Brandon Routh - wikipedia Brandon Routh Brandon Routh Routh at the 2016 WonderCon Brandon James Routh ( 1979 - 10 - 09 ) October 9, 1979 ( age 38 ) Norwalk, Iowa, U.S. Other names Brandon `` B.J. '' Routh B.J. Routh Alma mater University of Iowa Occupation Actor Years active 1999 -- present Spouse ( s ) Courtney Ford ( m. 2007 ) Children Brandon James Routh ( born October 9, 1979 ) is an American actor. He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s including Gilmore Girls. In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular superhero in the film Superman Returns. He also had a recurring role in the TV series Chuck, as Daniel Shaw. Following this, he had notable supporting roles in the films Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. In 2014, he began a recurring role on Arrow as Ray Palmer / Atom which spun off into a guest role on The Flash and a starring role on Legends of Tomorrow. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Superman 2.3 Subsequent projects 2.3. 1 Arrowverse 3 Personal life 4 Filmography 4.1 Film 4.2 Television 4.3 Video games 4.4 Music videos 5 References 6 External links Early Life Routh, the third of four children, was born on October 9, 1979 in Norwalk, Iowa, the son of Catherine LaVonne ( née Lear ), a teacher, and Ronald Wayne Routh, a carpenter. Routh was raised in a Methodist family, and has English, Scottish, German, and distant Dutch ancestry. Routh grew up in Norwalk, approximately 100 miles ( 160 km ) south of Woolstock, the birthplace of George Reeves, the first actor to play Superman on television. During his childhood, Routh thought a full - time acting career was unrealistic, citing his small - town background. In his spare time, he played the trumpet and the piano. Routh attended Norwalk High School, where he played sports and participated in music and theatre. He has described himself as a `` momma 's boy '' and not `` the most popular kid '' during his school years. Routh has also noted that during his younger years, he was fond of the Superman films and comic books. Routh attended the University of Iowa for a year, aspiring to be a writer. During this time, he modelled and acted in order to earn his tuition fee. Routh has said he was often told that he bore a physical resemblance to Christopher Reeve, who had previously portrayed Superman in a film series. His former manager signed him on because of the resemblance, telling him that he thought Routh would be cast as Superman if there was another film in the series. Career Early career In 1999, Routh left the University and moved to Manhattan and then Los Angeles, where he pursued a full - time acting career, first appearing as an extra in Christina Aguilera 's music video for `` What a Girl Wants ''. He was cast in his first acting role in 1999, in an episode of the short - lived ABC television series, Odd Man Out. In 2000, he had a four - episode role on the third season of MTV 's nighttime soap opera, Undressed. Routh subsequently appeared on the WB 's Gilmore Girls ( in a February 2001 episode, `` Concert Interruptus '', playing an attendee of a Bangles concert ), and earned steady work on the soap opera One Life to Live, playing Seth Anderson from May 23, 2001 until April 17, 2002. Superman Prior to Routh 's casting as Superman in the film Superman Returns, Warner Bros. had spent over a decade developing a plan to relaunch the franchise entitled Superman Flyby, with possible stars including name actors Nicolas Cage, Josh Hartnett, Brendan Fraser, Tom Welling, Paul Walker, Henry Cavill ( who eventually became Superman in 2013 's Man of Steel and in 2016 's Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice ), James Marsden, Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith and James Caviezel and planned directors including Tim Burton, Wolfgang Petersen, McG, Brett Ratner and Shekhar Kapur. When director Bryan Singer came aboard the project, however, he insisted an unknown actor be cast in the part, in the tradition of the casting of the best - known film Superman, Christopher Reeve. Routh, then 24, had previously already auditioned for director McG and was spotted by Singer after he viewed Routh 's videotaped