Smallville at 25: Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum Look Back at Clark and Lex

The TalkVille co-hosts reflected on The WB hit’s record premiere, Christopher Reeve’s guest role and that final Superman shirt-rip.

Tom Welling

Featured image: Tom Welling. Photo: Sue Lukenbaugh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Lowdown

Smallville did the superhero origin story before it was a business model, and the friendship between its two leads is the show’s best legacy. Fans who grew up with it will love that they’re still hanging out.

Key Takeaways

  • Smallville premiered on The WB on October 16, 2001 (Variety).
  • Welling and Rosenbaum host the Smallville rewatch podcast TalkVille (Variety).
  • The premiere drew 8.4 million live viewers, a record for The WB (Variety).

The Story

Welling said Christopher Reeve, who guest-starred as Dr. Virgil Swann, told him he was happy they chose him for the role, and stayed on set for Welling’s coverage until his nurse insisted he leave (Variety).

Rosenbaum said he left after Season 7 when Warner Bros. TV offered a three-year deal with no raise. He returned for the 2011 finale, wearing a bald cap over a full head of hair (Variety).

Welling said the final shot of Clark revealing the Superman suit was done without a rehearsal so no one would see it if it wasn’t right (Variety).

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