Prior to his meteoric rise, Routh was cutting his teeth on episodic television, landing occasional episodes on shows like "Cold Case" (CBS, 2003-10) and "Will & Grace" (NBC, 1998-2006); even signing a three-year deal to appear regularly on the daytime soap, "One Life to Live" (ABC, 1968-2013), though he was subsequently released after less than a year.
In 2004, he was cast in the lead role in the 2006 film Superman Returns. Routh, the third of four children, was born in Des Moines, Iowa to Katie, a teacher, and Ron Routh, a carpenter; both of his parents play music in their spare time and his sister, Sara Routh, is a singer.
For this unknown 26-year-old, being cast as Superman is a life-changing process; he will soon become one of the most famous faces on the planet, the physical embodiment of the most iconic character in American pop history. During that time, Routh left college, where he was reading English, and worked in bars and factories while screen-testing for the role of Clark Kent in the TV show Smallville.
He also auditioned for one of the many directors assigned to the new Superman movie during its lengthy gestation period.
Within seconds of meeting Flay, her misgivings about blind dates were dispelled.
"I know it's a cliché, but I remember thinking, Oh my gosh, this is the rest of my life," says March.