As a former model-turned-actor, Tom Welling rose to fame in the early 21st century as a teenaged Clark Kent, poised on the brink of discovering the powers that would one day make him Superman on “Smallville” (The WB/CW, 2001- ). Welling initially resisted taking the role at the advice of his agent, who feared typecasting. But Welling was convinced by producers to play the young Clark, whose blend of physicality and earnestness won over both Superman fans and television viewers alike. A modest career in features followed, as well as several turns in the director’s chair on “Smallville,” which
