‘Smallville’ Star Tom Welling Looks Unrecognizable In New Mugshot with ‘Full’ Face Following Arrest
Tom Welling, the former star of the teen superhero drama “Smallville,” is going viral after his mugshot was shared online following an arrest in Yreka, California.
According to TMZ, Welling was arrested just after midnight on Jan. 27 in an Arby’s parking lot for allegedly driving under the influence. The actor’s blood alcohol level was said to be at least 0.08%.
Welling, 47, was booked by the Siskiyou Country Sheriff’s officials on a misdemeanor charge in the wee hours of the morning. He was released without bail around 7 a.m. and will return to court for his arraignment date scheduled for March 11.
After his mugshot was posted online, fans seemed shocked to learn about the Superman character’s run-in with the law and his appearance.
“No way that’s him. He looks so different,” one Instagram user commented. A second person in the Extra TV comment section wrote, “Omg what happened to him? I didn’t recognize him.”
“Damn, he used to be so fine!” someone exclaimed on X, while a third joked, “That damn red kryptonite.”
Here’s another recent one. I don’t think he’s that bad. He’s still far above the average. Mugshots are never flattering for people over 40.
He’s aged. That’s largely it. A bit fuller around the edges.
It’s possible one of the reasons he drinks is because he lost his youth in… pic.twitter.com/OqS2NzmFEy
— LordKelso (@KelsoLord) January 30, 2025
This led many of Welling’s fans to share old photos of him from his younger days, as one person noted, “Okay to be fair I honestly think he still looks good, clearly the drinking has just inflamed his face a lil. Skin and hair looks great!”
Another said, “If he was slimmer it would be ok, the fact his face is so full makes it seem worse I think. But yes he was so pretty when he was young.”
Other people disagreed that Welling aged poorly since starring as Superman in his 20s. For instance, a commenter on The Daily Mail’s Instagram page posted, “Well he’s in his late 40s and it’s a mugshot, how do you want him to look.”
A similar response stated, “You can’t expect the man to look 25 still.”
Another Welling defender expressed, “Y’all trippin. He was in the show ‘Lucifer’ and he was looking good af. Ain’t nothing wrong with his looks.”
Welling played Clark Kent on “Smallville” which ran for 10 seasons from 2001 to 2011 on The WB and later The CW. In 2019, he reprised his role as Kent in an episode of “Batwoman.”
The “TalkVille” podcast co-host became popular among teenagers for his role as Superman’s civilian persona. He won two Teen Choice Awards off of 10 nominations between 2002 and 2009.
Following his “Smallville” stint, Welling continued his involvement with DC Comics-based programs. He joined the third season of “Lucifer” in 2017 as police lieutenant Marcus Pierce.
Additionally, Welling acted in television shows such as “Professionals” in 2020 and The Winchesters” in 2022. His filmography includes appearances in 2003’s “Cheaper by the Dozen,” 2014’s “Draft Day,” and other movies.
There was talk of a “Smallville” aminated sequel being in the works. However, it appears Warner Bros. Entertainment put up a roadblock to the idea.
“We want it to work. The honest answer is we have not been able to get Warner Brothers to give us the thumbs up. We need their permission,” Welling told ScreenRant in November 2024.
He added, “We haven’t even gotten a response! It’s the weirdest thing because it is more of a fan-driven idea. It’s not going to be a blockbuster. It’s not going to be a financial windfall for any of us.”
Welling claimed Warner Bros did not see a “Smallville” animated version as a priority for the studio. The executive producer and director explained, “It’s like a not-returning-phone-calls-thing.”
Welling has yet to publicly comment on the DUI arrest, but he has limited the comments on his posts on Instagram. On the same day he was detained by police, the father of two celebrated the birthday of his wife, Jessica Rose Lee Welling, with a message on social media.
“Happy Birthday to our Angel who makes our dreams come true and inspires us even more! We love you to the moon and back!” Tom captioned his Instagram carousel. He uploaded four pictures of his 38-year-old spouse to the app.
Tom and Jessica announced their engagement in 2018. The ex-Tommy Hilfiger model and the Saddle Club lifestyle brand founder got married on Nov. 30, 2019, in Santa Ynez, California.
The couple’s first son, Thomson Wylde Welling, was born in January 2019. A second son, Rocklin Von Welling, arrived in June 2021. Tom was previously married to model Jamie White from 2002 until their divorce was finalized in 2015.
