Brandon Routh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandon Routh
Routh at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1979-10-09) October 9, 1979 (age 45) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Iowa (attended)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Courtney Ford ​ ​ (m. 2007; sep 2025)​
Children	1
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Brandon Routh (born October 9, 1979) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the superhero Superman in the 2006 movie Superman Returns. This role made him famous around the world.

Later, Brandon also played another popular superhero, The Atom, in TV shows like Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. He even played Superman again in a special TV event called "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 2019.

Early life and interests

Brandon Routh was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and grew up in a town nearby called Norwalk. He was the third of four children. His mom was a teacher, and his dad was a carpenter.

When he was a kid, Brandon loved the Superman movies and comic books. He even grew up about 100 miles from where George Reeves, another actor who played Superman on TV, was born. Brandon played the trumpet and piano in his free time. He also played sports and acted in school plays at Norwalk High School. Another actor, Jason Momoa, who later starred in DC Comics movies, went to the same school.

Brandon went to the University of Iowa for a year. He wanted to be a writer, but he also did some modeling and acting to help pay for school. People often told him he looked like Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in earlier movies. This resemblance helped him get noticed by agents.

Career beginnings

In 1999, Brandon left college to become a full-time actor. He moved to big cities like Manhattan and Los Angeles to chase his dream. His very first appearance was as an extra in Christina Aguilera's music video for "What a Girl Wants".

That same year, he got his first acting job in a TV show called Odd Man Out. He also appeared in an episode of Gilmore Girls and had a regular role on the soap opera One Life to Live from 2001 to 2002.

Becoming Superman

Before Brandon Routh was chosen to play Superman, many other famous actors were considered for the role. The movie studio, Warner Bros., had been planning a new Superman film for over ten years.

When director Bryan Singer took over the project, he wanted to cast a new, unknown actor. He felt this would be like when Christopher Reeve was cast as Superman. Bryan Singer saw Brandon's audition tape and was very impressed. He thought Brandon looked a lot like the comic book hero. He also liked Brandon's humble background and his mix of "vulnerability and confidence."

Brandon was 24 years old when he was chosen for the role in October 2004. This made him famous overnight! Before filming, he worked out and gained 22 pounds to look like the strong superhero.

Superman Returns was released in 2006. Many critics liked Brandon's performance, saying he easily took on the famous role. However, the movie didn't make as much money as expected. Even though Brandon was supposed to be in two more Superman movies, they never happened because of the box office results.

Brandon won the "Best Superhero" award at the 2006 Spike TV Awards for his role as Superman. Later, Warner Bros. decided to make a new Superman movie with a different actor, Henry Cavill.

Other exciting roles

Routh in 2011

After Superman Returns, Brandon continued to act in many different projects. He appeared in the independent movie Fling (2008) with his wife, Courtney Ford. He also had a small role in the Bollywood film Kambakkht Ishq (2009).

One of his memorable roles was Todd Ingram in the action-comedy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). In this movie, he played a bass player with special powers. He even returned to voice Todd Ingram in the animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off in 2023.

Brandon also played Daniel Shaw in the spy TV series Chuck for several episodes. In 2011, he starred as a supernatural detective in the movie Dylan Dog: Dead of Night.

In 2014, Brandon returned to the world of superheroes. He was cast as Ray Palmer, also known as The Atom, in The CW's TV show Arrow. The Atom is a hero who can shrink himself down to tiny sizes.

He then became a main character playing The Atom in the spin-off series Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2021). He also appeared as The Atom in The Flash.

In 2019, Brandon got to play Superman again in the big Arrowverse crossover event called "Crisis on Infinite Earths". This was a special moment for fans, as he wore a suit inspired by a famous comic book story. He later made guest appearances as The Atom in Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash.

Brandon has also appeared in video games, like voicing David "Hesh" Walker in Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013). In 2021, he starred in The Nine Kittens of Christmas, a sequel to his earlier Christmas movie, The Nine Lives of Christmas.

Personal life

Courtney Ford and Brandon Routh in February 2006

Brandon Routh got engaged to actress Courtney Ford in 2006, and they married in November 2007. They have a son named Leo James, who was born in 2012.

Brandon is a big fan of the video game World of Warcraft. His sister, Sara, even has a song called "You're Never Gone" on the Sound of Superman album.

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Brandon Routh para niños