From ‘Wings’ to Superman: Tim Daly Reflects on Finding Hope, Strength and Meaning in the Man of Steel (EXCLUSIVE)
How Tim Daly became the voice of Superman—and discovered the cultural impact of the iconic hero
In his 87-year history, Superman has been portrayed or voiced by 87 actors across film, television, animation, and video games. While the new James Gunn film introduces David Corenswet as the latest to don the cape, one of the most beloved and enduring versions of the Man of Steel came not from live-action, but animation—voiced by Wings, Private Practice, and Madam Secretary star Tim Daly (who just married his co-star of the latter, Tea Leoni).
From 1996 to 2000, Superman: The Animated Series ran for 54 episodes and quickly established itself as a worthy successor to Batman: The Animated Series. Daly voiced Clark Kent/Superman, with Dana Delany—then fresh off China Beach—as Lois Lane and Clancy Brown as the powerful voice behind Lex Luthor. The series drew heavily on its predecessor’s tone and production quality, with veteran voice director Andrea Romano once again assembling an impressive cast that included names like Michael Ironside (Darkseid), Ed Asner (Granny Goodness), Malcolm McDowell (Metallo), Ron Perlman (Jax-Ur), David Warner (Ra’s al Ghul), Sarah Douglas (Mala), Finola Hughes (Lara), Olivia Hussey (Talia al Ghul) and even Gilbert Gottfried as Mr. Mxyzptlk.
“Tim Daly’s a great voice,” says producer and co-creator Bruce Timm. “I think we had 55 guys come in to audition before we found him. And Dana Delany is a delight as well… Then there’s Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, which is a terrific voice.”
Life before the cape
Born on March 1, 1956, in New York City, James Timothy Daly grew up immersed in performance. He is the younger brother of Cagney & Lacey star Tyne Daly and made his stage debut at seven in Jenny Kissed Me. By 10, he was already appearing on television in an American Playhouse adaptation of An Enemy of the People. From his 1978 professional stage role in Equus to film roles in Diner (1982) and Submerged (2016), Daly has balanced a career across stage, film and television—including his long-running role as Joe Hackett on Wings.
But when Daly was cast as Superman, he admits he had no idea what he was stepping into. “When I was originally cast as Superman, I was kind of shocked,” he recalls. “I didn’t really know what I was getting into and I didn’t know this show was going to be much more than kind of a fun thing to do for kids to watch on Saturday morning. I had no idea how important Superman was to the world culture.”
Andrea Romano, who directed the voice cast, agrees. “Tim is absolutely accurate when he said that he came into this not taking voice-over acting for animation as seriously as on-camera work. A lot of actors had that issue at the beginning. But as I watched Tim learn the process, watch the other actors working with him and see the response from fans, I actually watched him evolve. It happened during production—within the first season. You could see him start to take it more seriously.”
Daly would come to see Superman as something far greater than just another acting job. “As I’ve gotten some perspective on the whole thing,” he explains, “I realize that Superman is probably better described by an anthropologist or psychologist, because we all dream about flying, we dream about having superpowers and we dream about being a hero and saving people. Starting about 20 or 25 years ago, entertainment started trending really heavily towards dark, edgy, dystopian stories. I think that maybe it’s time for a comeback.”
The need for hope
Part of the reason that the new Superman is enjoying critical and commercial success is exactly for that reason: in dark, cynical, divided times, the audience is looking for something more hopeful. It’s the reason that the original Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the film coming as it did in 1976 following the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal; and that 1978’s Superman: The Movie starring Christopher Reeve made such a connection with moviegoers.
For his part, Daly points to the popularity of Ted Lasso as evidence of audiences embracing positivity again. “It’s unabashedly kind, generous and funny. It doesn’t have that tortured element that some of the Batman stuff has had. I think we want someone that represents all the good in us. I think that version of Superman is the thing that keeps him alive and the thing that will ultimately keep him going for another 100 years or more. He does represent hope for humanity.”
Romano confirmsthat Daly’s appreciation of the role only deepened with time. “When he could actually see some of the footage back and could see what the work was doing, he gained tremendous respect. And he was probably the biggest fan of the show. He had this wonderful Superman doll that he would bring along on The Daly Show, this streaming thing he did, and it would show up in different shots. It was lovely to see the actor really change his opinion about animation and about what he was doing. He didn’t start with disrespect, but he gained so much respect through the process and that was delightful to watch.”
Daly admits to being a Superman fan—albeit more from screen than page. “I wasn’t a comic book kid,” he says, “but I was a huge fan of the Christopher Reeve movie and I watched the George Reeves Superman series when I was a kid. I was by no means a fanboy. So for me, it was kind of an education to learn how important these characters were. I wish I had been a little bit more thoughtful about it at the moment while I was doing it, but I’m hopeful that I might get another chance at some point to voice Superman.”
Producer Paul Dini highlightsDaly’s range: “The incredible Tim Daly did triple duty on the series. He brought warmth and empathy to Clark, strength and integrity to Superman and paired humor and tragedy with Bizarro.”
Clancy Brown adds, “Tim is such a good actor. I don’t know if anybody appreciates just how good he is. He’s saddled with those Superman good looks. He’s my Superman and I always think of him as the character. He and Dana Delaney are like my family.”
Asked whether he would have approached the character differently if he’d worn the suit in live action, Daly says no. “The difference wouldn’t be much, because in my imagination I was the Man of Steel. I had a cape and those tights and whatever the hell else he wears. But when you’re just doing the voice, it almost frees you in a way because it’s all in your imagination. It’s a release in a weird way to not have to get dressed in the costume.”
Still, the impact of what he’d done didn’t truly register until years later. “You know, a lot of people have asked me about being a part of the Superman legacy. It’s a hard thing to feel,” he says. “I guess the closest I came to realizing it was when I went to the Superman 75th anniversary panel at Comic-Con. I actually went because my son voiced Superman in The Flashpoint Paradox. I was in the audience and there was this huge room with like 4,000 people in it. They introduced me and I thought I would stand and wave for a little bit—and they gave me a thunderous standing ovation. I was absolutely shocked. I just couldn’t believe that all these people were that appreciative and that it was that important to them. I was really humbled by that.”
“If that’s true about being part of the legacy,” Daly concludes, “I’m happy. I hope that I live up to people’s expectations.”
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