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George Newbern

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George Newbern
Newbern at the 2019 WonderCon
Born (1964-12-30) December 30, 1964 (age 59)
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Spouse
(m. 1990)
Children3

George Newbern (born December 30, 1964) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Charlie in the ABC show Scandal (2012–2018) and Bryan MacKenzie in Father of the Bride (1991) and its sequels Father of the Bride Part II (1995) and Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish) (2020). He guest starred as Danny (The Yeti) in Friends and had a recurring role as Julia's son Payne in Designing Women.

He is also known for his long-running role as the voice of Superman in various DC media starting with the animated series Justice League, as well as the voice of Sephiroth in the Final Fantasy series and the Kingdom Hearts series.

Early life

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Having grown up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Newbern is the son of Betty, a Spanish teacher and David Newbern, a radiologist. George has two brothers (Gordon and John) and one sister (Murry).[1]

Career

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Film and television

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He began his acting career at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, in the role of the younger brother in Life with Father, based on Clarence S. Day Jr.'s autobiographical novels. This first acting role spurred him on to other acting roles and eventually on to film roles. Newbern's first lead role was in 1987's Double Switch, a retelling of The Prince and the Pauper that aired as a part of the Wonderful World of Disney television series.

From 1986 to 1992, Newbern had a recurring role as Payne McIlroy, the son of designer Julia Sugarbaker (played by Dixie Carter), on the series Designing Women. He has since guest-starred on television in such series as Providence, Chicago Hope, Friends, Bull, CSI, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Touched by an Angel, Criminal Minds, and Private Practice. He had a recurring role for several seasons as a former CIA operative in Scandal.

He starred as Neal Morris, father of Melissa Morris (Emily Osment), in the 2009 Disney Channel film Dadnapped, and portrayed Apollo 14 astronaut Stu Roosa in the HBO mini-series From The Earth To The Moon. Film credits include Adventures in Babysitting (1987) with Elisabeth Shue; Double Switch (1987); Switching Channels (1988) with Kathleen Turner, Burt Reynolds and Christopher Reeve; and Father of the Bride (1991) and its sequel Father of the Bride Part II. In 2009 he appeared in Locker 13.

Newbern at the Muppets Most Wanted premiere in March 2014

Voice acting

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As a voice actor, Newbern is notable for his role as Clark Kent/Superman on the Cartoon Network series Justice League, Static Shock and Justice League Unlimited (replacing Tim Daly due to his obligations elsewhere). He also reprised his role as Superman in The Batman, the DC Showcase short Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam, and Superman vs. The Elite. On February 26, 2016, the DC Universe Online Facebook page reported that Newbern would be taking over the role of Superman from Adam Baldwin. He also provides the voice of Superman in the game Injustice: Gods Among Us and its sequel. Newbern has portrayed the character longer than any other actor in live-action and animation.

Newbern also lent his voice in the cartoon series The Pirates of Dark Water, and he has also done voiceovers on a number of video games and game-related productions. He has also voiced in the infamous Theodore Rex as the character of the same name. In 2003, Newbern provided the voice of Mevyn Nooj in Final Fantasy X-2. He also voiced Sephiroth in the Final Fantasy series and the Kingdom Hearts series.

His performance as Nooj reportedly impressed the developers at Square Enix enough for them to cast him as Sephiroth in the English version of Kingdom Hearts II (replacing Lance Bass) and he would also go on to reprise the role in the English-language releases of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy and Dissidia Final Fantasy NT. He later appeared in the second season of Jericho as the President of the Allied States of America. Newbern also narrated Toyota's commercials for the 2010 model year of the Prius, one of the car company's younger automotive models, and portrayed Harold in Saw VI.

Newbern is also a prolific narrator of audiobooks, with narration credits on nearly 500 titles.

