Tom Welling has been kinda quiet in Hollywood since his gig as Clark Kent on the CW's Smallville
ended in 2011.
Although he was the original superhero on a network that's since become known for its
comic book shows, Welling has yet to capitalize on the show's success to push into the next
stage of his acting career.
Here's why Hollywood won't cast Tom Welling anymore.
Super picky
Welling spent a decade on television, which can be very tiring for an actor, and it makes
sense that he'd want to take a break from acting after having to head to the same set
for years.
As a result, Welling's been very selective in the roles he's taken since Smallville ended.
He's only appeared in three films since the show's 2011 finale: the Zac Efron and Billy
Bob Thornton-starring mystery drama Parkland, the sports drama Draft Day with Kevin Costner,
and the Nicholas Sparks romance The Choice.
Not so super reviews
It's not always the actor's fault when a film doesn't do well, but it can definitely affect
their potential for future success.
Unfortunately, none of his post-Smallville films have resonated with critics or audiences.
Parkland earned a 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes in 2013, but even worse was the fact that
it only made $1.4 million at the box office against a $10 million budget.
A year later, Draft Day did slightly better, earning a 60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and
bringing in a box office haul of $29.5 million against a budget of $25 million.
The Choice from 2016 performed the worst of all three with critics, earning only a 12
percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
It wasn't a total box office failure, though, grossing just over $23 million worldwide against
an approximately $10 million budget.
Of course, none of the three films were impressive enough to prove Welling's star power outside
of Smallville, which could make studios nervous to cast him in big-budget films.
Inexperienced
Welling was new to Hollywood when he booked a six-episode arc on Judging Amy, which led
to his starring role in Smallville.
His lack of experience was pretty obvious in some of the earlier episodes.
"Clark man what's wrong?"
"Clark man what's wrong?!"
"Ah!"
"Clark!"
"Woah!"
And his subsequent 10-year stint on the show also meant that Clark Kent became Welling's
most immediately identifiable role, making it even harder for him to break out into other
parts later.
Locked in
The involved visual effects that Smallville demanded meant that Welling was on set more
than most other actors would have to be, giving him less time to pursue other projects.
The roles he did appear in include the ill-received horror film The Fog with Maggie Grace and
Selma Blair, and, most notably, the role of Charlie Baker in the Cheaper by the Dozen
series.
In the end, Welling wasn't called upon to carry a lot of dramatic weight in any of those
roles, making Smallville the most impressive line on his resume.
Behind the scenes
The former Clark Kent launched Tom Welling Productions towards the end of Smallville's
run with the goal of spending more time behind the camera.
Welling, who began executive producing during the later episodes of Smallville, served as
an executive producer on the CW's cheerleader dramedy Hellcats in 2011.
Welling also directed a few episodes of Smallville over the years, and told the LA Times after
the show ended that directing was a new ambition.
It's possible that his acting career lost some momentum because he's focused on pursuing
other opportunities behind the camera.
Failure to launch
When Welling decided that he was finally ready to return to acting in television in 2015,
his pilot project, from Tom Welling Productions and executive produced by the actor, ended
up not working out.
Section 13 was set to follow Welling as a CIA black ops officer who becomes a private
contractor in a covert organization "devoted to carrying out the most difficult and dangerous
high-stakes assignments."
However, the season was crowded for CBS that year, and the pilot was not ordered to series.
How he can turn his career around
Welling is clearly a talented actor, as he demonstrated during his ten years as the lead
on Smallville.
But maybe instead of trying to shed his superheroic past, he should lean in.
After all, it worked for one former Kryptonian, Brandon Routh.
After his one-and-done lead role in Superman Returns in 2006, Routh had trouble finding
his footing.
Then, he was cast as super-scientist Ray Palmer, better known as the Atom, in the CW's slate
of comic book shows.
Now?
He's got a recurring role on Legends of Tomorrow.
With more super-themed shows and movies being announced all the time, there's no reason
why Welling couldn't follow suit and show off his action and comedy chops.
That kind of role could help him lose his Clark Kent image while still keeping the heart
and charm that attracted audiences in the first place.
It probably won't happen faster than a speeding bullet, but we hope to see Welling regularly
on-screen again soon.
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