Who played the best Lex Luthor?

Poll suggestion by SOTS.

 

Kevin Spacey was great, no doubt. But I still have to give it to Hackman.

 

Clancy Brown. His voice work is fantastic. Cold, brilliant and ruthless, yet somehow charismatic... The definitive Lex.

In second place, I'd put Michael Rosenbaum.

 

Gene Hackman, he made the character the most interesting. Im curious to see what Kevin Spacey makes out if it though.

 

Michael Rosenbaum hands down for me. Though Clancy Brown is also awesome.

Gene Hackman's portrayal was horrible. Great actor and all, but Lex is not supposed to be that ridiculously campy.

 

Rosenbaum is the best Lex, followed by Clancy Brown

 

As much as I love Hackman (and I do), I was really really impressed with Kevin Spacey's portrayal.

 

Gene Hackman

 

I had my doubts about Spacey but he really shone in SR. Not a big Hackman fan in any role.

 

Loved Spacey, but Hackman's still my favorite.

 

Gene Hackman.

 

I actually never cared for Hackman in that role. *ducks*

Brown is great though. Rosenbaum really shines when he is given something to shine with. I love Spacey as well.

That is a tougher one then the others

 

Spacey is my new fav

 

Exactly! He was rather... shall we say... "dorky"? Michael Rosenbaum for sure! Course, it was only between him and Hackman, since those are the only two I've seen (except the Lex in the JL cartoons).

 

Kevin Spacey

 

Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville)

Hot diggity doo. By a mile. Spacey was ridiculous, and Hackman didn't do it for me.

Okay, Spacey wasn't that bad, but Rosenbaum's portrayal is so much more how you'd think Lex to be.

 

I was torn, Spacy did a great job as a better version of the Hackman type Lex, but Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville has wonderful character development for Lex. I think how they have showed his decent into how one becomes evil is great, the other Lexes are funny, but not human enough to scare you.

 

John shea is such a bad actor he funnily good again.. hence Muant x

 

Agreed and I wonder how many people voted that have never even seen Rosenbaum's version?

 

I don't know, but i've seen his version of Lex from the beginning, and he is the best live-action version there is. It's a shame that they'll never make a film based off of the Smallville universe characters.

 

I simply can't decide between Hackman and Spacey.

Therefore, in homage to the animated series, I shall vote for Clancy Brown.

Edit: Weezer hit it spot-on as to why I didn't vote for Rosenbaum. He shines when he is given something to shine with. Yet this doesn't happen often enough (maybe twice per season) for him to get the vote, especially since the best portrayal he's given in season 6 isn't even Lex.

 

I don't think he necessarily only shines when he has something to work with. He adds a sense of depth to the character, and intelligence when he deals with things. And besides, only those in America have seen season six, I can only base it off what I've seen.

Spacey, on the other hand, doesn't give you the impression that he's in control.

 

I don't like Smallville, but I think Michael Rosenbaum is great in the role and easily the most menacing of the better known Lex's IMO.

 

As much as I'm a fan of Hackman as Lex Luthor, I think Kevin Spacey did a truly marvelous job and he actually succeeded at his plans for a time, which is not something the previous Lex did

 

Rosenbaum from Smallville. I love that his character has more than one dimension. He's a villain, but you get to see all sides of him, even the good ones.