‘No extra pay, no work’: Michael Rosenbaum recalls rejecting ‘Smallville’ deal

As Lex Luthor, Michael Rosenbaum starred in Smallville for seven seasons. Yet, he exited the show after the seventh season.

Reports at the time suggested the studio refused to raise his pay and asked him to commit to three more seasons.

Expectedly, he declined to sign the three-year agreement if it did not offer a pay raise.

Looking back at the incident, he recalled, “I’m an integral part of this success, don’t I need to get rewarded?”

Without extra pay, Rosenbaum said the studio expected to bind him to a three-year contract.

“Anybody who works in any business, it’s like, ‘I’m an integral part of this success, don’t I need to get rewarded?’” he shared.

As it ended up, the actor decided to opt out of the deal, saying, “I said, ‘Yeah, no thanks.’ And that was it."

Rosenbaum's revelation offered a glimpse into how the fan-favourite character in Smallville came to an end.