What is the first thing that goes through your mind when you wake up?

A coffee would be great!

Shower or bath? Where do you do your best thinking?

Shower. I don’t fit well in a tub, and I love to get it over with.

Do you enjoy being looked at?

Not really. People always think you operate at a steady pace, but I’m more low-key. I prefer to be in the barn and not on a red carpet. I do that to be with the fans of the characters I play.

What do people tend to get wrong about you?

My height. (Officially listed as six-foot-three).

Do you consider yourself a risk-taker?

I wish, but once your family is the priority, the risks are calculated. I make sure I’m going home.

Looking back over your career, is there a day on set that you find yourself returning to?

I think my fondest memories of being on set come from the dedication to the crew and the filming—the time spent on set and working with friends. The best days were the days we laughed so much that we forgot it was a job.

Are you a different man at forty-nine than you were at twenty-five?

I am very much so. You learn to slow down and pace yourself at forty-nine; at twenty-five, everything feels urgent.

Which role has demanded the most of you? Did it teach you anything about yourself?

The role of Clark Kent was the most demanding, if only because of the years spent on it, sometimes almost without downtime. But it was the “kiln” that hardened me into the actor of steel.

Since you spent years playing a man with extraordinary powers. What is something you wish you could do better?

I always go back to the idea that time cannot be bought back.  I would always choose Clark’s super speed—to get places and things done faster—so that I would have more time for the people who matter: my wife and kids.

Has becoming a husband and father changed the way you approach your work? Do you make different choices now?

It’s a luxury to have the fans I do in the places where I work. I’m able to bring my family on a lot of work trips. The choices I make now allow my kids to see the world.

Twenty-five years after Smallville began, when you think of the young man who first arrived on set, what comes to mind?

Hesitation, but commitment. I never chased the role, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to do my absolute best.

Since you’re revisiting Smallville through your rewatch podcast, Talk Ville, what is it like to spend time with that younger version of yourself? Has anything surprised you?

I enjoy the show more now, looking back at the episodes from a different perspective. When you finish filming, you often move on to the next workday and don’t get to take the time to watch it all back. Reflecting on it all is a lot of fun.

How much thought do you give to the way you dress?

I’ve always gone for functional and comfortable, much to my wife’s distress.  I’m opening up to some great new fits while shooting and spending time in New York.

In This Story

In this story: Tom Welling wears white t-shirt ZARA, black trousers G-STAR, Sherling jacket KENZO, cowboy hat SERRATELLI, Black dress shirt HUGO BOSS, trousers THEORY, brown leather jacket OVERLAND, eyewear TOM FORD, Gray suit HALSTON, black t-shirt CDLP, white dress shirt DKNY, tie STYLIST’S OWN and archival trench coat CHRISTIAN DIOR, Black t-shirt JOHN VARVATOS, jeans DOUBLE RL, jacket OPENING CEREMONY X KODAK, belt, cap and eyewear MODEL’S OWN.

DIGITAL COVER

Photography BRYCE THOMPSON at KATHRIN HOHBERG, Talent TOM WELLING, Hair LIAM DUNN using ORIBE, Grooming using CLARINS USA at IMAJ ARTISTS, Stylng ANNA KATSANIS, Assisted by ANNELISE PIZZITOLA, 1ST Assistant ANDREW WOMACK, Video JASPER ROGERS

Next Up: Martín Barba

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