audition. Singer, who since noted Routh as being the embodiment of `` our collective memory of Superman, '' was impressed by his resemblance to the comic book icon and found the actor 's humble Midwestern roots perfect for the role, as well as his `` combination of vulnerability and confidence '' Singer said reminded him of Christopher Reeve. Singer decided to cast Routh after the two met on August 13, 2004, but did not tell Routh until two months later, when Routh 's casting was announced in October 2004, making him an `` instant celebrity ''. Before filming began, Routh bulked up for the role, gaining 22 pounds to reach a high of 218 pounds. Filming for Superman Returns began in Sydney in February 2005. The film was released in the U.S. on June 28, 2006 and impressed most critics, but was a box office disappointment, grossing only $200 million in the US compared to its estimated budget of $270 million. Routh was signed on to appear in two potential sequels to the film, but due to mediocre box office results it never happened. Routh has commented he feared his performance would too closely resemble that of Christopher Reeve. Routh has said that he hopes to `` remind people of Christopher while at the same time making them feel like they 're seeing a totally new Superman. '' Reviews of Routh 's performance were generally positive, with Newsweek noting he `` effortlessly lays claim to the iconic role. '' On the other hand, film critic Roger Ebert noted that he thinks `` Routh lacks charisma as Superman, and I suppose as Clark Kent, he is n't supposed to have any. '' At the 2006 Spike TV Awards, Routh won the award of `` Best Superhero '' as Superman in Superman Returns, beating out among others, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. In August 2008, Warner Bros. officially announced they intended to reboot the Superman franchise. Routh was still set to reprise the role, according to DC Comics president Paul Levitz. In 2009, however, Routh 's contract to play Superman in another film expired, but he said at the time that he would like to return if given the chance. However, British actor Henry Cavill was cast to play Superman in the reboot of the series, Man of Steel. Subsequent projects Routh in 2013 After the release of Superman Returns, Routh signed on to play CIA agent John Clark in Without Remorse under the direction of John Singleton with a screenplay by Stuart Beattie. Routh would be the third actor to portray the character after Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber. The film was intended for a late - 2007 / early - 2008 release. However, Paramount Pictures recently put the film into turnaround. Routh 's future participation on the project is unknown. Routh appeared in the ensemble film Life is Hot in Cracktown and the independent drama Fling ( formerly titled Lie to Me ), co-starring his wife Courtney Ford. Routh was signed to star in The Informers, a film based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name. He joins Kim Basinger, Amber Heard, and Billy Bob Thornton, but his scenes ended up scrapped with the decision to excise the `` vampire '' subplot from the film entirely. At Comic Con 2008, it was revealed Routh was to have a cameo in the Kevin Smith comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno - he instead appeared as a minor character, Bobby Long - and would serve as a judge on Platinum Studios ' 2008 Comic Book Challenge. In addition, he has a cameo where he plays himself in the Bollywood film Kambakkht Ishq. In January 2009, Routh was officially cast to play Todd Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on the Scott Pilgrim series by Canadian artist Bryan Lee O'Malley. His character is an arrogant, narcissistic bass player who derives psychic powers from his vegan lifestyle, and is the third of the seven Evil Exes the title character must fight. Routh plays Daniel Shaw in season 3 of spy series Chuck, in a recurring, supporting role. He again played this character in the shows fifth season. He portrayed Dylan Dog in the 2011 film Dylan Dog - Dead of Night. The movie is based on the Italian comic series created by Tiziano Sclavi. On February 22, 2012, it was announced that Routh