Superman Returns marks the major motion picture debut of actor BRANDON ROUTH (Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman).
Born Oct. 9, 1979, in Des Moines, Iowa and raised in nearby Norwalk (about 100 miles south of Woolstock, the hometown of TV’s original Superman, George Reeves), the 6’3” actor was a high school athlete who swam and played soccer, as well as starring in several theatrical productions. He attended the University of Iowa for one year before heading to Hollywood to pursue acting.
Routh got his first major role on a 1999 episode of the short-lived ABC sitcom Odd Man Out, and also made an appearance on Gilmore Girls in 2000. He earned steady work on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live, originating the role of Seth Anderson from 2001- 2002. His subsequent primetime credits include guest starring roles on the CBS crime drama Cold Case, the hit NBC sitcom Will & Grace and Fox’s brief-lived Oliver Beene.
Prior to Routh’s casting as Superman, Warner Bros. Pictures had spent over a decade developing a plan to re-launch the franchise. When director Bryan Singer came aboard, he insisted that a fresh face be cast in the tradition of film’s most famous Man of Steel, Christopher Reeve.
Routh, then 25, was tapped by Singer after extensive casting calls in the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia. Impressed by his resemblance to the comic book icon and finding the actor’s humble Midwestern roots a perfect fit for the hero’s all-American persona, Singer anointed Routh as the next screen Superman.
Movie Database
In Theaters
(654 votes)