Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries leads DC horror film Clayface as disfigured actor
Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries is taking the lead in Clayface, a DC film that leans into horror and graphic body transformation. The role marks his first blockbuster lead and follows years of playing rock stars and privileged young men, while putting a Welsh performer at the centre of a major Batman-universe story.
Harries plays Matt Hagen, an actor whose face is mutilated after he crosses a mob boss, then restored by a scientist’s serum that lets him change his appearance. The treatment has disturbing side effects, including a scene in which Hagen cuts away melted eyelid tissue with nail scissors. Harries, 36, says he felt ready for the role after three months of auditions; the film is described as closer to horror than conventional superhero films.
- Tom Rhys Harries leads DC horror film Clayface.
- His character gains shape-shifting powers from a serum.
- One scene features a graphic eyelid injury.
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Clayface is a character from DC Comics, part of the fictional world that includes Batman. In different versions of the story, the character can change shape and appearance; the film centres on Matt Hagen, an actor who gains that ability after a scientist treats his injuries.
The story links Hagen’s changing face to his work as an actor and to the physical effects of the treatment. Tom Rhys Harries, a Welsh actor, plays Hagen in a film described as horror-led, bringing a new approach to a character from the Batman universe.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘A tipping point of ickiness’: Welsh star Tom Rhys Harries on playing eyelid-snipping DC supervillain Clayface”.