From catapulting to worldwide fame playing Clark Kent on Smallville to life on a ranch: Inside Tom Welling's life as he makes a comeback

You might not know his name off by heart, but Tom Welling has a face we all remember.The handsome former model turned actor hit the big time in his 20s when he was cast as Clark Kent, or Superman, in the hit series Smallville, which started it's hugely successful 10-year run back in 2001.The role catapulted the American star to fame and helped him achieve heartthrob status in Hollywood with follow up films including Cheaper By the Dozen, opposite Hilary Duff and Steve Martin.Watch the video above.Before acting, he even modelled for the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch.Now, the star, 48, is back in the spotlight and even having a moment on social media, with nostalgic clips of him going viral online.One fan account even shared a video and said he has a "once a century face card".It seems Gen Z is just discovering the handsome star thanks to new social media platforms. Smallville has even dropped on Netflix in countries including Australia, Canada, UK, Italy and Ireland."Some things are worth holding onto," the actor commented on Instagram as he helped promote the show.Nine.com.au takes a look at everything the star is up to now after his time on Smallville.Back in the spotlightThe actor is busy promoting his new comedy drama film, Chasing Summer.Last month, he and wife Jessica Rose Lee made headlines for a rare red carpet appearance together, stepping out at the Chasing Summer premiere at Sundance Film Festival.Welling looked dapper in a brown shirt, necktie and blazer for the outing.In recent years, he's appeared in shows including Lucifer and Professionals. He's also tried his hand at producing; including on Smallville and Hellcats (starring Ashley Tisdale) and has found great success behind the lens."The more time goes by, the more I appreciate that experience. I know I wouldn't have anything that I have right now if it wasn't for that show," he told Variety back in 2018 about Smallville, the role that made him a star and was his first huge gig in acting.The star, who hails from New York, added: "...And it kind of worked out because as much as I didn't know, the character of Clark on Smallville didn't know much about his life or who he was or what he should be doing."So I think we both kind of grew up together a little bit."In January 2025, he made headlines after reportedly being arrested for DUI in California.Two marriages and a new life on a ranchWelling has been married twice.The heartthrob was previously married to model, Jamie White Welling.The pair tied the knot in 2002, but it wasn't to last. She filed for divorce in 2013. Now, he's married to wife Jessica Rose Lee Welling. They married in California in 2019 and share two sons together.Although keeping things relatively private, he often gushes about her online.For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.Last year, Welling shared a sweet Mother's Day tribute for his wife and wrote online: "#happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and eternally grateful this #1 Momma #love".In January, he shared a tribute for her birthday, writing: "The *universe became a better place when you arrived ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE ?? ?#love."https://www.instagram.com/p/DT_IBo_AUPj/?igsh=bmw3Z3drYzRpamI4His wife has a love of horses and has her own lifestyle brand called Saddle Club.They now live with their family on a ranch in Northern California, where they breed horses, leaving their life in the city of Los Angeles behind."No one bothers you in a small town," he told People about the move."Everyone's famous in a small town."Reflecting on Smallville and taking a break after the showThe hit show was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada over a decade and afterwards he took a short break."Ten years being away from family and friends, it does take a toll on you," he previously told The Hollywood Reporter."I had to go off and do some things that I couldn't do when I was on the show and that took a little while."I slowly started to get back into the idea and started getting passionate about getting back to work."At the time, he had a home base in Los Angeles but filmed in Canada.https://www.instagram.com/p/DT6Np79EuEm/?igsh=ZTM3dWk2d3g3ZGc2In 2024, Speaking of a Smallville animated series, he told Screen Rant: "We want it to work. The honest answer is we have not been able to get Warner Brothers to give us the thumbs up. We need their permission."It's believed to be in development.It seems he's still grateful for his iconic role on Smallville and happily looks back at his time on the show.In fact, he regularly catches up with his Smallville co-stars including Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor, and Kristin Kreuk who played Lana Lang.Rosenbaum and Welling have their own podcast, called Talk Ville; a Rewatch podcast with Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum; talking all things about Smallville.He added to People: "I think I got it because I looked the part.""I think it's amazing that something we made all those years ago still means so much to people."FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.