> At a Glance
> – Tom Welling left Los Angeles during the pandemic and now lives on a Northern California ranch
> – He raises horses and two young boys with wife Jessica Rose
> – Stars in Chasing Summer, premiering at 2026 Sundance
> – Why it matters: Fans see the Smallville star trade Hollywood chaos for quiet family life-and he’s never been happier
After years of city life, Tom Welling swapped concrete for countryside. The Smallville alum tells News Of Los Angeles how a 2020 family trip turned into a permanent move.
From Empty Streets to Open Fields
Los Angeles felt like a ghost town in 2020. With a toddler learning to crawl on a tiny deck, Welling and his wife questioned staying.
During a quick visit to Northern California, they toured a ranch sporting two homes-and fell hard.
> “I thought, ‘This is what I want in five years… so why not just do it now?'”
They bought the property, embraced small-town anonymity, and never looked back.
Life Between Horses and Hollywood
Welling never quit the business. He co-hosts the TalkVille rewatch podcast with former co-star Michael Rosenbaum and just wrapped Chasing Summer, a rom-com written by Iliza Shlesinger.
The film debuts at Sundance 2026 and reminded him why he loves acting.
- On-set decisions were collaborative
- Cast and crew genuinely wanted to be there
- Experience rekindled his passion for the craft
When cameras stop rolling, he helps wife Jessica run their American sport-horse breeding program while raising two boys-son number two arrived June 2021.
From Nantucket Beach to the Yellow Sun
Welling’s origin story sounds almost comic-book:
| Age | Event |
|---|---|
| 20 | Discovered on Nantucket beach by Bruce Weber scout |
| Booked Abercrombie & Fitch campaigns | |
| Moved to NYC runway shows | |
| Switched to acting; gave himself one year to land work | |
| Soon cast as Clark Kent in Smallville (2001-2011) |
> “I think I got it because I looked the part… Plus, the character didn’t know what he was doing, and I didn’t know what I was doing, so it worked.”
Key Takeaways
- Welling prefers ranch solitude to L.A. spotlight
- Still acts-Chasing Summer heads to Sundance 2026
- Co-hosts TalkVille podcast with Rosenbaum
- Breeds jumper horses while raising two sons
- Open to Taylor Sheridan cowboy roles
At 48, he’s stopped chasing the next big thing and focuses on where his boots hit dirt. “Now, I just want to be where my feet are.”