Personal life

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Newbern met actress Marietta DePrima in the mid-1980s. They graduated together at Northwestern University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.[2] The couple married in 1990, and have three children.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 My Little Girl Woody
1987 Adventures in Babysitting Dan Lynch
Double Switch Bart / Matt Television film
1988 Paramedics Uptown
Switching Channels Siegenthaler
It Takes Two Travis Rogers
1991 Father of the Bride Bryan MacKenzie
1992 Little Sister Mike
1993 Doorways Dr. Thomas Mason Television film
Doppelganger Patrick Highsmith Television film
Torch Song Wedge Television film
1994 Power Play Justin Avery
I Spy Returns Bennett Robinson Television film
Witness to the Execution Phillip Tyler Television film
1995 Father of the Bride Part II Bryan MacKenzie
Theodore Rex Theodore Rex Voice[3]
1996 Far Harbor Jordan
The Evening Star Tommy Horton
1998 Twice Upon a Time Joe Television film
The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn Christian Nelson Television film
1999 Friends and Lovers Ian Wickam
2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2 Tom Television film
2001 The Sons of Mistletoe Jimmy Adams Television film
2003 Kids' Ten Commandments: Stolen Gearts Matthew Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2005 Buffalo Dreams Dr. Nick Townsend Television film
2006 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Sephiroth Voice[3]
2007 A Dennis the Menace Christmas Henry Mitchell
2008 Fireflies in the Garden Jimmy
Batman: Gotham Knight Clark Kent, Man in Black, Guido, Man, Youth 3 Voice
2009 The Patient George
Dadnapped Neal Morris Television film
Locker 13 Robert Diener Segment: "Midnight Blues"
Saw VI Harold Abbott
2010 Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam Clark Kent/Superman Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2011 The Heart of Christmas Dr. Sandler Television film
2012 3 Day Test Martin Taylor Direct-to-video
Monster High: Escape from Skull Shores Andy Beast Voice, television film[3]
Superman vs. The Elite Clark Kent/Superman Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2014 Justice League: War Steve Trevor Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2015 Justice League: Throne of Atlantis Steve Trevor Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2016 Pup Star Bark Voice, direct-to-video[3]
2017 Pup Star: Better 2Gether Bark Voice, direct-to-video[3]
I Am Elizabeth Smart Ed Smart Television film
2018 Brimming With Love Addison Rickford Television film
2019 Justice League vs. the Fatal Five Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman Voice, direct-to-video[3][4]
2020 Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish) Bryan MacKenzie Short film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Blue and the Gray Pvt Lawrence Jones (Union deserter at Bull Run) Miniseries
1986 Family Ties Eric Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1986–1992 Designing Women Payne McIlroy 4 episodes
1990 Poochinski Det. Robert McKay TV pilot
Working Girl Everett Rutledge 12 episodes
1991–1993 The Pirates of Dark Water Ren Voice
1995 Courthouse Sean 5 episodes
1997 Gold Fever Will Patterson Documentary
Touched by an Angel Michael Burns Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 1"
Promised Land Michael Burns Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 2"
The Outer Limits Ryan Unger Episode: "Stream of Consciousness"
Adventures from the Book of Virtues Damon Voice, episode: "Friendship"
Perversions of Science Walter Episode: "Planely Possible"
1997–1998 Chicago Hope Dr. Scott Frank 6 episodes
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Stuart Roosa Miniseries
Friends Danny 3 episodes
2000 Bull Robert "Ditto" Roberts III 20 episodes
2001–2004 Justice League Clark Kent / Superman Voice, main role
2002 Providence Owen Frank 21 episodes
2003 Static Shock Clark Kent / Superman Voice, episode: "Toys in the Hood"[3]
2004 Boston Legal Dr. Allen Konigsberg Episode: "Loose Lips"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Todd Coombs Episode: "Bloodlines"
Johnny Bravo Man, Waiter, Moustache Man Voice, episode: "Get Shovelized/T Is for Trouble"[3]
2005 Las Vegas Matt Monroe Episode: "For Sail by Owner"
2004–2006 Justice League Unlimited Clark Kent / Superman, Bizarro Voice, main role[3]
2005-2006 Reunion Paul Phillips Recurring role, five episodes
2006 Cold Case Bill Huxley (1979) Episode: "The Key"
2006–2008 The Batman Clark Kent / Superman Voice, 4 episodes[3]
2008 CSI: Miami Kevin Weaver Episode: "To Kill a Predator"
Ben 10: Alien Force Frank Tennyson Voice, episode: "What Are Little Girls Made Of"[3]
Grey's Anatomy Stan Mercer Episode: "There's No 'I' in Team"
Ghost Whisperer Roger Gardner Episode: "Ball & Chain"
Jericho President John Tomarchio Episode: "Condor"
2009 Criminal Minds Steven Baleman Episode: "Soul Mates"
CSI: NY Alex Sheridan Episode: "Rush to Judgement"
Castle Howard Peterson Episode: "Nanny McDead"
The Cleaner Perry Episode: "Path of Least Resistance"
Private Practice Brian Reynolds Episode: "Slip Slidin' Away"
2010 Nip/Tuck Dr. Curtis Ryerson 4 episodes
The Mentalist Dr. Cliff Edmunds Episode: "Code Red"
Miami Medical Frank Episode: "All Fall Down"
NCIS Arthur Haskell Episode: "Dead Air"
Suite 7 Gil Episode: “Supermen”
2010–2011 Hot in Cleveland Jordan 2 episodes
2012–2018 Scandal Charlie Recurring role
2015 Granite Flats Scottie Andrews 8 episodes
2017 Grimm Julian Levy Episode: "The Son Also Rises"
2018–present Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Al Pollack Recurring role
2022 Reboot Anders Episode: "Step Right Up"
2022 Close Enough Sam Snood the Science Dude Voice, episode: "Bridgette the Brain"
2023 Record of Ragnarok Hercules Voice[3]

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 Final Fantasy X-2 Nooj [3]
2005 Kingdom Hearts II Sephiroth [3]
2007 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
2008 Dissidia Final Fantasy
2011 Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Commander Naughlen, Master Volryder, Captain Perovius, Kon Yel, Lieutenant Tasser, Scientist Uncredited
2013 Injustice: Gods Among Us Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman
2016 DC Universe Online
2017 Injustice 2 [3]
2018 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Sephiroth [3]
Mobius Final Fantasy
2022 MultiVersus Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lipton, Michael A. (January 8, 1996). "Adventure in Babysitting". People. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  2. ^ "Notable Thetas". Kappa Alpha Theta. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "George Newbern (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 9, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  4. ^ Couch, Aaron (January 7, 2019). "'Justice League vs. The Fatal Five' Sets Voice Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  5. ^ Villei, Matt (November 18, 2021). "'MultiVersus' Trailer Shows Warner Bros. Characters Getting Their Own 'Smash Bros.'". Collider. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
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