<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Superman Character
Perry White
Counted as one of Superman's friends.
Status	Married
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Origin	Metropolis
Portrayed by	Pierre Watkin John Hamilton Jackie Cooper Lane Smith George Dzundza Michael McKean Frank Langella
First Appearance	(Golden Age) Superman (volume 1) #7 (1940), (Modern Age) The Man of Steel #2 (1986)
Profession	Managing Editor- Daily Planet
Relatives	Alice Spencer White (wife), Jerry White (son -deceased) Keith Robert White (adopted son)
Special Features

Perry White is a fictional comic book character. He is a supporting character in the Superman comic book series.

Perry Jerome White is the Managing Editor of the Daily Planet, a "great Metropolitan newspaper". In his role as boss to Clark Kent (Superman), Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, he has been portrayed in every medium as the personification of the very "tough" but fair employer.

Character Origin

Perry grew up in Suicide Slum, a really rough neighborhood in Metropolis. He started as a newsboy, then copy boy at age 10. Eventually, he married Alice Spencer and worked his way up to becoming the leading reporter. He and Alice had a son, Jerry White, who later died of a gunshot wound. Lex Luthor once owned the Daily Planet, but Perry arranged for a consortium to buy it from him, on the condition that he come on as Managing Editor.

Other History

Perry had a battle with cancer, but it is currently in remission. Since then, he has given up cigars.

Due to continuity changes related to the maxi-series Superman:Birthright and Crisis on Infinite Earths, the following history may no longer be in continuity. Perry knew Lex Luthor in school. Luthor seduced Perry's wife when he was overseas reporting on a war, convincing her that Perry was dead. As a result, Luthor was Jerry White's biological father. For these and other reasons, Perry has a long standing dislike and distrust of Luthor.

Tip: Don't call him Chief!

Perry White Portrayals

• In the 1941 animated series, voice artist Julian Noa voiced the role of Perry White though his performance went uncredited

• Pierre Watkin took on the role in Atom Man vs. Superman in 1950. Watkin was known for playing distinguished and condescending characters

• John Hamilton portrayed Perry for six seasons of the 1952 series Adventures of Superman. The role was one of his last before his death in 1958

• Eric Mason performed the role on stage in the Broadway musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman

• Jackson Beck appeared as White in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. Beck had previously played White in the 1942 shorts Electric Earthquake, The Arctic Giant and served as the narrator of the animated The New Adventures of Superman

• Jackie Cooper played White in the classic 1978, Superman: The Movie. He reprised the role in Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

• Lane Smith portrayed White for the four seasons of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

• Voice artist George Dzundza first voiced the role of White in the 1996 animated movie Superman: The Last Son of Krypton and series Superman: The Animated Series. He also performed in The Batman/Superman Movie, and Superman: Braniac Attacks

• In 2005 when the film series was revived with Superman Returns, Frank Langella took on the role, though the film focused more on his nephew, Richard White.

• Michael McKean portrayed White in a guest appearance on the series Smallville. The character was portrayed as a hard nosed down on his luck tabloid reporter prior to the days when he would eventually become editor in chief of the Daily Planet.