Lex Luthor is one of the most celebrated villains of all time. Superman’s arch-nemesis is a genius, billionaire, and one of the most power-hungry characters in the comic-book world. The legendary character was portrayed to perfection by actor Clancy Brown in the Tim Daly starring animated show Superman: The Animated Series.
Bruce Timm’s follow-up to his Batman: The Animated Series was a Superman for a new generation as it became an influential piece of media for many other adaptations. It saw a much more vulnerable Superman, who did not smile or perpetually be optimistic like he was in the comics. However, Superman would have been completely different as Brown reportedly first auditioned for the role of Clark Kent in the show.
Tim Daly Got The Job For Superman Very Quickly
Bruce Timm’s Superman: The Animated Series is one of the most popular depictions of Superman in other media apart from the comics. The creator had just come from making the legendary Batman: The Animated Series when he was reportedly approached by Steven Spielberg to do work on something with him (via Comicology).
While Bruce Timm first pitched the series Freakazoid! to Spielberg, he reportedly increasingly became less interested in the show as it became more of a comedy. Through some twist of fate, he reportedly decided to take on the role of producing a show on Superman and then the rest is history. It remains one of the most legendary portrayals of Superman, with Tim Daly being known for his distinctive voice acting.
Tim Daly reportedly did not expect to be cast as Superman and went into the audition on a whim. However, after giving it a few tries, he reportedly got the job immediately. Daly mentioned in an interview with DC Comics,
“It was the weirdest thing…I drove to Warner Bros. and met up with Andrea Romano, Bruce Timm, and some other folks. I started reading and they said, ‘Okay, stop. Try it again and be more natural.’ I think I was doing something really over the top. I did it, and they said, ‘Great, you’re hired.’ It happened so quickly.”
The actor reportedly was not experienced in voice acting at all before being cast as Clark Kent in the show. Voice director Andrea Romano mentioned that he learned to manage it and do a great job at it very quickly (via DC Comics).
Lex Luthor Actor Almost Replaced Tim Daly’s Superman
While Tim Daly’s performance as Superman is unparalleled, the character almost received another deep and rich voice. Actor Clancy Brown, who would go on to play the role of Lex Luthor reportedly first auditioned for Superman. Brown was known for playing villainous or at least grey characters in films and animation, such as Eugene Krabs in Spongebob: Squarepants.
The actor reportedly came to audition for Superman after being called to the studio on a general call. However, voice director Andrea Romano immediately wanted him to test for Lex as she felt that if they cast Brown as Superman, they would not be able to cast someone better for Lex. Brown recalled to DC Comics,
“So I went in there and read for Superman. As I was packing up to leave, Andrea Romano asked if I minded reading for Lex Luthor. I kind of rolled my eyes, and she said ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to read for Lex. Thanks so much for coming in.’ I told her I will definitely read for Lex. I was just frustrated because every time I try to be the good guy, I end up being the bad guy. I wanted to be in this show.”
Though he really ended up being the iconic Lex Luthor in the show, he had all praises for Tim Daly and mentioned that the crew had made the right decision by casting him.
