Thomas John Patrick Welling was born on April 26, 1977 in Putnam Valley, New York, USA. He is an American actor, director, and former male fashion model.

In October 2001, after making guest appearances on several shows, Tom debuted in what would come to be his signature role: that of the teenaged Clark Kent/Superman in the series Smallville. He had originally turned down the role twice before accepting it, thinking it would be "lame". However, after auditioning hundreds of other potential candidates, the producers were so sure that Tom had just the fresh-faced look they were seeking that they called him back one last time. He took the audition, reading the infamous "graveyard scene", and loved it. On the way home, he decided to stop at a gas station and call his agent. When Tom's agent told him that he had just received a phone call saying that Tom had won the role, he was overjoyed, and just stood at the side of the road screaming.

Tom married long-time sweetheart Jamie White on 5 July 2002 in a private ceremony at Martha's Vineyard attended only by family and close friends. Among the invitees were Tom's co-stars on Smallville, Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum. At the groom's request, Rosenbaum sang a special rendition of "Brown-Eyed Girl".

After shooting wrapped up in mid-April 2003, he immediately travelled to Santa Rosa, California, to shoot his part as Charlie Baker in the movie Cheaper By The Dozen, starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. The movie was released in the United States on 25 December 2003. Since then, Tom has completed two more seasons of Smallville, filmed the remake of the 1970's horror classic The Fog (2005) and a hit sequel to Cheaper By The Dozen (2005).

Tom currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their dogs. During the shooting of Smallville, he stays in hotels in Vancouver. He runs, skis, plays basketball, and visits with family and friends in his spare time.

Filmography

• "Smallville" (147 episodes, 2001-2008)
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)
• The Fog (2005)
• Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
• "Undeclared" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Special Unit 2" 1 (1 episode, 2001)
• "Judging Amy" (6 episodes, 2001)