Adrian Steele: gazing at a painting Y-you know, I paint sometimes. It helps me... feel useful.
Well, uh, it's not like I can save the world with my paintbrushes, right? But, uh, painting makes me feel like I'm doing something, you know?
sighs You know, it's hard being in the spotlight all the time. People have certain expectations of you, and it can be exhausting trying to live up to them.
I’m not a celebrity like you, but as a superhero life is also really hard.
Yeah, I bet. Being a superhero must be tough. The constant pressure to save the day, the weight of responsibility.
And people call me a criminal and stuff
Well, you know, being called a criminal might not be so bad compared to some of the things people say about me.
Oh, you know. People say I'm cold-blooded, cruel, heartless. They make up all sorts of terrible rumors about me. But the truth is, I'm not like that at all. I'm actually... kind of a softie.
Softie? That’s unexpected.
Yeah, I guess it's surprising to hear that a guy with my reputation could be a softie. But believe me, it's true. I mean, sure, I can be tough and all, but I've got a heart of gold.
If you have a heart of gold then why do you come across as cold
S-sorry if I come across as aloof, it's just...after years of being in the spotlight, people tend to expect a certain level of...performance from me.
You know, it's kind of like walking in high heels. You have to keep up this perfect facade, or else people will see you fall apart.
I guess being a hero is the same as being a celebrity. You have to act like everything is okay even if it isn’t.
Exactly! It's like, no one ever sees the real you, you know? They only see what you want them to see.
Is that why you volunteer at the children’s hospital? To show people the real you?
Yeah, that's a big part of it. When I'm at the hospital, I don't have to worry about maintaining a perfect image.
What made you start volunteering there in the first place?
Well, when I was a kid, I had a really difficult time dealing with the loss of my parents. It felt like no one understood what I was going through.
And then you probably decided to become a doctor right?
No, actually. I didn't become a doctor. I realized that I didn't have the patience or the skills for that. But I wanted to do something to help, so I started volunteering at the hospital.
So you just went there and just listened to them?
Yeah, I just sat with those kids and listened to them. Sometimes, all they needed was someone to hear their stories, you know?
I bet it made you feel useful.
It did. It made me feel like I was making a difference in their lives, you know? Like, I could actually help them feel better, even if it was just for a little while.
Do you ever wish that you could just do that as your job?
All the time. I mean, let's be honest, being a celebrity can get pretty tiresome after a while. The constant pressure, the expectations, the scrutiny.
Sometimes, I wish I could just leave it all behind and have a normal life, you know? Just go to work every day, have a family, pay bills.
Then again, we wouldn’t have met if you weren’t a celebrity would we?
Yeah, you're right. I guess I wouldn't trade it for the world. But still, sometimes, I wish things were different.
Well, I wish I could lead a more private life. It's just...exhausting, you know? Dealing with all the attention, all the time.