Brandon Routh

Brandon James Routh (pronounced like “south”) is an American actor and former fashion model best known for his lead role in the 2006 film Superman Returns.

Routh is the third of four children to parents Katie Routh, a teacher, and Ron Routh, a carpenter. He was born on October 9, 1979, in Des Moines, Iowa, but grew up in Norwalk, Iowa, a town of approximately 7,000 people located about 100 miles south of Woolstock. Norwalk is also the hometown of Jason Momoa, the star of the television show Stargate: Atlantis.

The six-foot-three actor never had big dreams of becoming an actor because he always thought a full-time acting career was unrealistic, especially considering his small-town background.

Routh was a self-proclaimed momma’s boy and attended Norwalk High School where he played sports and participated in music and theater. He plays trumpet and piano and can thank his parents for his musical talents. His father, Ron, is a jazz musician in his spare time, and his mother, Katie, sings. His sister, Sara Routh, is a professional singer whose song “You’re Never Gone” is featured on Sound of Superman, the companion soundtrack to the movie.

After high school, Routh attended the University of Iowa with dreams of becoming a writer. In college he starred in several productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts and modeled to help pay for his tuition fees.

In 1999, Routh left the university and moved to New York City and later to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time acting career. Later that year he appeared in the music video of “What a Girl Wants,” from Christina Aguilera’s debut album, Christina Aguilera.

Routh landed his first major role in an episode of the short-lived ABC television comedy, Odd Man Out that ran for just one season. In 2000, he had a four-episode role in MTV’s evening soap opera, Undressed, about the sexual relationships, orientations, and fetishes of high schoolers, college students, and post-college roommates.

In 2001, Routh played an attendee of a Bangles concert in the Gilmore Girls (with Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel) episode "Concert Interupptus." From May 23, 2001 to April 17, 2002, he played Seth Anderson in the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live.

Routh’s other television acting credits include guest roles on CBS’s Cold Case’ NBC’s Will & Grace, with Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes; and FOX’s short-lived adventure/comedy Oliver Beene, which was set in the year 1962.

In 2004, Routh landed the role of superman in the movie Superman Returns, which was released on June 28, 2006. Interestingly enough, he won a Halloween contest the year before receiving this role for his convincing Superman costume.

For his role in the movie Superman, Routh gained and additional 22 pounds to reach 215 pounds. He also sought out a movement coach to help him create the proper body language for the Superman character.

Routh is engaged to Los-Angeles-born actress Courtney Ford, with whom he in the 2006 film Denial played at a Las Vegas film festival. The two have been together since 2004 and plan to marry in the fall of 2007.

YUDDY