Tom Welling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Welling
Welling in 2024
Born	Thomas Joseph Welling (1977-04-26) April 26, 1977 (age 48) Putnam Valley, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Model actor director
Years active	1998–present
Television	Smallville Lucifer Professionals The Winchesters
Spouse(s)	Jamie White ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2015)​ Jessica Rose Lee ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	2

Thomas "Tom" Joseph Welling (born April 26, 1977) is an American actor, director, and producer. He is also a podcaster and used to be a model. Tom is most famous for playing Clark Kent in the superhero TV show Smallville. This show aired from 2001 to 2011 on The WB, which is now The CW.

He also played Lt. Marcus Pierce, who was also Cain, in the TV show Lucifer from 2017 to 2018. Before acting, Tom was a high school athlete. He worked in construction and then started modeling clothes in 1998. In 2000, he began acting on TV. He has won and been nominated for several awards for his role as Clark Kent. Tom has also appeared in movies like Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and The Fog (2005). In 2022, he starred as Samuel Campbell in the fantasy series The Winchesters.

Early Life and Sports

Tom Welling was born in Putnam Valley, New York. His family moved around a lot when he was young. They lived in Wisconsin, Delaware, and Michigan. Tom went to Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan. He started acting in school plays there.

However, he soon focused on sports instead. Tom played baseball and soccer. His favorite sport was basketball. Tom is one of four children. He has two older sisters, Rebecca and Jamie. His younger brother, Mark Welling, is also an actor.

Tom's Career Journey

Starting in Modeling

Tom Welling first worked in construction. In 1998, a casting director named Jennifer Starr discovered him. She saw him at a party in Nantucket. She was looking for new faces for a Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign. She suggested he try modeling.

Tom modeled for Louisa Modeling Agency until 2000. Then, he moved to Los Angeles. There, he modeled for big brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Calvin Klein. At the same time, he started trying to get acting roles. In 2000, Tom was in a music video for Angela Via's song "Picture Perfect." He played her love interest in the video.

Tom has said he didn't really like modeling. He felt he wasn't good at it because it was only about how he looked. He wanted to act to show more feelings. Even so, Tom still models sometimes. He was in the May 2008 issue of Vogue magazine. This issue was called the Superhero Issue.

First Acting Roles

Tom's first big acting role was in the TV show Judging Amy. He played Rob "Karate Rob" Meltzer. He was a younger love interest for the main character, Amy Gray. This show aired in 2001. Tom was first hired for three episodes. But the producers liked him so much they kept him for three more.

Tom also had small parts in other TV shows. He was in the first episode of Special Unit 2. He also appeared in the first episode of Undeclared.

Becoming Clark Kent in Smallville

Welling in 2009

Tom Welling was chosen to play Clark Kent in the superhero show Smallville. This happened after a big search across the country. Tom shared a story about his audition day. He said he called his manager from a gas station. He wanted to tell him how the audition went. Suddenly, seven people were on the phone. They all said, "Tom, you got it!"

The first episode of Smallville aired in October 2001. It was a huge hit for The WB network. About 8.4 million people watched it. Tom told TV Guide that he actually turned down the role twice. But after reading the script, he decided to take the job.

Tom was not a Superman fan before playing Clark Kent. He even chose not to read Superman comics. He said, "We're doing something different... I don't want that to affect what I'm doing." He did get to meet two actors who played Superman before him. These were Christopher Reeve and Dean Cain.

In 2001, People magazine named Tom one of their "Breakthrough Stars." He also won a Teen Choice Award in 2002. It was for "Choice Breakout Star (Male)" for his role as Clark Kent.

After the third season, Tom was asked which character he would play if not Clark Kent. He said, "Lex Luthor! I wouldn't mind having my head shaved... it is the ultimate, getting to play the complete opposite of your character."

In 2003, Tom met with director Brett Ratner. They talked about him possibly playing Superman in the movie Superman Returns. But his schedule with Smallville didn't allow it. A comic book artist even drew pictures of Tom as Superman. In 2009, Tom won another Teen Choice Award. This time it was for "Choice TV Actor (Action Adventure)" for Smallville.

In 2019, Tom played Clark Kent again. This was for a special TV event called "Crisis on Infinite Earths". It was part of the CW Arrowverse shows. His Smallville co-star Erica Durance also returned as Lois Lane. In this story, Clark gave up his powers. He became a farmer and had two daughters with Lois.

