Take the BuddyTV Personality Quiz: Which Smallville Character Are You? Thomas John Patrick Welling was born on April 26, 1977 in Putnam Valley, New York. The son of a former General Motors executive and a homemaker, Welling has three siblings. As he was growing up, his family had to relocate often due to his father’s job. Eventually, they settled down in Okemos, Michigan, where he entered Okemos High School as a junior student. A talented athlete, Welling participated in such sports as baseball, basketball and soccer, and after graduation, began working in construction.
While at a party in Nantucket in 1998, Welling caught the eye of a catalogue camera scout. The scout encouraged him to get into modeling, and two years later, Welling moved to Los Angeles and modeled for various print ad campaigns, including Tommy Hilfiger. At the same time, he actively pursued his acting career by appearing in a number of commercials and one music video. He made his television series debut on the CBS show Judging Amy, where played karate instructor Robert Meltzer. His subsequent television roles were on the shows Special Unit 2 and Undeclared.
At present, Welling is most known for his portrayal of the young Clark Kent in the WB hit series, Smallville. Welling was chosen for the part after a nationwide search, but he did not accept the role right away. After passing up the role twice, he got a hold of the script, and after reading it, was finally convinced to play the young superhero. His portrayal earned him a 2002 Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Star (Male) and a place in People Magazine’s Breakthrough Stars of 2001.
Welling has also appeared in a number of big screen projects to his name. He portrayed Charlie Baker in the family comedy Cheaper By the Dozen, opposite comedian Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. He reprised the role in the film’s 2005 sequel, Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Additionally, he appeared as Nick Castle in the 2005 remake of The Fog.
In talking about his transition from modeling to acting, Welling said, “You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself.”
(Photo courtesy of CW)