Tom Welling rose to fame in the ’00s for playing the ever-iconic Superman in the hit TV show Smallville, and has since become a beloved member of the superhero fandom.
Known for his gorgeous looks, he led Smallville through an incredible ten seasons, making it the longest-running superhero series of all time.
Those days seemed especially far away on Monday after Tom was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence near his North California home.
The star looked unrecognizable in his subsequent mugshot, which saw Tom sporting a gray beard and large gray streaks in his hair as he stared at the camera – a far cry from his chiselled good looks.
According to TMZ, police took Tom into custody after his blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit, measuring at or above 0.08 per cent.
He was arrested in an Arby’s parking lot in Yreka, just a day after wishing his wife a happy birthday via social media.
© Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office“Happy Birthday to our Angel who makes our dreams come true and inspires us even more!” he wrote alongside a slew of photos of his wife. “We love you to the moon and back!”
Tom married Jessica Rose Lee Welling, an avid equestrian, in 2019, six years after his divorce from model Jamie White.
The pair share two kids: Thomson Wylde, six, and Rocklin Von, three.
© Getty ImagesThe 47-year-old is one of the most recognizable iterations of Superman, with his boyish good looks and sweet demeanor as Clark Kent.
Since the show ended in 2011 after being on the air for ten years, Tom has acted in more minor roles, such as in The Winchesters, Lucifer, and Professionals.
He reprised his iconic role in 2019 in a CW Arrowverse crossover episode titled Crisis on Infinite Earths, where his version of Clark Kent sacrificed his superpowers and lived content as a farmer with Lois Lane.
© AFP via Getty ImagesWhen asked if he would consider taking up the mantle again, the former heartthrob shared that the prospect excited him.
“You know, I think now because of the two boys that I have with my lovely wife…we have a bunch of costumes at home,” he told Comicbookmovie.com.
“It started out at the first Halloween and now we have, I don’t know, 40 or 50 costumes. The one costume we don’t have is the Superman costume.”
© Getty Images for A Sense of HomeHe continued: “I asked my son why, and he said, ‘Because he’s taken’, and I said, ‘By who?’ ‘By [you].‘ That was like, ‘Alright, I think I’m open to the idea now.‘”
“So, if you know anybody, I think it would be great. I think it would be fun to be part of.“
He also keeps the magic alive through his podcast, Talkville, alongside his Smallville co-star, Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor. The two actors “revisit the show episode by episode, week by week, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and memories that only two guys there would actually know,“ according to the synopsis.
The podcast’s most recent episode dropped on January 22, as the two ventured into season six of the show.
