4. Tom Welling
Appeared in: Smallville, Crisis On Infinite Earths (Arrowverse crossover)
The turn of the century saw a new wave of television geared towards teens, and this would prove to be a pivotal part of the Man of Steel’s small screen success as it paved the way for the era-defining Smallville. Superboy may have shown us Clark Kent’s younger years already but what made Smallville stand out is how, like many dramas of the time, it leaned into the teen element of its concept far more than it did the superhero element. That made it accessible to a wider audience, and it proved to be incredibly effective from a storytelling standpoint as well.
Front and center was Tom Welling, who portrayed the young Man of Steel as he navigated his way through the most treacherous of environments: Smallville High School. Not only would he have to learn more about his powers and where he came from, he would have to do that while being madly in love with Lana Lang, forming an unlikely friendship with Lex Luthor, and using his abilities to protect the town of Smallville from evildoers.
The Clark Kent and Superman personas did not exist at this point in Clark’s life; only the teenager who would become both, but Welling expertly balanced characteristics of both as he brought the young superhero to life. There was an earnestness in his performance that made it easy to root for Clark, the slightly awkward farmboy who felt like an outsider before he knew was from a different planet, but there was also a determination that made it clear Clark was destined for heroism right from the start.
Smallville might have been about Clark’s journey to becoming Superman, but by the end of the show’s 10-season run, we knew the Man of Steel well; putting on the cape was just a formality at that point. And Welling’s committed performance was the reason for that, as he produced the most nuanced and layered version of Clark Kent that we had ever seen – one that felt, well, human.