David Corenswet

David Packard Corenswet is a Jewish American actor best known for his portrayal of Superman in James Gunn’s 2025 film, Superman, the first installment in the rebooted DC Universe. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Corenswet was born into a family that bridged the legal and artistic worlds. His mother, Caroline Packard, is a lawyer, and his late father, John Corenswet, practiced law after an early career as a stage actor in New York. His maternal grandfather, Edward Packard, created the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, a contribution to American popular culture that hints at the family’s literary and imaginative leanings. Corenswet’s father came from a Jewish family with roots in New Orleans, while his mother was raised a Quaker.

Corenswet’s exposure to performance began at a young age. At nine, he appeared in a local production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and would go on to perform in Shakespearean and musical productions throughout the Philadelphia region. He attended the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, participating in athletics and the arts, and studied psychology at the University of Pennsylvania before transferring to The Juilliard School in New York City. There, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama in 2016.

While at Juilliard, Corenswet co-wrote and starred in a web series, Moe & Jerryweather, and continued writing and performing original material. Upon graduation, he began taking guest roles in series such as House of Cards, Elementary, and Instinct, before landing his breakout role in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series The Politician (2019), in which he played River Barkley. He reunited with Murphy for the 2020 miniseries Hollywood, portraying a fictionalized version of a postwar Hollywood actor. His early film work included the political thriller Affairs of State (2018) and the A24 horror film Pearl (2022), which brought him to the attention of Superman director James Gunn.

By the early 2020s, Corenswet had appeared in several high-profile projects, including HBO’s We Own This City (2022), Netflix’s romantic drama Look Both Ways (2022), the disaster film Twisters (2024), and The Greatest Hits (2024). In June 2023, he was officially cast as Superman, a role he had once described as his “pie-in-the-sky ambition.” Filming began in early 2024 and concluded later that year, with Superman set for theatrical release on July 11, 2025.

Corenswet has expressed interest in directing and screenwriting in the future, continuing a tradition of creative ambition in his family. He resides near Philadelphia with his wife, actor Julia Best Warner, and their daughter. Although private about his personal life, he has acknowledged his Jewish heritage and maintains a deep appreciation for classic American cinema and jazz, influences that shape his artistic identity.

Sources: “David Corenswet,” biography.com.
“David Corenswet,” Britannica.
“David Corenswet,” Famous Birthdays.
“David Corenswet Biography,” IMDB.
“David Corenswet Biography,” tribute.ca.
“David Corenswet,” Variety.
Eliana Dockterman, “Meet David Corenswet, the New Superman,” Time, (April 1, 2025).

Photo: Patrick Cristiano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.