December 08, 2025
Sthanlee B. Mirador/SIPA USA
'Superman' star David Corenswet reflected on his Philadelphia theater roots during an interview with Jonathan Bailey for Variety's 'Actors on Actors' series.
David Corenswet said growing up in Philly's theater scene influenced his acting style today and prepared him for his starring role in "Superman."
Corenswet, a graduate of the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr who performed at the Upper Darby Summer Stage, sat down with "Wicked: For Good" star Jonathan Bailey in an interview published Sunday as a part of Variety's annual "Actors on Actors" series. They discussed their roles in blockbuster films, a shared passion for theater and kissing scenes.
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Corenswet, 32, got his start more than two decades ago in a local production of "All My Sons," where he said he first fell in love with acting.
"All my memories of the theater are me sitting in the audience watching rehearsals or watching the run after my scenes were done," he said. "That in-person, immediate impact was quite intoxicating for a 9-year-old kid."
Corenswet, who still lives in the Philly suburbs with his wife and nearly 2-year-old daughter, said his theatrical training taught him valuable lessons that carried over into his time filming "Superman." Bailey, who also got his start on the stage, praised Corenswet's long dialogues with Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Lois Lane, the superhero's love interest.
"We rehearsed them like theater scenes," Corenswet said. "That was when I realized that I had not done a deal with the devil in taking this big role. I was actually sort of returning home."
During his conversation with Bailey, Corenswet also recalled breaking one of theater's greatest superstitions by saying "Macbeth" in a theater, which is believed to bring the production bad luck.
"They sent me out the stage door into an alleyway in Philadelphia," he said. "You have to say your lines, spin three times, spit and knock to get back in."
The two actors broadly discussed the commercial success of "Superman," which brought in over $350 million from the domestic box office and $500 million globally, and Bailey brought up a viral video of Corenswet passionately discussing the intricacies of a scene with director James Gunn.
"Scientific curiosity does take a willingness to look foolish by trying really hard. ... I feel so lucky that that is on film," he said. "I think [Gunn] knew that the reason I'm having those conversations with him is, at my boldest, because I think I might see something that he doesn't see and he might value. ... But, on the other end, I don't know how to do a good job otherwise."
Corenswet also didn't shy away from the possibility of pursuing writing or directing gigs in the future, expressing a "desire to be more involved" in the filmmaking process.
The Philly native said "Wicked: For Good" was "fantastic" and bonded with the recently crowned "Sexiest Man Alive" about filming kissing scenes while levitating. Before ending the interview, the two actors jokingly agree to check in on each other in 10 years before Corenswet playfully suggests that they kiss before parting ways.
The full interview can be viewed online or on Youtube.