had been cast in David Kohan and Max Mutchnick 's ( the creators of Will & Grace ), new CBS half - hour, multicamera comedy pilot, Partners. He played Michael Urie 's character 's steady partner, alongside David Krumholtz and his Table for Three co-star Sophia Bush. The series was cancelled after only six episodes had aired. In 2013, Routh voiced David `` Hesh '' Walker in the video game Call of Duty : Ghosts. Routh has since been appeared in one episode of The Millers and multiple episodes of Chosen and Enlisted in 2014. Arrowverse On July 7, 2014, it was reported that Routh would once again play a superhero for DC Comics as Ray Palmer / The Atom on The CW 's Arrow. He was a recurring character throughout the show 's third season, which premiered October 8, 2014. In January 2015, Arrow 's co-creator and executive producer Greg Berlanti stated that they were in the midst of `` very early '' preliminary talks for an additional spin - off series centered on Ray Palmer / The Atom. In February 2015, it was announced that a spin - off was in development that would co-star Routh as The Atom ; along with Wentworth Miller, Victor Garber and Caity Lotz. The show, DC 's Legends of Tomorrow premiered in January 2016. Personal Life On August 23, 2006, Brandon became engaged to his girlfriend of three years, actress Courtney Ford ; the couple married on November 24, 2007, at the El Capitan Ranch in Santa Barbara. In March 2012, Routh and Ford announced that they were expecting their first child in the summer of 2012. On August 10, 2012, the couple welcomed a son, Leo James. Routh knew actor Kal Penn, a co-star in Superman Returns, for several years during the time he lived in Los Angeles. Routh and Penn were both also featured in The Lonely Island 's Awesometown MTV pilot music video `` The Avon Lady ''. Routh 's sister, Sara, has a musical track entitled `` You 're Never Gone '' on Sound of Superman, the companion soundtrack of the film. Routh is a fan and player of the video game World of Warcraft. During the 2008 Presidential Election, Routh spoke at an Iowa rally in support of Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Filmography Routh in September 2012 Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 Karla Tim Peters 2006 Denial Man Short film 2006 Superman Returns Clark Kent / Superman Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer Saturn Award for Best Actor Saturn Award for Rising Star Scream Award for Best Superhero ShoWest Award for Male Star of Tomorrow Nominated -- Scream Award for Breakout Performance Nominated -- Teen Choice Award for Choice Male Breakout Star Nominated -- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry ( Shared w / Kate Bosworth ) Nominated -- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rumble 2008 Fling James Also co-producer 2008 Zack and Miri Make a Porno Bobby Long 2009 Life Is Hot in Cracktown Sizemore 2009 Stuntmen Kirby Popoff 2009 Table for Three Scott Teller 2009 Kambakkht Ishq Himself Cameo 2009 Miss Nobody Milo Beeber 2009 The Informers Bruce Deleted scenes Unthinkable Agent Jackson Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Todd Ingram Nominated -- Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Nominated -- Scream Award for Best Villain 2011 Dylan Dog : Dead of Night Dylan Dog 2011 Cost of Living Silus Short film 2011 Number Nine Short film 2012 Crooked Arrows Joe Logan 2014 Missing William James Anderson 2015 400 Days Captain Theo Cooper 2016 Lost in the Pacific Mike 2018 Anastasia Czar Nicholas Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Odd Man Out Connor Williams Episode : `` You 've Got Female '' 2000 Undressed Wade 4 episodes 2000 Gilmore Girls Party Guy at concert Episode : `` Concert Interruptus '' 2001 -- 2002 One Life to Live Seth Anderson Recurring role 2003 Cold Case Young Henry Phillips Episode : `` A Time to Hate '' Will & Grace Sebastian Episode : `` A Gay / December Romance '' Oliver Beene Brian Episode : `` Dibs '' 2005 Awesometown Officer Dino Wong Television short 2006 The Batman John Marlowe / Everywhere Man Voice role ; episode : `` The Everywhere Man '' 2008 Fear Itself Bobby Episode : `` Community '' 2010 -- 2011 Chuck Daniel Shaw Recurring