MOVIN' TO 'DC'
Smart move: veteran actress ventures into the superhero genre for the first time on ‘Stargirl’
VETERAN actress Amy Smart has taken her first steps into the world of superheroes in “DC’s Stargirl.”
The series, airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on both The CW and DC Universe — based on a comic of the same name — follows high school student Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), who discovers a magical staff after her family moves from LA to the fictional town of Blue Valley, Neb.
Smart plays her mom Barbara, co-starring opposite Luke Wilson, who plays Pat, Barbara’s husband and Courtney’s stepdad.
“To be honest, this is my first time really diving into this genre, and I’m still learning,” Smart, 44, tells The Post. “I’m still realizing what a world I haven’t tapped into yet. And it’s exciting, because there’s so much imagination and creativity. It’s also really fun to see how the fans hang on to so many little details.
“It just has so many layers and so much depth.”
As Season 1 unfolds, Barbara doesn’t know anything about the world of superheroes and villains, Smart says.
“Barbara is such a strong matriarchal character, and she grounds the reality of the show, in my opinion,” she says. “Those are big shoes to fill. I want her to be strong for her family and have a backbone and keep it together. But also, up until episode 10, she’s completely in the dark about the dangers of Blue Valley. And so, to be this naive character holding this strength was a challenge.”
Smart has a long career spanning TV and movies of all different genres. She starred opposite Ryan Reynolds in 2005 rom com “Just Friends” and was in the 2004 mind-bending sci-fi thriller “The Butterfly Effect” with Ashton Kutcher. She’s also had recurring roles in iconic shows such as “Felicity ”and“Shameless.”
“‘Just Friends’ is probably the one [fans approach me about] the most,” she says. “I’m so happy that people find so much joy with that film. It’s funny, entertaining and lighthearted and I’m happy it’s still out there and people are watching it.
“And then I have random people who’ll say ‘The Butterfly Effect.’ To me, that always feels almost spiritual,” she says. “The themes of the movie are this universal spiritual aspect that if you make one decision, it will affect the rest of your life. And somehow, when I meet people that have seen ‘The Butterfly Effect,’ they’ve usually seen it the night before. I see them and it has this weird ‘meant to be’ feeling . . . it’s pretty cool.”
She says she was enticed into the world of caped crusaders by “DC’s Stargirl” creator Geoff Johns, and by the chance to work with Luke Wilson.
“He’s great. He is so professional [with a] really great sense of humor,” she says. “I love how natural he is. We developed such a great friendship working on the show. The overall feeling on the set was that we all felt really grateful to be part of the series.”
“DC’s Stargirl” has already been renewed for a second season, which will move exclusively to The CW.
“I have been told brief strokes about it and what it’s going to have in it,” says Smart. “And I think part of it will be influenced by the way that we are allowed to shoot at this moment in the time of COVID — meaning smaller sets, less extras, less people in general on the set.
“So it sounds like it will have a lot more intimate scenes,” she says, “really diving in on a psychological level with these characters.”
“It’s amazing ... a form of expression and exercise that ticks a lot of boxes.”
—“Hanna” star Mireille Enos on her hobby of taekwondo, which she took up when she moved to California.