Filming for Superman Returns began in Sydney in February 2005. īefore filming began, Routh bulked up for the role, gaining 22 pounds to reach a high of 218 pounds. Singer decided to cast Routh after the two met on August 13, 2004, but did not tell Routh until two months later, when Routh's casting was announced in October 2004, making him an "instant celebrity". Singer, who has since stated that Routh was the embodiment of "our collective memory of Superman," was impressed by Routh's resemblance to the comic book icon and found the actor's humble Midwestern roots perfect for the role, as well as his "combination of vulnerability and confidence", which Singer said reminded him of Christopher Reeve. Routh, then 24, had previously auditioned for director McG and was spotted by Singer after he viewed Routh's videotaped audition. When director Bryan Singer came aboard the project, however, he insisted an unknown actor be cast in the part, in the tradition of the casting of the best-known film Superman, Christopher Reeve. had spent over a decade developing a plan to relaunch the franchise, entitled Superman Flyby, with possible stars including actors such as Nicolas Cage, Josh Hartnett, Brendan Fraser, Tom Welling, Paul Walker, Henry Cavill (who eventually became Superman in Man of Steel (2013)), James Marsden, Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, and James Caviezel, and planned directors including Tim Burton, Wolfgang Petersen, McG, Brett Ratner, and Shekhar Kapur. Prior to Routh's casting as Superman in the film Superman Returns, Warner Bros. Routh subsequently appeared on the WB's Gilmore Girls (in a February 2001 episode, "Concert Interruptus", playing a Bangles concert attendee), and earned steady work on the soap opera One Life to Live, playing Seth Anderson from May 23, 2001, until April 17, 2002. In 2000, he had a four-episode role on season 3 of MTV's nighttime soap opera Undressed.
He was cast in his first acting role that same year, in an episode of the short-lived ABC television series Odd Man Out.
In 1999, Routh left the university and moved to Manhattan and then Los Angeles, where he pursued a full-time acting career, first appearing as an extra in Christina Aguilera's 1999 music video for " What a Girl Wants". His former manager signed him on because of the resemblance, telling him that he thought Routh would be cast as Superman if there were another film in the series. Routh has said he was often told that he bore a physical resemblance to Christopher Reeve, who had previously portrayed Superman in a film series. During this time, he modeled and acted in order to earn his tuition expenses. Routh attended the University of Iowa for a year, aspiring to be a writer. Routh has also noted that during his younger years, he was fond of the Superman films and comic books. He has described himself as a "momma's boy" and not "the most popular kid" during his school years. He attended this school at the same time as Jason Momoa, who would also later become an actor in DC Superhero films. Routh attended Norwalk High School, where he played sports, and participated in music and theatre. In his spare time, he played the trumpet and the piano. During his childhood, Routh thought a full-time acting career was unrealistic, citing his small-town background. Routh grew up in Norwalk, approximately 100 miles (160 km) south of Woolstock, the birthplace of George Reeves, the first actor to play Superman on television. Routh was raised in a Methodist family, and has English, Scottish, German, and Dutch ancestry. Routh, the third of four children, was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to Catherine LaVaughn (née Lear), a teacher, and Ronald Ray Routh, a carpenter.