role, 12 episodes IGN Award for Best Villain ( 2010 ) 2012 -- 2013 Partners Wyatt Plank Main role, 13 episodes 2013 -- 2014 Chosen Max Gregory Recurring role ( seasons 2 -- 3 ), 6 episodes 2013 Newsreaders Miles Van Cleef Episode : `` Hedge Fun '' 2014 The Exes Steve 2 episodes 2014 Enlisted Brandon Stone 2 episodes 2014 The Millers Officer Dixon Episode : `` Carol 's Surprise '' 2014 The Nine Lives of Christmas Zachary Stone Television film 2014 -- 2016 Arrow Ray Palmer / The Atom Recurring ( seasons 3 - 4 ; 19 episodes ) Special guest star ( season 5 ; 1 episode ) 2015 -- 2016 The Flash Special guest star ( seasons 1 & 3 ; 2 episodes ) 2016 -- present Legends of Tomorrow Main role, 51 episodes 2016 Lady Dynamite Jack Tripper Episode : `` Jack and Diane '' Video games Year Title Role 2006 Superman Returns Clark Kent / Superman ( voice ) 2013 Call of Duty : Ghosts David `` Hesh '' Walker ( voice ) Music videos Christina Aguilera 's `` What a Girl Wants '' ( 1999 ) The Lonely Island 's `` Part 1 : The Avon Lady '' ( 2006 ) Sugarland 's `` Babe '' ( 2018 ) References ^ Jump up to : `` TimesLeader.com ''. Routh flies high in debut as Superman. Archived from the original on June 23, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Our Routh Family ''. Jump up ^ `` The Religious Affiliation of Comic Book Character Clark Kent / Kal - El Superman ''. Adherents.com. Retrieved June 19, 2006. Jump up ^ `` If the tights fit : Newcomer Brandon Routh takes to the sky in ' Superman Returns ' ''. MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved June 25, 2006. Jump up ^ Adams, Thelma ( 2012 - 06 - 08 ). `` Former Man of Steel, ' Crooked Arrows ' star Brandon Routh talks Superman curse, lacrosse and gay marriage The Reel Breakdown - Yahoo ! Movies Canada ''. Ca.movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. ^ Jump up to : `` The man behind the cape ''. DesMoinesRegister.com. Retrieved June 25, 2006. ^ Jump up to : Lawrence, Will ( June 30, 2006 ). `` From zero to superhero ''. Telegraph.co.uk. London. Retrieved June 29, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Superman passes cape ; boots still hard to fill ''. The Beacon Journal. Retrieved July 11, 2006. ^ Jump up to : `` Word of Routh ''. News.com.au. Archived from the original on July 7, 2006. Retrieved June 19, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Interview : Superman Returns cast & crew ''. MovieHole. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Superman Returns ''. boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ Brooks, Nadia. `` Superman 's return fear ''. Bizarre Online. London. Retrieved June 21, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Superman charms critics ''. Sydney Morning Herald ( Australia ). Sydney. Retrieved October 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Superman Returns ( PG - 13 ) ''. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 1, 2006. Jump up ^ Clint Morris ( July 2, 2009 ). `` Routh talks Superman sequel ''. moviehole.com. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Billy Bob and Kim Basinger Joining The Informers ''. Not An Exit. August 30, 2007. Archived from the original on 2009 - 01 - 07. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 10. Jump up ^ Kaleem Aftab ( 2008 - 03 - 10 ). `` Exclusive : Undead Removed From Informers ''. IGN UK. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 30. Jump up ^ `` The Official Dead of Night Production Blog ''. Deadofnightmovie.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ `` New Dead of Night Images Show Off Dylan Dog 's Desk ''. dreadcentral.com. February 24, 2010. