The actress is making her debut as Superman's lady love in the 'Arrow,' 'Flash' and 'Supergirl' crossover event.
The CW's Elseworlds crossover event is bringing even more beloved DC Comics characters to the network's Arrow 'verse -- among them, one of the most recognizable female characters in comics history: Superman's longtime love interest, Lois Lane.
Grimm alum Bitsie Tulloch is stepping into the iconic role previously embodied by Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Amy Adams and more,for the three-episode arc -- which starts on Sunday with a special episode of The Flash -- and opened up to ET about what it means to embody the intrepid reporter.
"I'm really excited. It's been a really positive experience for me from the second my casting was announced," the actress raved. "The fans seemed pretty enthusiastic about it and made me feel really welcome. And I was really honored, more than anything, to be playing such an iconic character and to be among a group of really great actresses who have also played Lois Lane."
Tyler Hoechlin returns as Clark Kent and his super-powered alter ego in this year's crossover, and Tulloch couldn't speak highly enough about working alongside the Teen Wolf star as part of the DC canon's premiere power couple. "We had great chemistry. He's such a doll," she marveled. "I really loved working with him and the rest of the cast."
"I can't say enough good things about Melissa Benoist and Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin," she added of the Supergirl, Arrow and Flash leads, who star in all three episodes of the crossover event. "Everyone was just delightful and really good at their job and fun and friendly... It's a lot of work, and so I was impressed by how they were still maintaining excitement about everything."
The role of Lois Lane, it turns out, is a bit of a full-circle moment for Tulloch, who shared a lengthy "fangirl" post on Instagram after being cast revealing that, early in her career, an acting teacher instructed her to watch Kidder's audition tapes for the original Superman films.
"My whole life, I've been told, 'You look like Margot Kidder, the Lois Lane from Superman,'" she recalled. "So I always sort of had her in the back of my head as, like, 'Oh, that's someone people think I sort of look like.' And then when I did start acting, I had an acting teacher tell me to watch the screen test for the Lois Lane role for Christopher Reeves' Superman series."
"There were really wonderful, accomplished, famous actors who were screen testing... But I remember totally getting why she got it," she noted. "It just made sense to me. Her performance was so different. There was a lot of gravity for everyone else. She had that too, but she also just had this really fun energy and you could tell she was having fun with the role."
Tulloch admitted that, apart from Kidder, she hasn't studied other portrayals of Lois, wanting to "bring my own thing to the world." But she said she tried to infuse the lighthearted side of the character in her own audition, where she and Hoechlin actually read a cut scene from one of the original Superman films.
"I did it once and [then said], 'I would like to do it where I'm kind of just having a little more fun with Clark, like, messing with him a little.' She totally messes with him... Clark can be so awkward," she laughed. "Then they were like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, do that.' That was sort of my takeaway going into this process, was to just have fun with it."
"Yeah, it's dramatic, there's a lot of dramatic things going on. There is a lot of action and danger, but she's still always wanting in on the adventure. And that's really the heart and soul of who she is."
That adventurous spirit fits right in with the CW's Arrow 'verse, which often showcases the heroics of the shows' supporting characters -- not just the ones in the super suits. "Without giving anything away," Tulloch teased of her role, "she definitely does have a moment where her involvement is pivotal in a particular fight scene."
"One of the reasons I love the character is that she has qualities of being so career-driven and determined and sassy and almost a little bit aggressive when she's on a mission, but also really romantic and sweet and so in love with Clark," she added. "All of that came through in the writing. These are big episodes... [but] it was definitely enough to get the point across to the fans that this is her personality and this is what she represents and adds to the equation."
As for a possible return -- likely after she and husband David Giuntoli welcome their first child -- Tulloch said she's always down for more heroics as the Man of Steel's main girl.
"I hope so. I was talking to a couple of people about it," she said. "I really just had so much fun shooting it. I had fun, honestly, even with just the responsibility of playing such an iconic character. I'd be thrilled if I got to do more episodes."
The Elseworlds crossover event begins with The Flash on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, continues with Arrow on Monday, Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and concludes with Supergirl on Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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