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Tom Welling
Tom Welling at the 2003 premiere of Cheaper by the Dozen.
Born	Thomas John Patrick Welling (1977-04-26) April 26, 1977 (age 47) Putnam Valley, New York, United States
Occupation(s)	Actor, director, producer, model
Years active	2000–present
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Spouse	Jamie A. White (July 5, 2002–present)

Thomas John Patrick Welling (born April 26, 1977) known professionally as Tom Welling, is an American actor, director, producer, and model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville.

A high-school athlete, Welling initially worked in construction and, in 1998, he successfully modeled men's clothing for several popular brands. In 2000, he made a successful transition to television. He has been nominated and received several awards for his portrayal of Clark Kent. He also had a recurring role in Judging Amy. He has also been involved behind the camera as an executive producer and a director. His films include Cheaper by the Dozen, its sequel, the 2005 remake of The Fog, and upcoming Parkland and Draft Day.

Early life

Welling was born in Upstate New York on April 26, 1977. His family moved frequently, making stops in Wisconsin, Delaware, and Michigan. Welling attended Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan, where he started acting in plays, but then switched into sports. Welling played baseball and soccer, but his favorite sport is basketball. Welling is one of four children. His brother, Mark Welling, is also an actor.

Career

Originally a construction worker, Welling was discovered in 1998 at a party in Nantucket by a catalog camera scout who suggested he try modeling. Welling modeled for Louisa Modeling Agency until 2000, when he relocated to Los Angeles. There he modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Calvin Klein while pursuing an acting career. In 2000, Tom Welling appeared in the video for Angela Via's single, "Picture Perfect", playing Vía's love interest. Welling has stated that he did not like modeling and that he was not good at it because it was all on the outside or from an external point of view. He pursued acting because he wanted to express a range of emotions. Welling auditioned to play the character Tag Jones on Friends, but was not approved. In his first major acting role, Welling portrayed karate teacher Rob Meltzer, a.k.a. "Karate Rob", a younger love interest of Amy Brenneman's character on the CBS series Judging Amy, which aired in 2001. Welling was originally signed for three episodes; after receiving enthusiastic fan reviews, the producers kept him for three more. Welling also had a small role in UPN's Special Unit 2, and he appeared in the debut episode of the FOX sitcom Undeclared.

Smallville

Welling was cast in the television series Smallville after a nationwide search for an actor to play Clark Kent. In an interview with a teen magazine, Welling spoke about the day he auditioned for the role: "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 got 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!'" The pilot aired in October 2001 and became the highest-rated debut for The WB, with 8.4 million viewers. Welling told TV Guide that he turned down the lead role twice, but after reading the script, decided to take the job. Like Christopher Reeve, he was not a Superman fan prior to being cast as Clark Kent. In fact, he said, he continues to not read Superman comics: "I made a conscious decision to stay away from that material. We're doing something different at a time before all that, I don't want that to affect what I'm doing, even subconsciously." He did get the chance to meet two previous Superman actors: Christopher Reeve, when the actor appeared in the Season 2 episode "Rosetta", and Dean Cain, who appeared in the Season 7 episode "Cure".

Welling was named one of People magazine’s "Breakthrough Stars of 2001", and also won the Teen Choice Award as "Choice Breakout Star (Male)" in 2002 for his role as Clark Kent. Following the third season, Welling was interviewed by Smallville Magazine and stated that if he could play one character on the show that was not Clark Kent, it would be the character of Lex Luthor; "Lex Luthor! I wouldn’t mind having my head shaved – as an actor, getting to play the complete opposite of your character."

In 2004 Welling was approached about starring in the big screen adaptation of Superman when director Brett Ratner was attached to project. Comic book artist Alex Ross even did two sketches of Welling as the "Man of Steel" to see what the actor would look like in the famous costume. In August 2009, Welling won another Teen Choice Award as "Choice TV Actor (Action Adventure)" for Smallville.

Film

In December 2003, Welling played Charlie Baker, the oldest son and second oldest in the Baker family which had 12 children in the film Cheaper by the Dozen, which is a remake of the 1950 movie starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, based on the 1948 book by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. Welling talked about why he was interested in the project in an interview with Paul Fischer: "The top three reasons I decided to do this film were, one, Steve Martin, two, Steve Martin and three, Steve Martin. That was the number one draw for me. Then, after reading the script, I really liked this character, Charlie. I liked what he went through, what he had to go through, and I felt I understood where he was coming from. And I just wanted to be a part of it." Welling had always been a fan of Steve Martin's and stated that he "absolutely loved" working with him.

