play time 7:17 minutes

Kirk Alyn (1910 - 1999) was the first actor to play the role of Superman on film in two 15-part movie serials in 1948 and 1950. He was selected because he looked like Superman's mild-mannered, comic book alter ego, Clark Kent. He also had dance training that helped him to dive out of windows and leap over cameras. He became so popular as "Superman" that he feared not getting future character roles. When offered the television role in 1951, he declined. In the 1978 Superman movie, he agreed to play the role of Lois Lane's father.

George Reeves (1914 - 1959) was the next actor to be Superman. Although there wasn't a big selection of television programs to watch in the 1950's, "The Adventures of Superman" (1951 - 1957) was an all time favorite viewed by millions and very much ahead of other shows in quality and technology. Superman's costume was brown and gray during the first two seasons when the show was filmed in black and white, to provide a better contrast. Beginning in 1955, the show was filmed in color and Superman's costume became red and blue. After the series went off the air, Reeves found himself so typecast as Superman that it was difficult for him find other roles. He died by a single gunshot wound to the head, officially ruled as a suicide.

The first time Superboy was considered for television was back in 1960, when a pilot for a series was shot starring an actor named John Rockwell. The pilot was reasonably well received and Wheaties, "The Breakfast (cereal) of Champions", agreed to sponsor. It was though decided to shelve the series because competitor Kellogg's didn't want the series sold, preferring to let the George Reeves episodes continue in syndication.

With his stunning good looks and tall stature at 6'4", Christopher Reeve (1952 - 2004) essentially redefined the role in "Superman: The Movie" (1978); no small feat considering what a global icon the character was and still is. Reeve once said, "What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely. From an acting point of view, that's how I approached the part." For playing Clark Kent, Reeve reasoned that "there must be some difference stylistically between Clark and Superman. Otherwise you just have a pair of glasses standing in for a character, and I don't think that's enough for a modern audience." The film was an enormous success and inspired three sequels: "Superman II" (1981), "Superman III" (1983), and "Superman IV" (1987). But there was so much more to the man behind the cape. Reeve began acting on the stage at age 8, and always preferred theater to movies. Following his Superman success, Reeve tried to avoid being typecast saying, "As far as I'm concerned there is Superman and then there's Christopher Reeve, and I'm not interested in having them merge." When he and Michael Caine embraced in a full-on kissing scene in Deathtrap (1982), he undoubtedly shattered his Superman image for many. Over his lifetime he appeared in about 150 plays and over three dozen feature or made-for-TV movies. Reeve appeared in two television episodes of "Smallville" playing Dr. Virgil Swann, providing the young Clark Kent insightful clues as to his origins.

Producers wanted an actor that resembled a young Christopher Reeve to star in a new syndicated television series, "Superboy" (1988). John Haymes Newton (1965 -) was 22 years old, standing six feet tall with a muscular physique, green eyes and brown hair. He was exactly what they were looking for and told him to darken his hair color to match that of the Reeve's Superman. At the end of the first season, Newton tried to exploit his popularity and sought to re-negotiate his contract, demanding an increased salary. The producers decided to release Newton from his contract and quickly hired Gerard Christopher to replace him for the second season assuming that it was the costume, and not the actor that wore the cape, that attracted viewers.

Gerard Christopher (1959 -) was a student of Superman lore who had clearly studied the performances of preceding Superman actors. His fan background brought something extra to the series which enhanced his portrayal of the young Superman, in "The Adventures of Superboy" (1989 - 1992). Gerard Christopher who, at 31 years of age, has got to be the oldest Superboy on record, eventually became both a producer and a contributing writer to the show.

"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993 - 1997) focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. By the end of the second season Lois had finally realized that Dean Cain (1966 -) acting as Clark Kent and Superman were the

same person - so it came as no surprise to her when he finally revealed his true identity and proposed marriage. By the end of the last season, Lois and Clark had come a long way from the prickly, anything for a story, but marshmallow-hearted woman and the naive farm boy from Kansas. The Ice Queen had softened and the farm boy had grown up.

In 1998, while working as a construction worker, the 6'3" Tom Welling (1977 -) was discovered by a catalogue shoot scout, who suggested he try modeling. In 2000, Welling relocated to Los Angeles where he modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and others, while simultaneously pursuing an acting career. He actually turned down the role of the young Clark Kent twice before accepting it. As the awkward young superhero with many opportunities to bear his chiseled chest, he is the current Superboy in "Smallville" (2001 -). Besides being a pleasure to look at, Welling has done a fine job of evincing the character's conflicts and internal weaknesses as well as his negative physical reaction to the kryptonite dotting the town of Smallville, Kansas.

SUPERMAN RETURNS - JUNE 2006 A problem with Superman, as compared to other superhero films, is that an iconic figure was renowned for playing the title character, Christopher Reeve. But actually, each artist since 1948 acting as Superman/Superboy, has added a "layer of paint" to the image of Superman. Thus an unknown actor, Brandon James Routh (1979 -), who possessed the physical qualifications of Clark Kent/Superman, was selected to become the new Superman. Director Bryan Singer (King Kong, X-Men), recently said, "The actor must always be unknown because the character of Superman, more so than any other superhero, is much larger than any one actor." Routh was recently questioned about the supposed "curse of Superman" and whether Routh feared such a thing, to which he laughed and said no. "What curse? Never thought of it. There are a lot of things that have happened to people but I'm not going to let what happened to other people upset me." Was Brandon Routh the right man to be the next Superman? Perhaps one of the men below would have been more exciting.

find your hero in the

CHROMIUM COLLECTION



      
HOME      NEXT