Birthdate: April 26, 1977
Birthplace: New York,

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap over prom limos in a single bound! It's a brooding high school hunk, it's a budding superhero, it's... Clark Kent! Kent, yes.

Tom Welling is the superstud behind the WB's Clark Kent.

Tom Welling, familiar to television audiences from a recurring role on Judging Amy, makes his series starring debut in Smallville as a teenage Clark Kent struggling to come to grips with his emerging superpowers.

Tom Welling stars as freshman man of steel, a boy who is still discovering his powers and literally gets weak in the knees every time he sees Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk).

His parents, Martha and Jonathan, discovered him at the age of three in the cornfields of Smallville after a fatal meteor shower.

Clark is flanked by two best friends Pete (Sam Jones III) and Chloe (Allison Mack). They'll help Clark discover the bad things going on in Smallville, while remaining ignorant of his true identity.

"Smallville" has some fun showing viewers the origins much Superman folklore -- look for references to the name Superman, the red cape, and the "S" on his chest. Sure, this is another show about a disenfranchised teen trying to come to terms with his destiny. Smallville is chock full of fantastic special effects, and great romance.

With perfect teeth and perfect hair, Welling seems poised to become the next big teen star. Welling is dreamy, awkward, and pretty believable as the teenage man of steel.

Born and raised in New York, Welling is fairly new to the acting world. He performed in a few high school theater productions before recently moving to Los Angeles to pursue a professional career.

His first big break was landing six episodes on Judging Amy last season, playing opposite Amy Brenneman in a romantic role that drew raves. He landed the role of Kent after a nationwide search for a fresh face to play the part. Welling currently lives in Los Angeles.

When not working, he enjoys reading, playing basketball with friends and running.