In 2005, Welling appeared as Nick Castle in The Fog, a remake of John Carpenter's 1980 film of the same name, as a character originally played by Tom Atkins, and he reprised his role as Charlie Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen 2.

In 2013 Tom Welling has joined the all-star cast of Peter Landesman's upcoming drama Parkland, based on the book Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by author Vincent Bugliosi, the story centers on the true story of the chaotic events that occurred at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963. The film already has Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver, Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, James Badge Dale, Jackie Earle Haley, Colin Hanks, David Harbour and Ron Livingston starring. Confirming the participation of Welling in the film Parkland, his first film in eight years.

Welling now joins Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Frank Langella and Denis Leary in Ivan Reitman's new film, "Draft Day" which, has already begun to roll. In the movie, the manager (Costner) a football team tries to take first place in the annual lottery organized by the NFL for choosing promising college players. Welling will play a veteran quarterback whose career is at a crossroads.

Production

For Smallville's ninth season, Welling served as a co-executive producer. He returned as Clark Kent for the show's tenth and final season in Fall 2010 and has become a full executive producer, as credited in a May 20, 2010 press release by the CW.

Welling still models occasionally and appeared in the May 2008 issue of Vogue, the so-called Superhero Issue.

Welling served as an executive producer on Hellcats, a television series based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by journalist Kate Torgovnick. The series first aired on The CW beginning in Fall 2010, and was canceled on May 17, 2011.

At the USA upfront presentating it has been announced Tom Welling Productions and Rob Thomas Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television will develop a new series called “Blanco County”. Tom Welling will serve as executive producer for this project. Currently this project isn’t picked up for series but in development stages.

Directing

Welling made his directorial debut in 2006, with a season five episode of Smallville, "Fragile". He also directed the season six episode "Hydro", the show's 150th episode "Apocalypse", the season eight episode "Injustice", and the second part of season nine's Absolute Justice TV film, "Legends". Later, he directed two episodes of Smallville's tenth season, "Patriot" and "Booster".

Personal life

Welling has been married to model Jamie White since 2002. They were married in Martha's Vineyard with Welling's friends and then-current Smallville co-stars Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum in attendance. Welling and his wife resided in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, but returned to Los Angeles in March 2011.

Welling has stated in YM that he dislikes interviews. He 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."

Filmography

References

1. ^ "Tom Welling Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
2. Tomwelling.Org - Tom Welling Fansource - About Tom - Biography
3. ^ "Interview with Smallville's Tom Welling". Teen Magazine. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
4. ^ "Paul Fischer Interviews Tom Welling". Filmmonthly.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
5. "The WB Orders More 'Smallville'". tv.zap2it.com. 2001-10-24. Retrieved 2006-10-19.
6. "Tom Welling Interview – Cheaper by the Dozen Movie and Smallville". Movies.about.com. 2009-10-30. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
7. "Tom Welling Interview from SV Yearbook". KryptonSite. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
8. ^ "Shows – Smallville – Cast – Tom Welling". The CW. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
9. "Tom Welling Interview". Supermantv.net. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
10. "Alex Ross Draws Tom Welling as Superman!". Alex Ross Art. 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
11. "Teen Choice Awards winners". USA Today. 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
12. Exclusive Interview: Tom Welling Talks About "The Fog" and "Smallville"
13. Tom Welling Heads to Parkland
14. ^ "The CW Announces 2010–2011 Schedule". CWtv.com. May 20, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
15. "Tom Welling In Vogue Magazine Photoshoot". The Insider. April 30, 2008. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
16. Michael Ausiello (February 2, 2010). "Pilot intel: CW orders Tom Welling-produced drama". Entertainment Weekly.
17. "Hellcats (a.a.a. Cheer) (The CW)". The Futon Critic. February 2, 2010.
18. Barron, James; Medina, Jennifer (2002-07-12). "Super Event for Superman". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
19. "Young Superman hates interviews". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. 2003-12-26. Retrieved 2010-04-22.

External links

• Tom Welling at IMDb
• Tom Welling cast bio on The CW

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• 1977 births
• Actors from New York
• American film actors
• American male models
• American television actors
• American television directors
• American television producers
• People from Janesville, Wisconsin
• People from New York
• Living people
• 21st-century American actors