No, he’s not Christopher Reeve. Is it a plane? Is it a spaceship? Is it a giant bird? No, it’s Superman! Yes, he’s back!
Welcome to Planet Earth, Brandon Routh, the new Man of Steel!
The earlier description was a bit exaggerated but then isn’t Superman larger than life? And so Routh will soon be.
Turning 27 on Oct. 9, the 6’3" Iowa native has just been plucked out of relative anonymity (well, not quite because he has done some TV shows) and poised for super-stardom after topping an audition when he caught the attention of director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects and the first two X-Men flicks) because of, yes, his "uncanny resemblance" to Reeve who was the last man inside the blue tights. Like Reeve (wheelchair-bound due to a spinal injury until his death two years ago), Routh seems to have been born to play Clark Kent, the photo-journalist from The Daily Planet who discards his nerdy thick glasses and stuffy suit and turns into Superman when the need arises.
"Like Superman," said Singer (more on him in a future issue), "I was an adopted child, that’s why I can identify with him. I was an only child and he was an only child."
Described by some members of the press as "the ultimate immigrant" who crash-landed on American soil without a passport or a visa, Clark Kent in this nth retelling of Superman’s exploits returns to The Daily Planet and finds to his dismay that, sob and sigh, his ladylove Lois Lane (played by Kate Bosworth) is engaged to the editor’s nephew (James Marsden, star of X-Men III: The Last Stand, among other films) by whom she has a son. Lois Lane has moved on since Superman left without a word, without a trace, and she has even won a Pulitzer Prize for an essay entitled Why The World Doesn’t Need Superman (oops! Lois Lane would soon find out how very wrong she was).
Should I spoil the suspense by rambling on and on about the film (which opens in the US and other parts of the world, including the Philippines (June 28)? Don’t worry, I won’t. A reminder, though: For an ultimate mind-blowing entertainment, watch Superman Returns in an IMAX theater (only at Mall of Asia). Twenty minutes of selected scenes have been converted into "An IMAX 3D Experience" and, I tell you, it makes you feel like you’ve got wings and you’re sky-bound, to the nostalgic strains of Can You Read My Mind.
Together with more than 50 journalists from around the world, I attended an advance screening of Superman Returns last week in L.A. and, the next day, had a one-on-one print/TV Conversation with Brandon Routh (and co-stars Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey, plus director Bryan Singer) whom you might vaguely remember having seen in a 1999 episode of the ABC sitcom Odd Man Out (his first major role), in Gilmore Girls (2000), in the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live and, among other TV shows, in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace.
Routh showed up at the function room of the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Century City in a T-shirt and faded denims, looking somewhat more like Clark Kent (minus the thick-rimmed glasses) than Superman. Yes, the first thing I asked him was about the so-called Superman "curse."
Are you aware of the so-called Superman "curse" – you know, once Superman, forever Superman? You get typecast for life.
"Well, I don’t really look at it as a ‘curse.’ In fact, I think it’s a blessing. I’m excited to be this character for as long as I have the opportunity."
And the other "curse" – you know what happened to Christopher Reeve and to Margot Kidder (as Lois Lane; who went into such a depression that she was once reported to be wandering aimlessly in her neighborhood)?
"I don’t believe there’s such a ‘curse.’ Maybe it’s a superstition. I don’t believe in superstitions."
How do you feel inside the blue tights?
"How do I feel? You know, after the first couple of times when I’ve done more working out, I felt very fit in the suit. It feels great, very powerful!"
Did you go on a diet?
"Yes, I did. I changed my eating habits. No more junk food. More of vegetables and fruits instead of sugar. And fish. But I do cheat every now and then, and eat sweets."
And what sort of workout did you do?
"It was hard but it was a lot of fun. I never lifted that much weight, six days a week for one year, doing it starting early in the morning."
How did you feel the first time you saw yourself in the mirror in a Superman costume?
"It felt a little strange because, you know, costume people were standing there and kind of judging me right away. You know, poking at every part of my body and measuring my sleeve length and whatever. It was a little awkward the first time. Then they asked me, ‘Do you feel like Superman?’ I hadn’t even finished reading the script yet and I had only two days of training! My hair was long and shaggy. So I wasn’t feeling the character yet as much as I did after a couple of months."
Have you been fantasizing as Superman when you were a kid?
"I think so. Every kid does, I guess. Don’t we all? Yes, I believe I can fly and it feels great! I had Superman pajamas and shirts and all that kind of stuff. I was throwing things up in the air and watching them fly and see how high I could get them."
