Smallville really was one of the best DC shows of the modern era, and it treated Millennials to a younger Clark Kent who'd yet to become Superman. The WB/CW series is still a favorite amongst fans due to its comic book-esque action and teenage/young adult drama. It’s been well over a decade since Tom Welling played Clark Kent on that show and, since then, he's moved away from Los Angeles. In fact, he actually ended up going from Tinseltown to a “smallville” of his own, and he explained why.
Whether someone is a fan of the aforementioned prequel series or has watched all of the Superman movies, they likely know the Man of Steel's origins involve a farm in Kansas. Well, Tom Welling isn’t far from that life himself, as he told People how one family trip to Northern California during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired them to leave L.A.:
L.A. was wild at the time. There were no cars on the street, you couldn’t go anywhere. People weren’t leaving their homes. Our first son was starting to crawl and we only had this tiny deck for him to play on. There was this thought of, we don't know if we can be here anymore. I thought, 'This is what I want in five years... so why not just do it now?'
I mean, there's no time like the present. Welling said he was sold on a ranch he and his family saw, which had two homes. And, before they knew it, they became permanent homeowners there.
The Lucifer alum also helps his wife’s horse breeding business, which includes sport horses and jumpers. Funny enough, on Smallville, Clark’s high school girlfriend, Lana Lang, also had a passion for horses. It seems that for the model-turned-Hollywood star, art and life are really imitating each other in a major way.
Some fans may be tempted to think Tom Welling would still have to deal with a lot of attention even in ranching area. Fortunately, the Cheaper By the Dozen actor doesn’t have to worry about that in his new residence:
No one bothers you in a small town. Everyone’s famous in a small town.
It's hard to beat that, and I would imagine that it must be refreshing for Welling not to have to deal with much paparazzi. Ironically, Smallville's EPs previously said Welling was the “perfect” Clark Kent due to having no interest in fame despite taking on the Man of Steel role. So, it looks like Welling’s humbleness still lies within him even after the height of his fame. I love that the Fog actor finds his new life on the ranch “peaceful.”
The New York native still holds onto Smallville, though. At present, Welling co-hosts a rewatch podcast with former co-star Michael Rosenbaum called Talkville, where they rewatch and discuss episodes from their superhero series.
Also, there were plans for an animated revival series of their beloved DC show. But its EP gave a disappointing update, as they explained that plans were on hold due to the Superman projects being done at DC Studios Hopefully, Tom Welling’s Clark Kent -- who returned in the Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earth's crossover in 2020 -- will eventually soar onto our TV screens once again.
In the meantime, though, it seems Tom Welling is very happy with his new surroundings. If he can balance acting, family, and being in business with horses, I can't think of a better life. Feel free to revisit Clark Kent’s life on a farm in Smallville, as all 10 seasons are streamable with a Hulu subscription.
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