Welsh actor’s ‘massive break’ after being cast in blockbuster movie

A Welsh actor has been handed a career altering role after being cast in the lead role of a forthcoming DC Studios’ blockbuster.

Tom Rhys Harries who is relatively unknown Stateside, will star as Clayface, the Batman villain known for his ability to shape-shift.

The casting ends a search that focused on young, British actors for the project. Among those in the mix had been Sinners bad guy Jack O’Connell, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Tom Blyth, Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) and George MacKay, star of war movie 1917.

DC project leads James Gunn and Peter Safran went to great lengths in their search for their lead star.

Speak No Evil director James Watkins will direct Clayface, which is said to be a stripped down movie, with a budget in the $40 million range.

According to sources, it centres on B-movie actor who becomes a walking piece of clay after injecting himself with a substance in an attempt to keep himself relevant.

Prolific horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan wrote the script for Clayface, which has a release date of autumn 2026, and is expected to film later this year.

The Batman director Matt Reeves will produce, along with Lynn Harris and Gunn and Safran.

This is a massive break for the 35-year-old Welshman who has notched up screen credits with work on screen and stage in the UK for the last 15 years.

Among his early gigs was a role on BBC fantasy drama Jekyll & Hyde, and making his West End debut in Mojo with Ben Whishaw and Rupert Grint.

In recent years, he appeared in AppleTV+ series Suspicion and Netflix series White Lines. He also had a role in the 2023 Gerard Butler action drama Kandahar.

Now he looks set to become a household name on the global stage.