It’s possible that “somebody save me” is a thought that crossedTom Welling’s mind while he was filming the earlier seasons ofSmallville. During a MegaCon panel that celebrated different iterations of Superman, at which Collider’sMaggie Lovittwas in attendance, the actor talked about the first few seasons of the hit series and how the on and off-screen relationship withJohn Schneider(The Haves and the Have Nots) was fundamental for him to build some self-confidence.
The panel was moderated byScreenRant’sJoe Deckelmeierwho kicked off the conversation by bringing up the important father-son relationship of Jonathan Kent (Schneider) and Clark (Welling). Jonathan was there to give Clark advice forhalf the seriesand was one of the figures who helped build Superman’s character. During the panel, Welling revealed that this happened while the cameras weren’t rolling as well:
“Well, it was actually really cool because I knew who John was growing up with ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ but it wasn’t until like, the 2nd or 3rd season,he really did take me under his wing because I really didn’t know what I was doing. And that whole hand-on-the-shoulder thing, that was actually John talking to Tom a lot of times because he’s, and I remember it’s like Season 2, Season 3, he goes: ‘You know, I used to be on the television show myself,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, Dukes of Hazzard’, he’s like, ‘You know that?’ ‘I’m like, yeah.’ Why didn’t you say anything?' I’m like, ‘I’ve been too nervous.’ Buthe really tried to help me and protect me and guide me, and I think that carried over to the Clark thing because it could have been really easy for Clark to be like, ‘I’m not listening to you’, but it really just didn’t feel like the right dynamic so he was, he’s great.”
What Happened to Jonathan Kent In ‘Smallville’?
Jonathan Kent was a prominent character inSmallvillefor five seasons. He died in the episode “Reckoning,” after Clark is sent back in time to save Lana (Kristin Kreuk) from death. Story-wise,his death was a necessary development for Clark, because he needed to grow and had to start relying on his own confidence to learn how to deal with threats. After leaving the regular cast, Schneider only returned in the final season of the series for some episodes, including the series finale.
The panel with past Superman performers also featuredDean Cain(Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman),Brandon Routh(Superman Returns),Tyler Hoechlin(Superman & Lois),Tim Daly(Superman: The Animated Series), andGeorge Newbern(Injustice: Gods Among Us). The next Superman will be played byDavid Corenswet(Pearl), and the new movie is set to premiere on July 11.
You can stream all seasons ofSmallvilleon Max.
Smallville
