Did you read any of the Superman comics as a kid?
No, I did like the George Reeve film and television series and of course the Christopher Reeve films, the ones created by Richard Donner especially, those were the two films that made me really love Superman. I was aware of what was happening in the comic books growing up, especially when Superman died, there was big talk around the school yard that day, but I didn't read them specifically.

How difficult was it to make a movie that would both respect what had been done before by Richard Donner in Superman 1 and 2, but also forge its own identity?
I think that was handled beautifully by [the director] Bryan Singer. At times, 'Superman Returns' has a similar feel to those first two films, so it's a nice transition, a nice bridge and hopefully everyone will see that we've got a lot of respect for that which has come before us, but also that we've tried to do something new. It also adds a lot of class and history to the legacy of Superman and I was very grateful for that.

What was it like having to play two very different characters, who were the same person – and who would you say you are most like in real life – Clark Kent or Superman?
Well, I'd like to think now that I have a little bit more of both of them in me. I've certainly learned a lot from inhabiting Superman for so long, but in the beginning I was much more like Clark I think; a little bit clumsy and shy, but excited about life. Obviously Clark is excited because Superman gets to interact with people, so he gets a lot of joy out of that and that's something I always wanted to bring into Clark's character. I think that's why he is a bit clumsy and excitable - especially around Lois, because it's the only time he really gets to be around her comfortably, particularly in this film since she's not real happy with Superman! But it was a great joy for me to be able to play both of those characters because they're one and the same to me - all three of them if you add Calel. When nobody's looking at Clark, we see Superman living and breathing within him which was really exciting to play. Everybody has two sides - I think we all put on a different face for the rest of the world to a certain extent, so it was great to be able to show the emotional side of that.

Were you ever worried about taking on the role of Superman and being compared to Christopher Reeve?
I wasn't worried, I was cautious. I was aware of the great legacy of not only of Superman, but of also Christopher Reeve – he's the reason I love Superman so much, so I have great respect for him and for everyone who's created the character over the years, whether it be writers, artists or actors. I did my best to always keep in this great respect that needed to be paid but at the same time, I didn't want to worry myself stupid about whether or not I was good enough, because that would have got in the way of my performance. It took all the strength and confidence that I could muster to play this character and to imagine what it would be like to be the most powerful being on Earth. When you are doing something like that, there is no room for fear, so I kinda just blindly pushed that away.

Christopher Reeve made four Superman films – do you think you'll carry on with the role and make any more?
Well I think that, certainly at the end of this film we see that there's much more to explore, and I'm very excited to see where the characters go from here. You know those kind of questions really boil down to the people who control the money, but as long as we keep this crew of fantastic people together - Kevin, Kate and Bryan and everyone else - I think we can continue to create breakthrough films in this category. As long as we can make the characters interesting and stay true to what we've done in this first film, I'd be more than happy to be a part of it.

During the film Superman is said to represent 'truth and justice' but the 'American way' was never mentioned. Would you say that was just an in-joke or was it about making a point about how America is today?
For me it speaks of the greatness of Superman as an icon throughout the world, that he has surpassed America's boundaries and is now recognised all over the world as an icon and positive role model. It shows how Superman has evolved and become loved by the world and I'm proud of Bryan for respecting that and not making it just about America.

Some people have said that Superman is cursed, are you worried about that at all?
I don't live my life out of fear, so no I'm not…

If you could have any special powers, off screen, what would they be?
I would like to fly. I've done it the film way – I've been hoisted and thrown about and it wasn't much fun, so I'd love to have the sensation of actually being able to do it without 50 other people helping me.

This film has really thrust you into the limelight - how are you coping with all the attention so far?
Fairly well, I think. I knew very early on that there would be quite a bit of attention because Superman is known everywhere, so I've had an opportunity to think about a lot of that and figure out how I wanted to deal with things. It has been a great learning experience for me as an actor and a person, to see how people react, and I found the best way to deal with it all is to not be scared of the attention, and to be grateful for it. It's better than being annoyed by people who want my attention, I guess. And you know, I'm part of a really amazing thing and I'm very proud of that. People get excited that I am around because I represent Superman in a way, and that makes people happy, so you know, that's a cool thing.