One Embarrassing Smallville Moment Changed Tom Welling Forever
Running for ten seasons on The CW, "Smallville" is among the most popular and successful shows that the network has ever seen. The superpowered series would also go on to make many of its stars famous, including Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Kreuk, Justin Hartley, and, of course, Tom Welling.
While Welling certainly treasures the fame, fortune, and personal growth his portrayal of Clark Kent has brought him, the actor is the first to admit that his time on the "Smallville" set wasn't always easy. On the February 3 episode of Rosenbaum's podcast, "Inside of You," Welling detailed a frustrating moment he experienced on set and how he was ashamed of his conduct that day.
The event occurred during an episode of "Smallville" that he was both directing and starring in. "We had to stop when they were rolling and back and forth. I lost my composure, and I went out there, and I raised my voice toward a crew [member] who I know... I know all their names ... and [another crew member] comes and says, 'Tom, Tom, Tom, I need you to...,' and I'm like, 'I'm not gonna calm down,'" Welling recalled.
Unfortunately for the actor, he didn't have the full picture. "It was such an immature situation," the actor went on. "I don't remember what he said, but it was something that shut me up. It was probably 'shut the f*** up.' He pointed up in the sky and there was a crane with a light, and it was moving at 10 feet. He went, 'We're trying to get that guy down.'"
Welling knows he was in the wrong and has learned from the experience
It's clear from how Tom Welling spoke about the situation with his former "Smallville" co-star, Michael Rosenbaum, that he was deeply embarrassed by his conduct on set that day. "I'm telling you, dude, I haven't felt this since, or before, this complete... 'I'm so out of line right now, and uninformed, and embarrassed,'" the actor continued. "Everybody was like, 'It's okay, you didn't know, you didn't have the information.'"
Of course, the fact that Welling was both directing and starring in the scene in question could help to explain his high-stress level. He reiterated how this situation changed how he approached these kinds of moments in the future. "That experience has helped me now as I deal with a set situation or life situation where you have to remind yourself, hopefully, that you may be triggered, but you may not have all the information for the situation," Welling explained. "I never did it again, by the way. I never raised my voice on set."
While it's obviously not ideal how the behind-the-scenes drama unfolded with regard to the "Smallville" episode, it sounds like Welling is genuinely sorry for his behavior. Furthermore, because it motivated him to do better in the future, it's good to know that something positive could at least come from his outburst.