Smallville Drama: Unexpected Reason Tom Welling Refused the Superman Suit

When Tom Welling landed the role of Clark Kent in Smallville, it seemed almost inevitable that he would don the famous red and blue of Superman. But it wasn't to be.

The part proved to be his breakthrough, though, and opened new doors for him, leading to roles in shows such as Lucifer and Professionals.

Before landing the role of the young Clark Kent, Welling had only a handful of acting jobs. Although he had modelled for major brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

Smallville, of course, followed the life of the future Daily Planet journalist from his school days to his emergence as a superhero. Starting as a shy teenager, his journey to becoming the Man of Steel was complex, complicated and emotional.

Welling played the part as if he'd been a TV star for years, with an impressive filmography behind him. You could argue that the casting directors took a gamble on him. But it might have been harder for someone with an existing screen presence to grow into the role the way Welling did.

But apart from never wearing the outfit, Welling almost didn't take the role at all. It was only after reading the script that he decided it was a project he wanted to be a part of. And it may have been this controlled approach to choosing the part that made him so comfortable in the role and his ability to play it.

Although wearing the suit was never on the cards. Before filming the pilot, the actor sat down with the producers to discuss the future show, and the subject of the suit came up.

He later told Entertainment Weekly: '[We were talking] about the show and I asked about the suit and the tights and the flying and they said, 'No, absolutely not,' part of the reason being is that show is about a teenager trying to figure out who he is.'

But as the finale approached, the subject was raised again and Welling was told that the plan was to have him wear the suit and fly in the opening scene of the final episode.

His reaction was to tell Warner Bros head Pete Roth, 'That's not our show…just think about what we've been doing. If we just jump into that, we haven't earned it.'

The producers agreed. And so, in the interests of authenticity, Tom Welling turned down the opportunity to play Superman.

Source: Entertainment Weekly.