How Tom Rhys Harries prepared to play DC’s Clayface

Violence has transformed the life of a former Hollywood leading man, setting him on a dark path to becoming one of the DC Universe’s most feared villains.

This is the story of Clayface, brought to the big screen with Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries taking on the titular role.

In a recent interview with ABS-CBN News, Harries opened up about his approach to portraying the character and the process of bringing the iconic villain to life.

“I was lucky to have a little bit of time before we started shooting so that I could do research and feel like I was prepared to step on set,” said Harries.

“I like to try and keep it as live as possible. The character doesn’t know where this story’s going, and then your perspective on it changes all the time. If I were to do it, start doing it today, it would probably be a different thing,” he said.

Director James Watkins, meanwhile, shared the qualities that made him pick Harries for the role.

“I thought he could really have us root for him because there’s a vulnerability about how he could play Matt [Hagen] as the journey goes darker and darker, to take the audience with you,” he said, referring to Clayface’s real name.

The film also stars Naomi Ackie, who plays an ambitious scientist who becomes entangled with Clayface.

Because both Harries and Ackie hail from the United Kingdom, preparing for their roles also involved mastering the American accent.

“I hate saying ‘literally,'” Ackie said.

“‘Girlfriend’ is pretty tricky as well,” Harries said before bursting into laughter.

“I put Sonja, the dialect coach, through the wringer because I was cast fairly early on and I had upwards of 45 hours together, one-on-one,” Harries added.