Tom Welling

For ten years he was known as Clark Kent and in some eyes, he was our favorite Clark. It was the role in Smallville that shot Tom Welling to stardom, but he hasn’t embraced the Hollywood limelight like some other stars.

Though the series has been off the air for quite a time, it looks like he’s going to revisit the show with another star from the series.

TOM WELLING AND MICHAEL ROSENBAUM MAKING A SMALLVILLE REWATCH PODCAST

It’s become something of the rage for former stars of television shows to get together and take a look back at the series that made them famous. These are often done through an episode-by-episode rewatch and fans have flocked to the format. Now, Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum are going to be doing one for Smallville and it could be a must-listen for fans. Check out Tom Welling announcing the new podcast Talkville which will be coming out each week.

Considering Rosenbaum’s success in the podcasting space already with Inside of You, this does look like it could really take off.

TOM WELLING STARRED AS CLARK KENT ON SMALLVILLE

Smallville was at first going to be Bruce Wayne, a series following Wayne’s journey toward becoming Batman (yes, just like Gotham). But at the time, the idea just didn’t generate the interest needed to get that Batball rolling. What came from it, though, was Smallville.

Smallville was the story of a young Clark Kent, a teenager in high school, dealing with superpowers he is trying to keep hidden. In fact, series creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar pitched the idea to the then Warner Bros. president of television as a “no tights, no flights” rule. They would only be examining Clark Kent before and as he was becoming Superman. But not in full Supe gear. It worked.

The series starred Tom Welling as Clark Kent, the role that brought him mass fame. He was joined by immediately famous co-stars Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang, Annette O’Toole and John Schneider as Clark’s parents and Michael Rosenbaum as villain to be Lex Luthor. John Glover also appeared as Luthor’s father. Erica Durance came onboard during season four as Lois Lane.

Smallville was an immediate hit for Tom Welling and the show’s cast. It set a ratings record for WB, debuting the show with 8.4 million viewers and was a consistent watch over its ten seasons. The series also received its fair share of awards that ranged from Teen Choice to Emmys. So with all the pub, with all the accolades, where is Tom Welling now?

TOM WELLING STARRED IN CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN AFTER SMALLVILLE

It’s not that he didn’t try to make the jump away from Superman. Tom Welling, while performing on Smallville, did step into the feature film arena.

His first foray was the Steve Martin-led comedy Cheaper by the Dozen. He then found himself in the horror remake of The Fog, following that up with the sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Somehow, that would be his last feature film for a very long time. Eight years to be exact.

During his ten-year run on Smallville and besides his few feature films, Smallville was all that Tom Welling appeared in. Not that he wasn’t busy. During its run, Welling was able to put on the producer’s hat, both regular producer and executive producer, for many of the series’ episodes.

As Smallville was ending, he jumped aboard the TV series Hellcats as its executive producer. And finally, though it took some time, he was not only the star of the TV series Professionals, he was also its executive producer.

Being an executive producer was not the only role Welling played behind the camera. During his time on Smallville, he also found himself in the directors’ chair on several occasions.

TOM WELLING LANDS ON LUCIFER

Once Smallville ended, Tom Welling found himself on a two-year vacay. He came back with a few features. Parkland, a movie that covered the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Draft Day, the Kevin Costner NFL draft flick, and The Choice. All respectable, but for a man who hit it big with Smallville, not what was expected.

It took Tom Welling six long years to find his way back to the small screen and perhaps it was a deal with the Devil that got him there. He told Variety about his decision to return to the small screen on the TV series Lucifer. “There was actually another project that I was chasing that I didn’t get. I was told in a very kind way that I just wasn’t the guy for this particular role that I was chasing, but having gone out for that role, the idea of moving back into television became more of a reality for me and it was exciting. Joe Henderson, who’s one of the producers, had watched “Smallville.” They called on a Monday, and I was at work on Friday.”

So, what was it that convinced him to return to TV? “Joe explained to me the arc of the character, which was vast, and it was a slow burn from the beginning. The whole point of the first third of the season is no one’s supposed to know who I am or why I’m there. The whole point is we want people to be like, “Who is he? Why is Tom even playing this role?” And we’re at a point in the season now where you realize he’s not who he said he was, and things are heating up in the love triangle, and I think from here the train’s really taking off.”

Tom Welling enjoyed two seasons as Marcus Pierce on Lucifer, but it wouldn’t be until the following year that he would look back into his past.

TOM WELLING RETURNS TO SUPERMAN IN THE ARROWVERSE

In this day and age, it’s easy to go back. Especially when in Hollywood. For Tom Welling, going back meant playing Clark Kent one more time. It was Batwoman and the Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two that saw Welling return to his roots as Clark Kent. This big event covered the CW series’ Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, with all previous versions of superheroes on display. Not only did Tom Welling reprise his role as Kent, but Brandon Routh and Tyler Hoechlin did the same.

TOM WELLING IS MARRIED TO JESSICA ROSE LEE

It’s a strange career that Tom Welling has forged for himself. Once one of the biggest TV stars, he never really embraced the Hollywood lifestyle.

Now 43-years-old, Tom Welling married his second wife Jessica Rose Lee in 2019. They have a son together and Tom reportedly spends a lot of time playing golf. For the most part, he has kept low-key, a twice-married family man, picky about what roles he takes on.

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Talking to YM Magazine Welling once said, “I don’t want to be a celebrity for the sake of being a celebrity. I want to work and then go home and live in private.”

AN ANIMATED SMALLVILLE REBOOT IS HAPPENING

Ever since Tom Welling’s Smallville series ended over a decade ago, he has been relatively inactive from the small screen. He made a 22-episode arc on the hit show Lucifer, then reprised his Clark Kent role in the 2019 animated series Batwoman, but that is about it. His big-screen production has been just as light with the 2016 film, The Choice, being his last film. All that may be changing.

As we reported earlier, Mr. Welling appears to be heading back to Smallville in an animated capacity. The series, which still doesn’t have a home, is looking to bring back Mr. Welling in his Clark Kent/Superman role. According to Mr. Welling, the series looks to pick up Clark Kent’s life right after Smallville’s season 10 ended.

Tom Welling is hoping that Erica Durance (Smallville’s Lois Lane) will be involved along with Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), John Glover (Lionel Luthor), and Sam Jones III (Pete Ross). Mr. Welling didn’t make mention of Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) but he did speak about Allison Mack briefly, just saying “…it may be tough to get Allison,” referring to all her legal troubles.

IN THE PROFESSIONALS WITH BRENDAN FRASER

Believe it or not, the TV series Professionals, which stars Tom Welling and another actor who is enjoying a major resurgence, Brendan Fraser, has actually aired on a few channels around the world, just not here in the United States. The series was filmed in 2020, during the height (or one of the heights) of the COVID pandemic and was eventually purchased by The CW. To date, there has been no official announcement as to when The CW plans to air the series.

Professionals finds Mr. Welling playing a top security specialist, Vincent Corbo, who uses his abilities to protect the interests of the rich and powerful. Mr. Fraser is on board as billionaire Peter Swann, who hires Corbo after one of Swann’s satellites takes a “Swann” dive after its launch. Swann thinks foul play and brings in Corbo and his team to get to the bottom of the downed satellite. 

Other than those projects (and an appearance on Mr. Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast), Tom Welling only has one other project set up. It is an action thriller titled Deep Six and has Mr. Welling playing an ex-con who, upon his release, is forced to go undercover with five other men to spy on a group of baddies. When the five men he was hired with end up dead, Mr. Welling’s character must go toe-to-toe with the bad guys, not knowing if they know who he truly is.