# George Newbern
**George Newbern** (full name George Young Newbern) is an American film, television, and voice actor from [Little Rock, Arkansas](https://www.edgepedia.org/little-rock-arkansas), best known as the voice of Superman in DC animated series and video games beginning with 2001's *[Justice League](https://www.edgepedia.org/justice-league-tv-series)*, and for playing Charlie on the ABC drama *Scandal* and Bryan MacKenzie in *Father of the Bride* (1991) and its 1995 sequel[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964, Little Rock, Arkansas; son of Betty, a Spanish teacher, and David, a radiologist[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern) |
| Education | Northwestern University, 1986; also studied at the Minneapolis Children's Theatre and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964) |
| Signature voice role | Clark Kent/Superman in DC cartoons and video games starting with 2001's *Justice League*; voiced the character for over 17 years across the franchise[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) • [5](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/george-newbern) |
| Other signature voice role | Sephiroth in English-language releases of *Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children*, *Kingdom Hearts II*, *Dirge of Cerberus*, *Crisis Core*, and *Dissidia Final Fantasy*[6](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern) |
| Live-action TV | Charlie on *Scandal*, 69 episodes (2012–2018); recurring roles on *Designing Women*, *Bull*, *Providence*, and *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern) |
| Award | 2013 BTVA Special/DVD Voice Acting Award, Best Male Vocal Performance in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short: winner[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/) |
| Audiobook work | Over 350 credits on Audible as of September 2020[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) |
## Early life and education
Newbern began acting at age 12 in a community production of *Life with Father* and won a summer scholarship to the Minneapolis Children's Theatre at 14[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/). As a child he performed in productions at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, which led to his first, uncredited screen appearance in the 1982 television miniseries *The Blue and the Gray*[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10110/george-newbern). He earned a degree from [Northwestern University](https://www.edgepedia.org/northwestern-university) in 1986; [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) describes it as a degree in theatrical arts, while Encyclopedia.com records a bachelor's degree in speech[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964). He also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964).
Published sources disagree on his exact birth date: Encyclopedia.com and NNDB list December 10, 1964, while IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and TV Insider list December 30, 1964[4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) • [9](https://www.nndb.com/people/627/000132231/).
## Live-action career
Newbern's first lead television role came in 1987 with *Double Switch* on ABC, a retelling of [Mark Twain](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-twain)'s *The Prince and the Pauper* that aired as part of *The Wonderful World of Disney*[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/george-newbern/). In the late 1980s and early 1990s he had a recurring role as Payne McElroy on the CBS comedy *Designing Women* (1986–1993)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern).
His early film work included *Adventures in Babysitting* (1987), opposite [Elisabeth Shue](https://www.edgepedia.org/elisabeth-shue), *Switching Channels* (1988), and *It Takes Two* (1988), his first lead role on the big screen[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964). In 1991 he played Bryan MacKenzie, the prospective son-in-law, in *Father of the Bride* opposite [Steve Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-martin) and [Diane Keaton](https://www.edgepedia.org/diane-keaton), and reprised the role in *Father of the Bride Part II* (1995)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern). He returned to the character in the 2020 reunion short *Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish)*[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits).
Television work through the 1990s and 2000s included three episodes of *Friends* in 1998 as Danny, a principal role in the TNT series *Bull* (2000, 20 episodes before cancellation after one season), and guest appearances on shows such as *CSI*, *Criminal Minds*, *[Private Practice](https://www.edgepedia.org/private-practice-tv-series)*, *Nip/Tuck*, and *The Mentalist*[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern) • [6](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern). His most prominent live-action role came as Charlie, a fixer on the ABC series *[Scandal](https://www.edgepedia.org/scandal-tv-series)*, which he played in 69 episodes from 2012 to 2018[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits). Newbern has described the pairing of his two best-known live-action parts as a deliberate contrast: "I did the nicest guy possible in *Father of the Bride* and then the worst guy in *Scandal* and they were both memorable"[11](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/father-of-the-brides-george-newbern-says-there-is-a-third-movie-script-w508020/).
## The voice of Superman
Newbern began voicing Clark Kent/Superman with the animated series *Justice League*, which premiered on [Cartoon Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/cartoon-network) in 2001, taking over from [Tim Daly](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-daly), who had played the character in *Superman: The Animated Series*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) • [12](https://comicsworthreading.com/2012/06/02/george-newbern-on-playing-superman-praises-comics/). He continued in the role through *Justice League Unlimited* and later reprised it in direct-to-video films including *Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam* (2010), *Superman vs. The Elite* (2012), and *Justice League vs. The Fatal Five* (2019)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern). By one accounting he voiced the character for over 17 years across the [Justice League](https://www.edgepedia.org/justice-league) animated film, television, and video game franchise[5](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/george-newbern).
He has also played Superman in video games, including *Injustice: Gods Among Us* (2013), *Injustice 2* (2017), and *MultiVersus* (2024)[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits). Explaining his approach to the character, he has said that super powers are "just ancillary" and that the character's principles and understanding are what define him[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/). Within the same franchise he has also voiced other roles, notably [Steve Trevor](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-trevor) in *Justice League: War* (2014) and *Justice League: Throne of Atlantis* (2015)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern).
## Sephiroth and other voice work
Newbern's voice acting career began in 1991 with the cartoon series *The Pirates of Dark Water*, and in 1995 he provided the voice of the title character in the [Whoopi Goldberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/whoopi-goldberg) comedy *Theodore Rex*[6](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern). He became widely known among game players as the English voice of Sephiroth in *Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children*, *Kingdom Hearts II*, *Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII*, *Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII*, and *Dissidia: Final Fantasy*; he also voiced Meyvn Nooj in *Final Fantasy X-2* (2003)[6](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern) • [4](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964). Later English-dub work includes Hercules in *Record of Ragnarok* (2023)[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits).
He is also a prolific audiobook narrator; as of September 2020 he had over 350 credits on Audible[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/).
## Awards and recognition
Newbern won the 2013 BTVA Special/DVD Voice Acting Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short, and was nominated the same year for Best Vocal Ensemble in the same category[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/). He was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame[13](https://www.arentertainershalloffame.org/classes/newbern.html).
## Personal life
Newbern married actress Marietta DePrima in 1990; the couple have three children, Emma, Mae, and Ben[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/) • [6](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern).
## References
1. [George Newbern, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/)
2. [George Newbern Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_newbern)
3. [George Newbern Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/george-newbern/bio/3030007673/)
4. [Newbern, George 1964–, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/newbern-george-1964)
5. [George Newbern, Artist & Brand](https://www.artistandbrand.com/clients/george-newbern)
6. [George Newbern, Criminal Minds Wiki](https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/George_Newbern)
7. [George Newbern full credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627624/fullcredits)
8. [George Newbern, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/10110/george-newbern)
9. [George Newbern, NNDB](https://www.nndb.com/people/627/000132231/)
10. [George Newbern, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/george-newbern/)
11. [Father of the Bride's George Newbern Says There Is a Third Movie Script, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/father-of-the-brides-george-newbern-says-there-is-a-third-movie-script-w508020/)
12. [George Newbern on Playing Superman, Praises Comics, Comics Worth Reading](https://comicsworthreading.com/2012/06/02/george-newbern-on-playing-superman-praises-comics/)
13. [Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame – George Newbern](https://www.arentertainershalloffame.org/classes/newbern.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Mo to N*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license