Flying high as TV's Superman
TYLER Hoechlin never expected his version of Superman to become a fan favourite.
The American actor, who made his acting breakthrough as a child opposite Tom Hanks in the Oscar-winning film Road to Perdition, plays the Kryptonian hero in the DC TV series Supergirl.
What started as a cameo has turned into a recurring role across three seasons of the series.
"Honestly when I took the job it was only intended to be those first two episodes as far as I knew," he says.
"I never expected to do the crossovers (with Arrow and The Flash)."
Hoechlin steered clear of watching any footage of his big-screen counterpart, Henry Cavill, while preparing for the role.
"When I took that job obviously it was understanding it's an iconic character, and people will draw comparisons," he says.
"I find it easiest to be blissfully unaware... it's neither right or wrong, I just know how my head works and I'd be all too aware of the things I'd seen.
"I'm really glad we picked a point of view and a place to come from with our version of this character and accept whatever the reception was. It's always nice to hear such a beloved and tenured character is appreciated in your version of it."
Hoechlin is back in Australia this month as a special guest at the Supanva pop culture expo. It's his 10th visit down under and his third appearance at Supanova.
"I love getting to the beach. I always enjoy the water there," he says. "It's such beautiful country there and the nature is spectacular."
Hoechlin was a promising baseball player before injury turned his focus to acting full-time. He famously turned down the role of Emmett Cullen in the Twilight saga to focus on college baseball.
It's a subject he now hopes to explore on film as he moves behind the camera as a producer.
"They always say write what you know and sport was such a big part of my life," he says.
"I would love to continue to tell those stories. There's so much heart to them. When I get upset about a sporting event, people say 'it's just a game'. Coming from that world and understanding what it is, I try to explain to people it's the story I've been following for three years about this guy making his comeback. It's the story, not the game."
Hoechlin will next be seen in the Netflix sci-fi drama Another Life. He hopes to don the red cape again soon and even share the screen with our own Ruby Rose, who joins the DC Extended Universe as Batwoman.
"She did a great job in the crossovers and I think she'll be phenomenal in that role," he says.
"It would be great to do some scenes with her at some point."
Supanova plays the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 12-14.
