Name: Tom Welling D.O.B.: April 26, 1977 Height: 6'4" Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel How You Know Him: Tom is the star of the hit show Smallville about the young Clark Kent (you know, Superman).
Hometown: Tom was born in upstate New York, but moved around the United States, making stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Delaware.
High School: Okemos High School, Okemos, Michigan. Tom did a few school plays during high school, but then switched over to sports like baseball and soccer.
Hey Good Lookin': It shouldn't be surprising that hottie Tom did a little modeling to pay the bills before he landed acting roles. He worked for a while for the Louisa Modeling Agency.
Big Break: Tom's biggest role before Smallville was as Rob Meltzer, or "Karate Rob," on Judging Amy. "I was the 10-years-younger love interest for Amy Brenneman's character and also her daughter's karate instructor, which caused a little conflict of interest," explains Tom. "It was a great role...a three-episode job, and over Christmas, they aired the episodes and got such good feedback they brought me back for three more. It was actually Amy Brenneman's first love affair on the show." Sounds like Tom made quite a splash as the cute karate instructor.

He also had small roles on Undeclared and Special Unit 2.
Landing the Part: Tom went through the typical long audition process before landing the role of Clark Kent. Finally, it was down to just two people. "I went to the final screen test between me and another fellow," Tom recalls. "I was on my way back from the Warner Bros. studio, and I stopped in a gas station to call my manager and tell him how it went. I called and get him on the phone and he said, 'Can you hold on a second?' Next thing I know, there are literally seven people on the other line and almost in unison they say, 'Tom, you got it!'" Way Up North: Unlike most shows, which shoot in Los Angeles, Smallville is shot in Vancouver, Canada. "I feel fortunate that we're shooting in Vancouver. We're able to kind of focus on what we're doing a little bit more and the shooting schedule doesn't leave much choice." Because he's in almost every scene, almost all of Tom's time is taken up by Smallville.
Super-Factoid: Tom isn't a big Superman junkie. He hasn't read all the comics or anything, but he did dress as Superman for Halloween two years in a row when he was 4 and 5 years old. The Downsides of Playing a Superhero: Because he plays someone who is superhuman, Tom has to be very careful with his body. He's not allowed to gain any weight and he can't play his favorite sport, basketball, because the producers don't want him to get injured. "What would happen if I got a black eye?" says Tom.
Teenage Rebellion: Just because he's a superhero in the making doesn't mean Clark Kent isn't also a typical teenager. He doesn't always get along with his parents, and he doesn't always make the right decisions. "Clark's not always going to be the nice guy," explains Tom. "He won't always do the right thing. He's a teenage kid trying to grasp the concept of these abilities, and what he's here for, and how did he get here and where is he going. There's going to be anger and vengeance and violence." As Tom says, "We all know how he turns out; this is the journey of how he gets there."
It Ain't Easy: Even though Clark's powers let him do amazing things, they also isolate him from everyone around him. "Here you are able to do these things, but no one else can do them," explains Tom. "He's unable to go with his buddies and be like, 'You know, I can't hurt myself. Let's see how far this goes. Let's go to the top of that building and jump off.'" Clark's inability to share his gifts with his friends makes him feel pretty lonely. "That's really what the show is about: Him finding out who he is and what he's here for. He's got these abilities that he doesn't necessarily understand and it alienates him in a lot of ways. He just wants to be a normal high school kid." Poor Clark. We guess x-ray vision and super speed aren't all their cracked up to be.
Daddy Duke: Tom's TV dad, Jonathan Kent, is played by former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider. Tom was a little intimidated to meet John at first, but now they are very close. "He and I were just instant friends," says Tom, and the chemistry shows on screen. When Tom asked John for advice on his career, John thought for a while and then told his TV son, "Save your money." Good advice from a guy who's been though some big career ups and downs. (Speaking of parents, the role of Clark's mom, Martha, was recast after the show was picked up. Annette O'Toole, who starred as Lana Lang in Christopher Reeve's third "Superman" movie, replaced Cynthia Ettinger as superman's adopted mama.) Man of Steel: If Tom could have one of his character's super powers in real life, he would choose invincibility. He thinks it would be cool if nothing at all could hurt you. "If I was invincible, maybe I would take up some extreme sports," says Tom.