<Tr> <Th> Spouse (s) </Th> <Td> Courtney Ford (m . 2007) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Brandon James Routh (born October 9, 1979) is an American actor . He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s including Gilmore Girls . In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular superhero in the film Superman Returns . He also had a recurring role in the TV series Chuck, as Daniel Shaw . Following this, he had notable supporting roles in the films Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World . In 2014, he began a recurring role on Arrow as Ray Palmer / Atom which spun off into a guest role on The Flash and a starring role on Legends of Tomorrow . </P> <P> Routh, the third of four children, was born on October 9, 1979 in Norwalk, Iowa, the son of Catherine LaVonne (née Lear), a teacher, and Ronald Wayne Routh, a carpenter . Routh was raised in a Methodist family, and has English, Scottish, German, and distant Dutch ancestry . Routh grew up in Norwalk, approximately 100 miles (160 km) south of Woolstock, the birthplace of George Reeves, the first actor to play Superman on television . During his childhood, Routh thought a full - time acting career was unrealistic, citing his small - town background . In his spare time, he played the trumpet and the piano . Routh attended Norwalk High School, where he played sports and participated in music and theatre . He has described himself as a "momma's boy" and not "the most popular kid" during his school years . Routh has also noted that during his younger years, he was fond of the Superman films and comic books . </P>

Who plays ray palmer in dc legends of tomorrow