Brandon James Routh (, rhyming with
mouth; born October 9, 1979) is an
American
actor and former
fashion model. He grew up in
Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on several television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2005, he was cast as the titular hero of the 2006 film
Superman Returns.
Biography
Early life
Routh, third of four children,
was born in
Des Moines,
Iowa, on October 9, 1979, the son of Katie, a teacher, and Ron Routh, a carpenter; both of his parents play music in their spare time
His brother Rhett is a Des Moines Police officer; his older sister Sara is a singer traveling through Europe, and his younger sister Carolyn lives in Wisconsin. Routh's family, which is
Methodist,
has
German,
French,
English, and
Native American ancestry.
Routh grew up in
Norwalk, Iowa, which is located approximately south of
Woolstock, the hometown of
George Reeves, the first actor to play
Superman on television.
During his childhood, Routh thought that 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 describes 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.
