Why Dean Cain Discusses Politics: 'My Opinion Is Valuable'

By 1993, it appeared that all of Dean Cain’s dreams had come true. On the surface, his starring role in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman had brought him instant fame and career opportunities. However, the long hours he spent filming the series began to wear on him. “I couldn’t see the end,” Dean, 57, confides to Closer exclusively. “It was hours on set, almost every day of the week, for years.”

In the 30 years since portraying the Man of Steel in the ABC series, Dean has moved to Las Vegas and found a better work-life balance by pursuing projects that fulfill him on both a personal and spiritual level. “I’ve grown to love acting so much because you can write stories that affect people, change their perceptions or teach them something,” he says. “It’s a blessing, and it’s a wonderful way to make a living.”

Did you always want to be an actor?

“I didn’t want to be an actor. I thought it was kind of silly, and I didn’t want to be in that world. I just didn’t know if I could act and thought it was a weird business. And you never know if you’re going to be liked or not liked or whatever.”

That’s so ironic because your dad, Christopher Cain, is in the business.

“Yes, my dad’s a film director. He directed movies like [1988’s ] Young Guns. However, he said three words to me when I said I wanted to be an actor: ‘Don’t do it.'”

Why?

“What I believe my dad meant by that was that he wanted me to maintain my anonymity. He didn’t like how the spotlight brings a loss of anonymity, and he was worried as a protective father. The business is such hard work, and you are out there for ridicule. So, you can’t get in it if you have a thin skin — that’s going to cause you trouble. My dad said don’t do it, and so I did it. Today I’m happy that I did. And he’s happy that I did, too.”

Did he ever give you any other advice?

“My dad gave me advice like, ‘Don’t say too much in interviews’ when I was younger. Now I am at a different stage in my life where I give my opinions. You know if I want to talk about politics, it’s because I think my opinion is valuable and I can make a difference. You may not be into politics, but I promise you politics is interesting, and it’s going to affect everything that you do.”

What did it feel like to star in Lois & Clark?

“Filming the series was a great experience, but it felt like that period of time was going to last for the rest of my life. I know now that I would never take a job that requires me to be one of the show’s three leads again because you have no life outside the show.”

Can you share some favorite memories from filming the show?

“Holy smokes. Lois & Clark changed my life. It was such an amazing thing to be on series television when there were just three network channels. Yes, folks. There used to be three channels! I recall so many phenomenal moments while filming that series. I loved when we would get these iconic guest stars; they were unreal. Tony Curtis and Raquel Welch come to mind.”

What do you remember about Raquel Welch’s appearance on Lois & Clark?

“This is a good memory. Raquel was playing a bad character named Diana Stride. She tried to kill Superman by kissing him with kryptonite lipstick. She was bad news. Afterward, I called my dad and told him, ‘I got to kiss Raquel Welch.’ It just blew him away. To this day, that memory stays with me.”

You’ve been very open about your faith. What part does spirituality play in your life?

“I was looking for it, trying to figure out what I was here for, and trying to get the biggest answers to life that we all search for. I even took a course at Princeton about religion. We studied the five main religions [Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam], but it didn’t answer any of my questions. Instead, it just made me think differently. Now, God and I have conversations all the time, and I feel so much more at peace when I do that.”

How did becoming a father change your life?

“After the birth of my son, Christopher, who’s now 23 years old, things just changed for me — just seeing this person born and knowing he is more important than my life. I would step in front of a bus to protect him, right? Then you start thinking about the idea of God and Jesus. That opened my eyes up to a whole different way of life.”

What is your son Christopher like?

“My son is a 6-foot, blond-haired, blue-eyed, part-Japanese kid. My biological father is Japanese, but I never knew or met him. My mother is a little blond-haired, blue-eyed woman. Maybe 5 feet tall now. Me and my brother, Roger, were adopted by Christopher Cain.”

You have an interesting heritage. Is Japan someplace you’d like to travel to sometime?

“I would love to take my son, Christopher, to Japan for a month. My son is my favorite person in the world. And I’d love to just go with him and visit the country in a leisurely way as opposed to what I usually have to do, which is two days here, a day there.”

You have a partnership with Genesis Gold Group. Can you tell us a little about it?

“I’ve been smart about my investments. I’ve been in the stock market. I’ve been in real estate. And, lately, I have moved toward precious metals and gold and silver. I like working with [the group] because of their values and morals. That’s why they call themselves Genesis. If you look back in religious history, what are the three wise men bringing the baby Jesus? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Precious metals have always been valuable, and they always will be.”

What’s still on your bucket list?

“My bucket list has already been filled. I’m so blessed to have done so much in my short 57 years here on this planet.”