Actor Brandon Routh made his daytime debut on One Life To Live in the role of Seth Anderson in 2001, staying with the show for a year before being replaced by Steve Richard Harris. Soap Hub caught up with Routh at That’s 4 Entertainment’s Christmas Con.
Key Takeaways
- Routh played Seth Anderson on One Life To Live from 2001-2002.
- Routh starred as the Man of Steel in Superman Returns.
- Routh joined fellow OLTL alum Nathan Fillion on The Rookie in season 3.
- Routh co-starred with All My Children alum Jonathan Bennett in the Hallmark holiday film A Keller Christmas Vacation.
Brandon’s Acting Beginnings
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Routh grew up in nearby Norwalk, where his passion for performing began. He attended the University of Iowa and appeared in numerous productions at the Norwalk Theater of Performing Arts, building a strong foundation in acting. Routh landed his first professional television role on ABC’s Odd Man Out, followed by guest appearances on popular series such as Gilmore Girls and MTV’s Undressed.
Soap Trope
Seth Anderson arrived in Llanview with his girlfriend, Natalie Balsom (Melissa Archer), already carrying the secret that Natalie and Jessica Buchanan (Erin Torpey) had been switched at birth. Determined to claim the life she believed was rightfully hers, Natalie set out to manipulate Jessica, pretending to be her friend. As part of the plan, Seth posed as a romantic interest and became Jessica’s boyfriend. What began as an act, however, took an unexpected turn when Seth realized his feelings for Jessica were real, complicating the deception and the emotional fallout that followed.
Hero Complex
Routh scored a huge career win when he was cast as Superman in Superman Returns in 2006. While a sequel was planned, it did not end up being made.
Routh did get to don the suit and cape again, when he reprised the role of Superman on television in the Arrowverse crossover event, ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’. At the time, Routh told ew.com “It’s an opportunity for me to kind of say hello and goodbye to the character in a way I didn’t get to the first time.” He did double-duty during that crossover event because he was also playing his Legends of the Universe character of Ray Palmer/The Atom on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
While he donned a hero’s uniform on The Rookie, his character was anything but. His character, Doug Stanton was a racist and bigot who case a lot of tension within the police district. He appeared in five episodes of the series in the third season, opposite fellow OLTL alum, Nathan Fillion (Joey).
Christmas Crush
Routh has appeared in a number of Hallmark holiday films, starting with 2014’s The Nine Lives of Christmas. This past year, he co-starred with All My Children alum Jonathan Bennett (J.R.) in A Keller Christmas Vacation. The film tells the story of three adult siblings, hesitant to travel together, who embark on a Christmas river cruise through Europe with their parents.
