Why Matt Hagen From Clayface Looks So Familiar

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In James Watkins' new supervillain origin tale "Clayface," Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising star in Hollywood who, at the beginning of the movie, has just been nominated for an Academy Award. Matt is celebrated for how handsome he is, and often recalls his rough childhood on the mean streets of Gotham City. After a gangster mutilates his face for sleeping with the wrong woman, Matt turns to an scientist (Naomi Ackie) who has invented an experimental technology that can possibly repair the damage. As quickly as you can say "Riddle me this, Batman," Matt finds that nanites are transforming him into a clay-skinned shapeshifter with homicidal tendencies. 

"Clayface" is Harries' highest-profile film to date, although he began accruing screen credits as early as 2011 when he appeared opposite Minnie Driver in an independent British musical called "Hunky Dory." In 2012, he made his TV debut on the BBC Two series "Parade's End," written by Tom Stoppard and based on the novels by Ford Madox Ford. He only had a small part in episode four, but it was a pretty notable project, starring actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, and Janet McTeer. 

Harries appears to be a hard-working and devoted actor who takes jobs as they come. In 2014, he was in two theatrical features and one TV movie: "Under Milk Wood" was based on the popular Dylan Thomas-based radio drama, "Ironclad: Battle for Blood" was a corny war epic sequel, and "If I Don't Come Home: Letters from D-Day" was a penetrating WWII drama. One might say that Harries' "big break" came when he played the character of Sackler in nine episodes of ITV's 2015 series "Jekyll and Hyde."

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On TV, Tom Rhys Harries continued to land regular gigs for several years, appearing in six episodes of the crime drama "Unforgotten," six episodes of the fantasy series "Britannia," and all ten episodes of the mystery series "White Lines." In 2020, he played a notable role in the Apple TV series "Suspicion." He was even in a 2024 episode of "Doctor Who." Harries' most recent small-screen credit was in the 2024 Welsh drama series "The Light in the Hall." To repeat, Harries has been lucky enough to have continuous work. 

On film, Harries' resume shows equal tenacity. /Film has already written about the actor's co-starring role with Patrick Stewart in the straight-to-video fantasy sequel "Dragonheart: Battle for the Heartfire." In 2018, he was in the horror comedy "Slaughterhouse Rulez," which also starred Asa Butterfield, Margot Robbie, Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. 2019 saw Harries working with British bloke-movie-master Guy Ritchie on "The Gentlemen," and in 2023, appeared opposite Gerard Butler in the action/spy flick "Kandahar." "Dragonheart" was a lead role for Harries, and in the rest, he played supporting parts. 

In 2024, Harries was in the "Odyssey" riff "The Return," which starred Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus and Juliette Binoche and Penelope. Harries played a character named Pisander, one of Penelope's many suitors. Just prior to "Clayface," Harries appeared in the movie "Madfabulous," about the flamboyant Henry, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, and in the Welsh drama "Effi o Blaenau," wherein Harries spoke his native Welsh language. This is an actor happy to bounce around the world, taking the best roles available.

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Although there are no explicit references to James Gunn's "Superman" or Craig Gillespie's "Supergirl" in "Clayface," James Watkins' supervillain story takes place in the same universe. The Clayface character is usually seen sparring with Batman, and he was given an interesting interpretation in "Batman: The Animated Series." Given the way superhero cinematic universes have worked over the last decade, there's every reason to believe that Harries will continue to play the villainous Clayface in future movies. The DC Universe hasn't introduced its Batman yet, but there's every reason to believe that Harries will appear opposite the Caped Crusader when he arrives at the party. 

/Film's own Chris Evangelista wasn't terribly impressed with "Clayface," giving it a 5.5 out of 10. The film was made for about $44 million, which is relatively cheap for a superhero cinematic universe movie, but time will tell if it's a blow-out hit, or a tremendous bomb. For context /Film gave "Supergirl" a 7 out of 10, and "Superman" an 8 out of 10.

Either way, Harries will likely continue to work. He's talented, handsome, and, most importantly, devoted to his craft. Even if there are no more Clayface movies, Harries will find work on British and Welsh TV, and appearing in action films, biographical dramas, and sci-fi series for as long as he sees fit. Right now, Harries is very much in the public eye, and his Instagram account is full of publicity shoots and interviews surrounding the release of "Clayface." For this moment, he is a Hollywood player. Time will tell if he will remain in America, or merely work where he happens to work.