6 Superman Actors Pay Tribute to Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve is widely regarded as the quintessential Superman. His portrayal of the Man of Steel in the 1978 film Superman and its sequels, remains one of the most iconic and celebrated versions of the superhero. While numerous actors have donned the cape over the years, none have had quite the lasting impact that Reeve did.
Superman Actors Pay Tribute to Reeve
Recently, six actors who have played Superman in different iterations of the character paid tribute to Reeve’s legacy. From the big screen to TV and animated series, these actors honored Reeve’s portrayal of Superman.
During MegaCon Orlando, a panel of Superman actors including Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Tom Welling (Smallville), Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois), Tim Daly (Superman: The Animated Series) and George Newbern (Justice League) shared their experiences playing the character, with Welling even having the chance to work with Reeve himself. According to Welling’s Instagram post, Henry Cavill was not present in the event because he was shooting Voltron in Australia.
Tom Welling, who played Clark Kent in The CW superhero drama Smallville from 2001 to 2011, shared how it was to work with Reeve and how the experience helped him “wanting to be a better person.” He also shared how he was only supposed to shoot for four hours but ended up staying on set for eight hours. “His nurse, power of attorney, was like, ‘If you don’t come with me in 15 minutes, I’m calling the police.’ He had to leave. He looked at me and goes, ‘They’re always telling me what to do.’”
He added, “He was telling jokes the whole time. We had a riot; he was cracking up. … We just had really great banter. I had a lot of fun with him,” per People.
Brandon Routh, who played the superhero in 2006’s Superman Returns said, “It was always gonna be like Chris. Even if it was some other movie, some other version of that slightly altered Superman, because I wasn’t playing Chris. I wasn’t playing Superman. [I was] playing the feeling, the love when you’re Superman,” according to Collider.
David Corenswet is the latest actor to don the red cape. His version of Superman will hit theaters on July 11, marking the first movie in the James Gunn-led DC Universe.