You were one-year-old when Christopher Reeve was chosen Superman in 1978. How long after that did you see your first Superman movie?
"I think I was five or six years old in 1984 or 1985 on television. I’ve seen the first two Superman quite a lot and Christopher has always been my Superman. When I was reading the script, I kind of envisioned him... That knowledge of knowing what he was and what he meant to me was crucial in my creating the character."
Do you think your resemblance to Christopher Reeve helped you clinch the role?
"Yeah, absolutely! When people see Superman, they think of Christopher Reeve. The fact that I look like Christopher Reeve kind of helps ease the transition."
Some people think that Superman is a gay icon. What do you think?
"Well, I think he’s an icon for all kinds of people. If Superman is a gay icon, that’s fine. He can be an icon for everybody. I don’t think it makes a difference if he’s a gay icon or a lesbian icon or a straight icon or a black icon or a white icon or an Asian icon. The more people who love Superman, the better. It gives him greater power."
Some people are curious... Do you have underwear while in those blue tights?
"Oh, I never thought about that. But yes." (Breaking into laughter) "I have two pairs of underwear on."
Have you gotten used to being told that you look like Christopher Reeve?
"Yes. Ever since I moved to Los Angeles in 2000 when I was 19, I’ve been hearing people telling me that. It’s kind of cool and a little bit eerie that people were telling me that long before I got the role."
Do you have a house in L.A.?
"No, not a house. I stay in a pad. A couple of more films and maybe I can save enough to buy a house. I don’t even have a car yet. I’m so busy and I feel that I’m here and yet not here."
Oh, but you can fly. What do you need a car for?
"Actually, I’m borrowing my girlfriend’s car. I observe carpool; it’s good for the environment."
Is she excited that you’re now Superman?
"Oh yes, she is. We’ve known each other long before I was cast as Superman, so she’s been able to take the journey with me. She’s been really great. She’s very proud of me and having a good time experiencing the same things that I’m experiencing now."
Your folks back in Iowa must be very proud of you, too.
"Oh, I’m sure they are. I have a brother who’s a cop and his being the brother of Superman I’m sure makes him kind of special in the police force there. They’re all proud of him and of me."
How was your life like in Iowa?
"It’s kind of a slow and beautiful life in Iowa. I went to high school with the same kids who were with me in grade school, so I’ve known most everybody for a long time. There are about 7,000 people where I grew up and I know most of them. Iowa is nice and relaxing, very much different from Los Angeles where all you see are buildings. Iowa is trees and farmlands and cows and horses."
Have you ever for a moment thought of giving up your Hollywood dream and going back to Iowa?
"Hmmmm. I don’t think I ever did. I knew that I could. I was going to college, an English major at the University of Iowa, but I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I could go back to Iowa and resume my studies but I was pretty confident that something was coming, something was gonna happen."
And Superman did come. Doesn’t it scare you that you carry the box-office weight of the $200-million movie on your shoulders?
"Yeah, I do now. It’s easier to feel that way after filming was done. I really did look at that but I tried to avoid it during the shooting because I didn’t want to get distracted. You know, I have confidence in Superman. I prefer to think positive. Superman has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I’ve been reading a lot of great scripts and in the next few weeks when the film comes out, I may be able to make decisions and start working out something else."
You’re on the threshold of the Big Time. How do you think Superman will change your life?
"Well, nobody knew who Brandon Routh was a year ago. Now, the whole world will kind of know. So that’s a pretty huge change. I’ll get to do a lot of things, travel around the world and do a lot of amazing things because of this character. Making people smile makes me feel good."
Are you prepared for all this?
"I think so, I think so. I’m learning from each one."
People magazine has chosen you as One of the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World for 2006. How do you feel being considered a sex symbol?
"It’s pretty nice. Nice to hear that, especially this early in my career."
Does it flatter you to be considered sexy?
"I guess. I suppose."
Do you think you’re sexy?
"You have to ask my girlfriend."
What part of your body do you think is sexiest?
"Ahhhh...I like my voice, I guess. My mom and dad did a great job, so I thank them for my genes."
Do you wear glasses like Clark Kent does?
"I wear contact lenses."
Did you have a chance to meet Christopher Reeve?
"I did not have the opportunity but I did receive a lovely note from his wife, Dana Reeve (Who succumbed to breast cancer early this year. – RFL) halfway through the filming. She was giving her blessing to the film, saying that I looked like Chris and that was cool. She wished us the best."
Do you feel sad that she won’t be able to see the movie?
"Oh, I’m sure she and Christopher will see it... up there. I hope they like it."