When Smallville ended in 2011, it felt like we were all ready to move on to bigger things.
Superman and all his friends had once again become big-screen heroes, and the CW was gearing
up for a new age of superhero shows like Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.
Even the cast of Smallville seemed poised for bulletproof careers outside the borders
of their little town in Kansas.
Now that the hit show's been off the air for more than half a decade — yes, really — let's
take a look at where some of the biggest stars of Smallville are now.
Tom Welling
For a few years, it seemed like Smallville was going to be the start of a long acting
career for its lead, Tom Welling.
Playing Smallville's Clark Kent was Welling's first major role, but he soon secured parts
in the Steve Martin comedy Cheaper by the Dozen and the 2005 horror remake The Fog.
And then … crickets.
For the next six years, Tom Welling only appeared in Smallville.
And since the show went off the air, he's only appeared in three films — Parkland
in 2013, Draft Day in 2014, and The Choice in 2016 — all of which received mixed reviews
and did nothing to reboot Welling's declining status as an actor.
Here's hoping Welling's career gets a second wind so he can take flight once again.
Allison Mack
Long before playing journalist Chloe Sullivan in Smallville, Allison Mack was a common fixture
on TV.
She's had steady work on both television shows and TV movies since 1989, and after the end
of Smallville, Mack took a recurring role in the FX show Wilfred and American Odyssey.
So, she's certainly been busy, but even so, the actress has also found time for off-screen
projects, like her singing career.
Kristin Kreuk
After years of playing Lana Lang on Smallville, Kristin Kreuk decided to take leave of the
show in 2009 because she felt there was more she could be doing.
The actress was 19 when she first appeared in the role, and when she left the show seven
years later, it was still pretty much her only major part.
Unfortunately, the decision might not have been as wise as she hoped, because she went
on to star in the box office bomb Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
From there, she surfed through a handful of low-key roles before finally returning to
CW with a recurring arc in Beauty and the Beast.
Michael Rosenbaum
There's no doubt that Michael Rosenbaum gave the character of Lex Luthor just the right
amount of charm and likability to contrast the darkness within.
“This is Smallville!
Meteor freaks, alien ships, cryptic symbols...these threats are real.”
Perhaps the reason he was such a good match for the DC universe is that he'd been a part
of it before and stuck around afterward, too.
He'd also done voice work for the animated series Batman Beyond and during Smallville's
run he went on to voice the Flash in the animated Justice League series.
Overall, Rosenbaum's career has been marked more by voice acting than physical acting,
so while you might not see him as much anymore, keep those ears peeled, because he's still
as busy as ever.
John Glover
Lionel Luthor, Lex's dad, was the main baddie in the earlier seasons of Smallville, a role
perfectly fitting for John Glover.
Although he's often tried to avoid being typecast as a villain, he just seems to keep getting
tossed in those roles.
After all, he was the slimy advertising guy in Robocop 2, the evil Jason Woodrue in Batman
& Robin … and even the devil himself in 1998's Brimstone.
On top of that, he's voiced the Riddler in a long run of animated DC shows.
Hey, when you've got it, you've got it.
Erica Durance
Smallville took its sweet time to bring Lois Lane into the fold, but in Season 4, actress
Erica Durance finally introduced the street-smart reporter to the show.
Like her on-screen persona, Durance fit the bill of being smart, capable, and "slightly
neurotic."
Outside of Smallville, though, the Canadian actress hasn't had the best of luck.
She's mostly appeared in a string of B-movies like the video game flop House of the Dead
and the completely ignored Butterfly Effect 2, along with a smattering of small roles
in various TV shows, including a long-lasting turn in the CTV medical drama Saving Hope,
so she's still showing the same sort of gumption that made her right for Lois.
Annette O'Toole
Smallville marked the second time that Annette O'Toole fell into the world of Clark Kent,
the first being her stint as Lana Lang in 1983's Superman III, which means that in the
course of her career she's played both Clark Kent's girlfriend and his mom.
“I suppose I have to face it: I’m not gonna find what I want in Smallville anymore.”
She left Smallville after the sixth season, but returned in 2010 for two more cameo episodes,
before returning to small roles in other shows, TV movies, and stage plays.
John Schneider
The actor portraying Jonathan Kent, Clark's dad, was a busy working actor long before
he ventured into Smallville.
He most famously played Bo Duke, one half of the duo on the original Dukes of Hazzard
and had a long-running role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
His post-Smallville career has been just as prolific.
Justin Hartley
Before Oliver "Green Arrow" Queen got his own show, the hooded hero regularly appeared
on Smallville.
In this version, Queen was portrayed by Justin Hartley, who, like much of the younger cast
of the show, counted this as his first big role.
Prior to getting cast as Oliver Queen, though, Justin Hartley was actually slated to star
in an Aquaman series on the CW, and even filmed the pilot before the show was dropped.
Judging by the trailer, it's probably a good thing the network decided to pass on Aquaman.
Because sometimes, the world just isn't ready for a bleach-blond surfer who fights crime.
Hartley has since returned to the TV spotlight as Kevin on NBC's hit dramedy This Is Us.
Cassidy Freeman
As Tess Mercer in Smallville, Cassidy Freeman got to venture into some very weird territory
as the CEO of LuthorCorp who's actually Lex's sister.
It was an unforgettable twist, to be sure, and that tends to be the case whenever Freeman
takes on even a small role, like her turns as Jack in Once Upon A Time and a 400-year-old
bloodsucker in The Vampire Diaries.
Since Smallville wrapped, Freeman found new work on Longmire.
Aaron Ashmore
This former child star — and identical twin to Shawn of X-Men fame — became a series
regular as Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet photographer who was engaged to Chloe.
Never a household name, Aaron Ashmore nevertheless mustered enough star power to take the lead
role in a handful of low-budget horror movies, like 2009's Fear Island and 2010's The Shrine,
before joining the main cast for Syfy's well-received show Killjoys.
He might still be a little jealous of his look-alike sibling, though, because at least
he got to play with some sci-fi powers.
But what are ya gonna do?
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