Date Of Birth
October 9, 1979
Biography
Born on October 9, 1979 in Des Moines, Iowa, Brandon Routh is a fashion model-turned actor best known for bagging the highly coveted title role in the 2006 film Superman Returns. The son of Iowa teacher and carpenter, Routh’s Methodist family is or German, French, English, and Native American descent. He grew up in Norwalk, Iowa, approximately 100 miles south of the hometown of George Reeves, another actor who played Superman. He attended Norwalk High School, where he played the trumpet and the piano, as well as sports and theater. A s a child, he had always been fond of Superman films and comic books. He attended the University of Iowa with dreams of becoming a writer. He modeled and acted to earn money for his tuition. A former manager signed him up for his uncanny resemblance with Christopher Reeves.
Brandon Routh moved to New York, then eventually to Los Angeles to pursue a professional acting career. His first role was an extra in a Christina Aguilera video for What a Girl Wants. His first major role was in a short-lived series called Odd Man Out in 2000. He landed more roles, such as in MTV’s Undressed, WB’s Gilmore Girls, the soap opera One Life to Live, and eventually Will and Grace. While doing all these, he worked as a bartender at a bowling alley in Hollywood.
Despite having been pit against giant names such as Nicolas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, and even Ashton Kutcher for the launch of the new Superman movie, Brandon Routh bagged the role after director Bryan Singer insisted that an unknown actor play the role. Christopher Reeve was cast the same way. Singer noted Routh’s resemblance with Clark Kent and his humble roots. When his casting was announced in October 2004, Routh became an instant celebrity. The movie was a blockbuster hit, grossing over $200 million in the U.S. alone.
Place of Birth
Des Moines, Iowa
Birth Name
Brandon James Routh
Gender
Male
Fun Facts
Can play the trumpet and piano.
Went as Clark Kent/Superman for a Halloween party in 2003 and won a costume contest, only to receive the movie role one year later.
Dressed up as Batman for Halloween 2004.
His brother is a “real-life Superman” – a police officer in Des Moines
Attended the University of Iowa
After being cast as Superman for Superman Returns (2006), he sought out a movement coach to help him create the proper body language for the Superman character.
Parents are Ron and Katie.
Unlike fellow Superman actors Christopher Reeve and Tom Welling, he is a huge Superman fan. As a kid, he collected the comics, owned the films, and even wore Superman pajamas.
Frequently says that the only good thing that came of his several years of struggling to find success in Hollywood was meeting his long-time girlfriend, Courtney Ford, in a coffee-shop after another failed audition. They became engaged in August 23, 2006.
Attended the International Model and Talent Association (IMTA).
Cites Braveheart (1995) as his all-time favorite film.
Awards
Saturn Award for Best Actor
2006 Superman Returns
Filmography
Movies:
* Karla (2006) — Tim Peters
* Denial (2006) — Man
* Superman Returns (2006) — Superman/Clark Kent
* Lie to Me (2008) — James
* Life is Hot in Cracktown (2008) — Sizemore
* The Informers (2008) — Jamie
* Zack and Miri Make A !$#!# (2008)
* Table for Three (2008) — Scott Teller
* Superman: The Man of Steel (2010) — Superman/Clark Kent
Television:
* Odd Man Out (1999)…Connor Williams
* Undressed (1999)…Wade
* Gilmore Girls (2001)…”Hot” College Student
* One Life to Live (2001-2002)…Seth Anderson
* Cold Case (2003)…Young Henry Phillips
* Will & Grace (2004)…Sebastian
* Oliver Beene (2004)…Brian
* The Batman (2006)… (voice) The Everywhere Man
* Awesometown (2005)
* After Midnight: Life Behind Bars (2006)…. Willie Dawg Vaughn
* Fear Itself (2008) … Bobby in “Community”
video games:
* Superman Returns (2006) (voice) Superman/Clark Kent
Nickname
B.J.
Height
6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
Quotes
[Talking about his work with a movement coach to capture Superman’s physical presence]: “We worked on posture. Spine straight, hips forward, neck in line – just a clean motion moving through the world. [On the bright side] I slouch less.”
[Talking about wearing the Superman costume]: “Very confining. But once you get past that – which is sometimes hard – it’s also very empowering. First time I put it on, I felt… stronger. Like a different level of who I am. It makes playing the character much easier.”
[When asked if he’s ready for the changes that will follow in his life upon being cast as Superman]: “I have no idea. But I am prepared to be prepared.”
“I’m kind of slowly becoming a star. I’ve kept my sanity. I’ve learned along the way, all these months that I’ve been here and slowly doing interviews and the suit picture getting released on the Internet-all this has come very gradual, which has really helped me to get it straight in my head and not go over the top. I know that that’s a minuscule amount of exposure that’s going to happen. It’s going to be all over the place and it’s going to become ridiculous at some point. The other thing that I realize is that it’s not me so much as the character and the icon of Superman.”
“People will like me, I think, because I do a good job in the film, but I also realize that the appeal isn’t just me. It’s the character. It’s the film. It’s what Superman stands for and brings to the table. Not just me.”
[On being asked if he ever thought playing Superman would be bad for his career]: “No. I mean, I was wary of what being Superman meant to my life, the possibilities of what it might mean, but then I think of all the positives and that kind of takes it all away. There are a lot of negatives to not do it, too.”
