Tom Welling Describes Survival Mode During Smallville Run

Tom Welling has described the intense production demands he faced while playing Clark Kent in Smallville, saying he spent much of the show's 10-year run focused on getting through the work rather than enjoying it. During a reunion marking the series' 25th anniversary on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, Welling discussed the experience alongside former castmates and co-creators.

The series ran for 10 seasons and ended in 2011. Welling, now 49, said the demanding schedule limited his ability to experience the creative satisfaction associated with acting, while co-creator Miles Millar recalled the workload imposed on the cast and crew.

Welling explained that he had only recently encountered a concept that helped him understand his experience during the series. He said his working conditions often left him concentrating on getting through production rather than embracing the creative process.

"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," Welling said during the podcast reunion.

Despite the pressure, Welling identified stunt sequences as a particularly enjoyable part of filming. Those scenes required less dialogue and gave him an opportunity to focus on the physical aspects of portraying the superhero's human alter ego.

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

Millar also discussed the scale of the production, pointing to the episode count, extended filming periods and demanding scripts as major challenges for actors. According to the co-creator, each season included more than 20 episodes, with production sometimes continuing into the early morning.

He recalled that filming could run until 5 a.m., illustrating the length of the working days required to complete the series.

"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," Millar said.

Welling had previously reflected on his experience playing Clark Kent during a July 2025 appearance on Inside of You. Although he said his memories of the role were generally more positive than negative, he acknowledged that his feelings during production differed from his perspective afterward.

"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," Welling said.

The actor also starred in Cheaper by the Dozen. The anniversary reunion included Kristin Kreuk, who played Lana Lang, and Erica Durance, who portrayed Lois Lane, alongside Smallville co-creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.