Lakewood actress has role in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'

So perhaps she’s not Wonder Woman, but actress Alicia Regan of Lakewood has spent some time with Superman.

And so, to her kids – and likely fans of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” – she might as well be.

“I am the coolest mom ever,” said Regan, an actress credited as “Metropolis Citizen #10” in the blockbuster, which opened March 25.

As is often the case with the world of movie-making, Regan’s scenes didn’t make the final version of the film, but she said she will be in what director Zack Snyder is calling the film’s “Ultimate Cut” – a longer, likely more violent (and possibly R-rated) version.

“He introduces a bunch of other characters and sub-plots that are part of the future universe of The Justice League [in the longer version],” she said, adding a confidentiality agreement prevents her from saying more.

Regan auditioned for the role in the summer of 2014, nearly forgot about it and then got the call to film two scenes in November 2014 in downtown Chicago – Superman’s Metropolis in the movie. Sworn to the utmost secrecy by the filmmakers – the script came the day of the shoot on yellow paper so those involved couldn’t photocopy it – she had no idea how her part would turn out.

Seeing her name in the credits was exciting, though.

“Basically, it’s when all hell was breaking loose,” she said of her scenes. “I was with Superman for one of the scenes we shot ... and someone got hurt, and that’s all I’m really allowed to say.”

The role included a few lines, and she was told to improvise some more. She wasn’t told where the scenes, filmed outside overnight in Chicago, would fall in the storyline.

“It was amazing to be part of it, just the process of it,” she said. “The whole thing has been fun to follow. … It’s just fantastic, getting to meet Zack Snyder and being part of such a huge production even for the short time I was there. It helped open a lot of doors.”

Along with the rest of the country, Regan had to wait to see the final outcome of the movie, including her part, when it opened in theaters.

She and her husband, Richard Kuranda, also an actor and the director of the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, went to see the PG-13 movie together first, before bringing along their children – 11-year-old Olivia, 9-year-old Sophia, 7-year-old Eliza and 6-year-old Wyatt.

Regardless of not seeing their mom on screen, the kids have bragging rights.

“They’re super-excited,” Regan said.

Originally from New York, where she founded Epic Repertory Theatre, she has had numerous TV roles and appeared on many stages, including the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, where she most recently starred as Blanche in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

“Theater is what I love more than anything,” she said.

The play was presented by the Raue’s in-house theater company, Williams Street Repertory, last April. Regan is a founding ensemble member of Williams Street Repertory, and Kuranda is directing the company’s latest, “Death of a Salesman,” set to open April 22 at the Raue.

She and Kuranda also are in pre-production for the movie, “Alderson,” parts of which they plan to film in McHenry County. Based on true events, “Alderson” tells the story of Dr. Mary B. Harris, a fierce and dedicated prison warden who tries to revolutionize the American prison system in the 1920s. Among the prisoners she works to rehabilitate are Axis Sally, Tokyo Rose, Billie Holiday, Lolita Lebron, Squeaky Fromme and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.

“We’ve been tossing this around for 10 or 11 years,” she said. “It’s just the right time.”

The plan is to begin filming in McHenry County in May, she said.

But this weekend, it’s all about Superman … or is it Batman?

“I don’t know. I think I’d have to say Superman,” she said.