Smallville’s heart and success. The appeal of Chloe is so great that DC Comics (the creators of Superman) have been trying to find ways to work the character into the back history of Clark Kent. This is a huge accomplishment for both the show and Allison for her excellent portrayal. Even now, as fans wonder if Allison/Chloe will be a part of the 10th season, they are rallying behind Chloe, insisting Smallville isn’t Smallville without Chloe Sullivan. Leaving Smallville may be the end of the world to some of us fans but Allison has a promising career ahead of her. She began to move behind the camera in season 5 and went on to direct two episodes in season 8 and 9. Allison and her best friend & costar Kristen Kreuk (Lana Lang) started a production company, Parvati Creative Inc, which allowed her to produce the short film “Alice and Huck”. Released in 2008, the film garnered good reviews as a sweet love story and very promising future for Allison as a producer. She’s continued to develop her skills as a producer and guest starred on several episodes of “Riese”, a SciFi channel show. Her work in all aspects of film and involvement in other art forms show that this is one actress who won’t disappear anytime soon.
To be perfectly honest, her fans won’t let her disappear. Allison’s shown a commitment to her fans over the years through her time on Smallville. She’s attended all of the Smallville appearances at Comic Con, something Tom Welling, as the star, didn’t bother doing until season 9. Fans in Vancouver (where the show is filmed) say Allison is friendly and engaging. Once she discovered the internet and the beauty of blogging, she’s created multiple opportunities for fans to interact with her. Chloe’s greatest strength has been her ability to care deeply for her friends. Allison demonstrates the same caring attitude towards her fans. We last wrote about Allison when she was younger, still finding her place in the world. Today’s Allison Mack is a beautiful woman who is confident, talented, and is just beginning to make her mark on the world. Her fans will be ready to cheer her on as she does.
|
