Reeve) looked like a Superman comic come to life, and wore the most comic book accurate version of the Superman costume ever seen on screen.īy the time the show reached its third and fourth seasons ( which is currently streaming on the DC Universe service), it was a Superman show in all but name, right down to Clark and Lana (not Lois) working in a very newspaper-like environment. He put on the costume for an impressive 73 half-hour episodes over the course of three years. Often overlooked (like his predecessor), Gerard Christopher put in more hours as the Man of Steel (or Boy of Steel, in this case) than most of the other actors on this list. Newton did his best to bring something new to the role, though, but the first season of Superboyis mostly for the completists out there. The SuperboyTV show isn’t for everyone, mostly because of occasionally subpar production values, bizarre scripts (especially in the first season), and some questionable performances. Newton’s Superboy was wise beyond his years, and had a tougher approach and lower tolerance for nonsense than we’ve come to expect from most screen Supermen, while his Clark Kent was more alienated outsider than mild-mannered klutz…a portrayal that predated Smallville by over a decade.
The syndicated Superboy TV series, which focused on the adventures of Superman while he was in college, ran for four seasons, but John Haymes Newton only stuck around for the first one. Watch the Christopher Reeve Superman movies on Amazon. During this time, he tried his hand at directing, and even returned to the Superman world as Doctor Virgil Swann on Smallville. This author was lucky enough to attend one, and it was incredibly moving. Reeve a quadriplegic and he spent the rest of his life as an advocate and activist, making public appearances and giving inspirational speeches. A 1995 horseback riding accident left Mr. Like many Superman actors, Reeve feared being typecast in the role, and that did indeed play into his career throughout the ’80s, despite notable starring turns in gems like 1980’s Somewhere in Time (opposite Jane Seymour) and Sidney Lumet’s Deathtrap(alongside Michael Caine). Even more impressive, Reeve hid his 6’4, 225 pound frame as Clark Kent with changes in posture, voice, and mannerisms that might actually make you believe that folks could be fooled by a pair of glasses and an ill-fitting suit. Despite only wearing the cape for four films, some of which were marred by uneven direction, scripts, and special effects after 1978’s unmatched Superman: The Movie, the stage-trained Reeve embodied the altruistic sincerity of the character like nobody before or since.Ĭhristopher Reeve made audiences believe a man could fly thanks to what appeared to be his own absolute belief that he could do so, while his training as a pilot allowed him to turn his wire-and-blue-screen flight sequences into convincing displays. Superman: The Movie (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)Īrguably the best known and most beloved portrayal of Superman belongs to Christopher Reeve, and with good reason. Watch The Adventures of Superman on Amazon. He did return briefly to Superman, though, when he appeared in a brief cameo as Lois Lane’s father in 1978’s Superman: The Movie.
#Man of steel actor serial#
He took another swing at serial stardom with Blackhawk(another comic book character, who will soon star in a Steven Spielberg movie) in 1952, and spent the next decades appearing in westerns and assorted small TV roles. Alyn was the first actor to feel the sting of the Superman role, appearing uncredited in the serials (the role of Superman was listed in the credits as played by, wait for it…Clark Kent). Alyn’s flying scenes were accomplished via animation, watching him sprint around at top speed, toss bad guys, and leap into and out of the frame is certainly superheroic enough! The muscular, athletic, and graceful Alyn (he was a dancer before taking up acting) brought an energetic grace to Superman, and he played Clark Kent as earnest and cartoonishly mild-mannered. Superman (1950) aren’t exactly the highlights of Superman’s live action history, it wasn’t really his fault. And while Kirk Alyn’s two serial outings as the Last Son of Krypton, Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs.
#Man of steel actor full#
Surprisingly, it took Superman a full decade to make it to the big screen in live-action, with contemporaries like Batman and Captain Marvel beating him to the big show by several years.
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