SMALLVILLE's Co-Creator Says an Executive Producer Had to Beg Tom Welling to Audition For the Role of Clark Kent
Smallville was a hugely popular series that had an epic 10-season run from 2001 to 2011. It told the story of a young Clark Kent, navigating not only his teen years, but the realization that he has superpowers that he has to learn to harness and realize fully. It featured a talented young cast and a story with a lot of heart, but it was close to not being quite as perfect as it turned out.
In a recent interview with THR, some of the key cast and creators sat down to talk about the series kicking off, and how finding its star was a difficult task. Tom Welling, who was eventually cast as Clark Kent, said:
“I was auditioning a lot during that period of pilot season, going out three, four times a day. Just trying to figure out what the hell I was doing. This show Smallville came along, and they weren’t releasing the script. They just wanted me to audition. My manager at the time says, ‘That either means they don’t have a script, or it’s not very good.’ We turned it down.”
Co-creator of the series, Miles Millar, said:
“Tom’s headshot was in the office and he refused to come in. Finally, [director] David Nutter begged to see him.”
Welling added:
“He said I could come in and read the pilot script if I signed an NDA. I realized the show was not about Superman. It was about a kid in high school growing up and trying to figure out who he is. That’s a very human journey. I called a meeting with the producers and the writers because I wanted to ask questions. Somehow they accepted. I was terrified I was going to walk into a show where I’m running around in tights. I walked into this room. There are 15 people sitting in a semi-circle. It was like a counselor’s meeting or something. I sat down with this list of questions. ‘Who are the villains? What do they look like?’”
Co-creator Alfred Gough talked about the fact that Welling had the exact vibe they were looking for. He was from the Midwest and was so handsome, it was just a perfect fit.
Welling went on to say:
“The next thing I know, I come in for a screen test with Kristin. Kristin had already been cast, so I walk into the waiting room and it was me and Jensen Ackles, who I’d seen on TV before but didn’t know. I was like, ‘This guy is a real actor. I’ll never get it.’”
Obviously that wasn’t the case. Maybe Welling can credit his writing off the chance of getting the role as to why he was able to have such a good audition, but either way, the rest is history. Were you a die hard fan of Smallville?