On July 13, 2022, Tom and his Smallville co-star Michael Rosenbaum started a podcast. It's called Talkville. On the podcast, they talk about every episode of Smallville.

Lucifer and Other TV Roles

In 2017, Tom Welling returned to TV in the show Lucifer. He played Marcus Pierce, a police lieutenant. His character was also the immortal Cain.

Tom explained why he decided to return to television. A friend who worked on Smallville and Lucifer called him. He told Tom he would love the show. Tom watched several episodes and really liked it. He enjoyed working with the cast and crew. He said they had fun and were professional.

In 2020, Tom starred in the show Professionals. In 2022, he played Samuel Campbell in The Winchesters.

Tom's Film Roles

In December 2003, Tom Welling made his first movie appearance. He played Charlie Baker in the family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen. He acted alongside Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. This movie was a remake of a 1950 film. Tom said he wanted to do the movie because of Steve Martin. He also liked the character of Charlie.

In 2005, Tom was in the horror movie The Fog. This was a remake of a 1980 film. He played Nick Castle. While making The Fog, Tom was also finishing up the fourth season of Smallville. In the same year, he played Charlie Baker again in Cheaper by the Dozen 2.

In 2013, Tom was part of the cast for the drama Parkland. This movie was about the events at Parkland Hospital after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. In 2014, Tom co-starred in the sports drama Draft Day. He played a football quarterback whose career was at a turning point.

Working Behind the Camera

Tom Welling has also worked behind the scenes. For Smallville's ninth season, he was a co-executive producer. This means he helped manage the show's production. He became a full executive producer for the tenth and final season.

Tom also served as an executive producer for the CW show Hellcats. This was a comedy-drama about college cheerleaders. The show aired in 2010 but was canceled in 2011.

Directing Episodes

Tom Welling directed several episodes of Smallville. His first time directing was in 2006. He directed the episode "Fragile" (Season 5, Episode 18). He also directed "Hydro" (Season 6, Episode 10). He directed the show's 150th episode, "Apocalypse" (Season 7, Episode 18). Other episodes he directed include "Injustice" (Season 8, Episode 21) and "Absolute Justice Part 2" (Season 9, Episode 11). He also directed two episodes in the final season: "Patriot" (Season 10, Episode 9) and "Booster" (Season 10, Episode 18).

Tom's Personal Life

On July 5, 2002, Tom Welling married model Jamie White. The wedding was in Martha's Vineyard. His friends and Smallville co-stars Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum were there. Tom and Jamie lived in Vancouver, Canada, for a while. They moved back to Los Angeles in 2011. Jamie filed for divorce in 2013, and it was finalized in 2015.

In 2014, Tom started dating Jessica Rose Lee. She is a founder of Saddle Club. They announced their engagement in April 2018. Tom and Jessica have two sons. One was born in January 2019 and the other in June 2021. They got married on November 30, 2019, in California.

In his free time, Tom Welling enjoys playing golf. He has said that he doesn't like interviews very much. He prefers to work and then live a private life. He also mentioned that he didn't enjoy modeling because it didn't feel meaningful to him.

Filmography

Film

Television

Crew Role

Music Video

Awards and Nominations

Here is a list of awards and nominations Tom Welling has received for his acting.

Nominations

• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: 5 nominations, 0 wins
  • Saturn Award nomination, (2002), Best Actor in a Television Series (Smallville)
  • Saturn Award nomination, (2003), Best Actor in a Television Series (Smallville)
  • Saturn Award nomination, (2004), Best Actor in a Television Series (Smallville)
  • Saturn Award nomination, (2005), Best Actor in a Television Series (Smallville)
  • Saturn Award nomination, (2006), Best Actor in a Television Series (Smallville)
• Teen Choice Awards: 10 nominations, 2 wins
  • Teen Choice Award nomination (2002), Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award won, (2002), Choice Breakout Star: Male (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2003), Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2004), Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2004), Choice Breakout Star: Male (Cheaper by the Dozen)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2005), Choice Actor: Drama (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2006), Choice Chemistry (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2006), Choice Actor: Drama/Action Adventure (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award nomination, (2008), Choice Actor: Action (Smallville)
  • Teen Choice Award won, (2009), Choice Actor: Action (Smallville)

Awards

Images for kids

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  Welling in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Tom Welling para niños