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie. `` Brandon Routh, Lucy Davis & Elizabeth Regen Join CBS ' Comedy Pilot ' Partners ' ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Ausiello, Michael ( July 7, 2014 ). `` Arrow Targets Brandon Routh to Play Major DC Comics Superhero in Season 3 ''. TV Line. Retrieved July 7, 2014. Jump up ^ `` CW Eyeing ' Atom ' As Next DC Series -- TCA ''. Deadline Hollywood. January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` EXCLUSIVE : ARROW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARC GUGGENHEIM TALKS BRANDON ROUTH ATOM SPIN - OFF SHOW ! ''. Nerdist. January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( February 26, 2015 ). `` Arrow / Flash Superhero Team - Up Spinoff In Works At CW ; Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller, Caity Lotz Star ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2015. Jump up ^ `` About Brandon ''. brandonrouth.com. Retrieved January 6, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Superman Returns Star Brandon Routh Gets Married ''. People.com. Retrieved November 25, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford Expecting First Child ''. People. Retrieved March 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Busy Philipps, on Busy Philipps : Motherhood Makes Me Relax ( 2012 - 03 - 14 ). `` Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford Welcome Son Leo James -- Moms & Babies -- Moms & Babies - People.com ''. Celebritybabies.people.com. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Superman Returns ''. Premiere. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Superman Plays World of Warcraft ? Yep ''. FiringSquad. Retrieved July 10, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Superman swoops in to defend Obama ''. CNN. Retrieved March 14, 2012. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brandon Routh. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Brandon Routh Brandon Routh on IMDb Interview Awards for Brandon Routh Empire Award for Best Newcomer Bryan Singer ( 1996 ) Ewen Bremner ( 1997 ) Gary Oldman ( 1998 ) Vinnie Jones ( 1999 ) Carrie - Anne Moss / Damien O'Donnell ( 2000 ) Jamie Bell ( 2001 ) Orlando Bloom ( 2002 ) Rosamund Pike ( 2003 ) Martine McCutcheon ( 2004 ) Freddie Highmore ( 2005 ) Kelly Reilly ( 2006 ) Brandon Routh / Eva Green ( 2007 ) Sam Riley ( 2008 ) Gemma Arterton ( 2009 ) Aaron Johnson ( 2010 ) Chloë Grace Moretz ( 2011 ) Saturn Award for Best Actor James Caan / Don Johnson ( 1974 / 75 ) David Bowie / Gregory Peck ( 1976 ) George Burns ( 1977 ) Warren Beatty ( 1978 ) George Hamilton ( 1979 ) Mark Hamill ( 1980 ) Harrison Ford ( 1981 ) William Shatner ( 1982 ) Mark Hamill ( 1983 ) Jeff Bridges ( 1984 ) Michael J. Fox ( 1985 ) Jeff Goldblum ( 1986 ) Jack Nicholson ( 1987 ) Tom Hanks ( 1988 ) Jeff Daniels ( 1989 / 90 ) Anthony Hopkins ( 1991 ) Gary Oldman ( 1992 ) Robert Downey Jr. ( 1993 ) Martin Landau ( 1994 ) George Clooney ( 1995 ) Eddie Murphy ( 1996 ) Pierce Brosnan ( 1997 ) James Woods ( 1998 ) Tim Allen ( 1999 ) Hugh Jackman ( 2000 ) Tom Cruise ( 2001 ) Robin Williams ( 2002 ) Elijah Wood ( 2003 ) Tobey Maguire ( 2004 ) Christian Bale ( 2005 ) Brandon Routh ( 2006 ) Will Smith ( 2007 ) Robert Downey Jr. ( 2008 ) Sam Worthington ( 2009 ) Jeff Bridges ( 2010 ) Michael Shannon ( 2011 ) Matthew McConaughey ( 2012 ) Robert Downey Jr. ( 2013 ) Chris Pratt ( 2014 ) Harrison Ford ( 2015 ) Ryan Reynolds ( 2016 ) Mark Hamill ( 2017 ) BNF : cb15551634z ( data ) ISNI : 0000 0001 1470 3602 LCCN : no2006127576 VIAF : 32310328 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brandon_Routh&oldid=853587923 '' Categories : 1979 births Male actors from Iowa American male film actors American Methodists American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Scottish descent American male soap opera actors American male television actors Best Newcomer Empire Award winners Hollywood United players Living people University of Iowa alumni 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors People from Polk County, Iowa Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September 2016 Articles with dead external links from November 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Infobox person using alma mater Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Association footballers not categorized by position Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu تۆرکجه Български Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Magyar მარგალური Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 27 more Edit links This page was last edited on 5 August 2018, at 20 : 33 ( UTC ). 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Question: who plays ray palmer in dc legends of tomorrow
Answer: Brandon James Routh