Tom Welling Reveals Smallville Survival Struggles During Reunion

Tom Welling discussed his difficult experience starring as Clark Kent in Smallville during a 25th anniversary reunion featured on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, published Oct. 9, 2026. The actor explained how the show's decade-long production affected his experience.

Welling, who led the WB series through its 10-season run ending in 2011, said he felt disconnected from happiness while filming. He appeared with Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance, Al Gough, and Miles Millar for the reunion.

"joy" said Tom Welling, actor, describing his feelings during the series.

"happiness" said Tom Welling, actor, describing his feelings during the series.

Welling said he viewed much of his time on the show as a period of endurance rather than creative freedom.

"There's this term that I've come across in the last couple of years, that you can only be in survival mode or creative mode at any given point. And I think I was very much in survival mode for most of those 10 years," said Tom Welling.

Welling also highlighted stunt work as a more enjoyable part of the production process, saying those scenes required a different approach than regular dialogue-driven filming.

"had fun" said Tom Welling, referring to his experience performing stunt work.

"The stunt days were my favorite because we didn't have to really talk. That was fun," said Tom Welling.

The actor's comments followed earlier remarks from a July 2025 appearance on the same podcast, where he reflected on his time portraying Clark Kent.

"remember[s] more good things than bad things" said Tom Welling, describing how he looks back on playing Clark Kent.

"wasn't very happy most of the time." said Tom Welling, describing his experience during the series.

Welling said his view of the show changed over time and that he later developed more appreciation for the series.

"proud" said Tom Welling, discussing his feelings about Smallville during its original run.

"I'm proud of it now. Where I don't think I was proud of it when we were doing it. And I'm not sure why because it's hard," said Tom Welling.

Smallville co-creator Miles Millar addressed the production demands faced by the cast, noting that seasons contained more than 20 episodes and required long filming periods.

"The volume, 22 episodes, that volume, that length of time shooting, the intensity of the scripts, I mean, it is a lot for any actor to handle," said Miles Millar.

Millar said the cast often worked difficult schedules, with some filming days extending until 5 am. The series produced 22 episodes per season during much of its run.