In the latest Superman Homepage Member Poll we asked you the following question:
Who is the worst live-action actor to play Clark Kent/Superman/Superboy?
I don’t usually like to pose negative questions, preferring instead to remain positive. However, asking who the best Superman actor is doesn’t necessarily give you an idea who fans think was the worst. Having said that, I’m shocked at the result of this poll. Not only because I counted Bob Holiday as a personal friend, but I don’t think anyone who voted in this poll actually ever saw Bob Holiday perform in the Superman Broadway musical in 1966, so I don’t understand how anyone could vote for him without having seen him perform as Superman.
UPDATE: It just occurred to me that people who voted for Bob Holiday are probably confusing him with David Wilson (who wasn’t listed as an option). Wilson starred in the TV version of the musical, which wasn’t that great.
Here’s the complete voting breakdown:
- Bob Holiday 22%, 55 votes55 votes 22%55 votes - 22% of all votes
- John Haymes Newton 15%, 39 votes39 votes 15%39 votes - 15% of all votes
- Tyler Hoechlin 15%, 39 votes39 votes 15%39 votes - 15% of all votes
- Dean Cain 13%, 34 votes34 votes 13%34 votes - 13% of all votes
- Henry Cavill 11%, 29 votes29 votes 11%29 votes - 11% of all votes
- Tom Welling 8%, 21 vote21 vote 8%21 vote - 8% of all votes
- Gerard Christopher 4%, 11 votes11 votes 4%11 votes - 4% of all votes
- Brandon Routh 3%, 8 votes8 votes 3%8 votes - 3% of all votes
- Kirk Alyn 2%, 6 votes6 votes 2%6 votes - 2% of all votes
- George Reeves 2%, 6 votes6 votes 2%6 votes - 2% of all votes
- Christopher Reeve 2%, 5 votes5 votes 2%5 votes - 2% of all votes
Be sure to get involved in the new Member Poll available near the bottom of the front page of our website.
David Wilson… It really isn’t that he’s necessarily a bad actor, but he was terribly miscast and apparently told to underplay camp (I didn’t think that was possible) while being surrounded by over actors. Poor guy really.
Also John Newton was the second worst?! All you who voted for that can go eat mud!! He had a (mostly) poor show built around him, but he was great in it!! Fight me!
I never thought I would say this but I’m glad that Reeve and Routh didn’t get that many votes in a voting poll.
Fun fact, comedic actor Bill Murray played Superman on an SNL skit. I don’t know if that would count for this poll though.
I did not participate in this poll because I felt it served no purpose except to make the winner (or, I suppose, that should be loser) look bad. In truth, all the named actors played their roles well. in many cases they deserve accolades if only because they kept the torch burning. Steve, your comment about Bob Holiday is a case in point. I never saw his performance, but I realize that his contribution to the cause was being the first “Superman” on Broadway. And this poll only tarnishes his legacy. This said, I have no problem with a poll… Read more »
I’m surprised how many people voted for Tyler Hoechlin after how many people were all over his first Superman appearance on Supergirl. Although I was never impressed by him.
That good will died when the show went out of its way to always portray him unfavorably to Supergirl.
You could even make the argument that they have been trying to do that since before he was cast, in Season 1.
Indeed. When I first saw him I thought he looked good in the part but as they show went on and they gave Supergirl all of his villains it felt more like he was the show’s whipping boy than Superman.
With all due respect ( and believe me I’m not trying to sound mean or anything. I hope that I don’t sound mean. But if I do, I do apologize) but it’s only ten points higher than Henry’s votes. I don’t think 39 over 29 is a huge difference as compared to Reeve’s,Routh’s, or Welling’s results. If I had to guess, Tyler probably has some fans who voted for the other options. If this was a vote for most popular he might have had more votes than the results from this poll. Probably not as much as Reeve, Routh, Welling,… Read more »