Morning Man Encore: Brandon Routh!

Originally posted Sept. 11, 2009

It’s not known if the Superman movie franchise will continue with or without Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel. But whatever happens, the handsome star of 2007’s Superman Returns has a bright career ahead of him.

It’s just been announced that Brandon, who turns 30 next month, will appear in several episodes of the NBC series Chuck when it returns early next year. He will play Shaw, a spy who takes control as the new leader of Operation Bartwoski, becoming a mentor to Chuck and a rival in his affections for Sarah.

I thought Brandon was wonderful as Superman/Clark Kent (and looked damned good in the suit!) but my favorite movie role of his so far was as a gay man in a relationship with Justin Long’s character in the terrific comedy Zack and Miri Make A Porno.

I got to interview Brandon last year when his film Lie to Me was opening the Newport Beach Film Festival. When he called me, his voice sounded a little rough and he quickly explained that he had a cold. Then, before I could stop myself, I made a lame Superman joke and advised him to “drink lots of fluids and stay away from Kryptonite!”

Egads.

Before Superman Returns, Brandon was simply a working actor looking for his big break. Landing the lead in a summer blockbuster that grossed more than $200 million domestically can change your career – and your life – pretty darn quick.

“To some extent, I rolled with it,” he said. “I’m pretty calm most of the time by nature. It is certainly a lot of exposure and takes getting used to. What takes the most getting used to is when that goes away a little bit and going back to real life. My life contains both of these scenarios. There’s a time to be in the spotlight and out of it. It’s balancing those parts of life and now I have the opportunity as well to do some great work and prove to people that I can do many other things.”