2011 Special Guests
Celebrity Guests
Just when everyone thought that the celebrity line-up was finalized, there is a big surprise announcement! The actor who portrayed the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, Brandon Routh, will be flying in to Metropolis to meet fans during the 33rd annual Superman Celebration June 9-12.
Superman co-chairman Karla Ogle explains that Routh had expressed interest in being a part of the Metropolis Celebration, but was unsure if his current filming schedule would allow him to make the trip. “Once we learned he could indeed travel in early June, we began finalizing the details to add him to our line-up,” Ogle said. “We are so excited that he will be here in Metropolis!”
Prior to Routh's casting as Superman and Clark Kent in the 2006 film, Superman Returns, Warner Bros. had spent over a decade developing a plan to relaunch the franchise with possible stars including actors Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves and Will Smith. 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.
Singer was impressed by Routh’s resemblance to the comic book icon and found the actor's humble mid-western roots perfect for the role. At the age of 24, Routh reminded the director of Christopher Reeve and was recognized for his "combination of vulnerability and confidence".
Routh will be a part of the Celebration activities on Saturday, June 11. Details about his appearance schedule will be announced soon.
In addition to Routh, Metropolis’ most famous son will be sharing the spotlight with Sam Huntington, Alaina Huffman, Mark Pillows and Tracy Roberts.
Since 1996 Sam Huntington has appeared in thirteen feature films and seven television shows. Of these he is perhaps most recognized for his role as the Daily Planet cub reporter, Jimmy Olsen, in Bryan Singer’s 2006 take on the Man of Steel, Superman Returns.
Sam was recently seen as “Eric” in Fanboys, opposite Kristen Bell and Jay Baruchel, and just wrapped production on Dead Of Night where he stars opposite his Superman Returns co-star, Brandon Routh. Sam can been seen on the SyFy channel’s new critically acclaimed hit series Being Human where he plays werewolf/tortured soul “Josh”.
Huntington began his career in the entertainment industry as an actor on stage, at the prestigious Peterborough Players in his native, New Hampshire, where he performed over four seasons in such roles as “Jem” in To Kill a Mockingbird opposite James Rebhorn.
At the age of 13 he moved to New York where he landed his first feature film, starring alongside Tim Allen and Martin Short in Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle. Huntington then moved on to such roles as “Jam” in Detroit Rock City, “Ox” in Not Another Teen Movie, and “Dinkadoo Murphy” in Rolling Kansas.
Additionally, Sam has made several memorable television guest appearances including Law and Order, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and Veronica Mars. Sam currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Rachel and son, Charlie.
Canadian film and television actress Alaina Huffman portrays Dinah Lance/Black Canary on Smallville. She is also a regular cast member in the TV series Stargate Universe.
Huffman was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada as Alaina Kalanj. At the age of 13, Huffman went to her first audition for a Fox Family Channel pilot. Despite the competition, she was offered the main role. However, a model scout recruited Huffman and she was set to model in high fashion runways in Europe and Japan for the following years.
When her parents moved to Dallas she saw the opportunity to live in the United States and enroll in college, leaving modeling behind. While in school, she took on acting roles in a series of independent films. Eventually she moved to Los Angeles where she added more television credits to her resume. Huffman has had roles in NCIS, Dawson’s Creek and CSI: NY.
Both Huntington and Huffman will participate in autograph sessions on Saturday, June 11 at Banterra Bank. More details about how to obtain a free ticket will be announced soon. (Tickets will be limited.)
Special guests slated to appear at this year’s Superman Celebration Artist Alley will be Mark Pillow and Tracey Lewis.
Pillow’s sole movie role was as “Nuclear Man” in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. In the 1987 superhero film, the last of the Superman theatrical movies starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, Superman battles Lex Luthor and his creation, a solar-powered evil clone of Superman called Nuclear Man.
Pillow, who made his acting debut in Superman IV, never went on to star in another movie. He currently lives in Texas with his wife and two daughters working as a wine distributor.
Tracy Roberts Lewis portrayed “Darla”, one of Lex Luthor’s partners in crime on the television series, Superboy, starring Gerard Christopher. Fans of the show may agree that her most memorable episode was Darla Goes Ballistic. Roberts took a haitus from acting to raise her two daughters, but has recently revived her career. According to web reports, Lewis recently auditioned for CBS’s popular series, Survivor.
Admission to Artist Alley is free. Specific appearance times will be announced soon.
Artists & Writers
Jamal Igle
Freddy Williams, II
Jeffrey Breslauer
Lin Workman
Kevin L. Williams
Martheus Wade
Andrew Chandler
Janet Stone Wade
