Hunger Magazine featured Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries on the cover of its latest issue, detailing how the timing of his career aligns with his casting in a major DC Comics production. The publication outlined the Cardiff-born performer’s progression from drama school to leading roles across theatre, television and film. Harries trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he secured a part in the 2011 film Hunky Dory during his first year. According to the magazine, this foundation supported subsequent stage work that drew critical attention.
Hunger Magazine reported that Harries appeared in a 2013 West End revival of Jez Butterworth’s Mojo alongside Ben Whishaw and Rupert Grint, with one critic likening him to an embryonic Elvis. The actor later took roles in the horror-comedy Slaughterhouse Rulez, the Netflix series White Lines and the Apple TV thriller Suspicion opposite Uma Thurman. More recent credits include a stage revival of The Seagull with Emilia Clarke and the 2024 film The Return directed by Uberto Pasolini with Ralph Fiennes. The magazine noted that these varied experiences positioned Harries for the demands of a comic-book franchise lead.
The Hunger Magazine profile centers on Harries’ selection for the title role in Clayface, a DC villain first introduced in 1940 comics according to DC Comics history. Director James Watkins, known for Eden Lake and The Woman in Black, is helming the project with involvement from James Gunn and horror writer Mike Flanagan. “I’ve been trusted to play the lead in the origin story of one of DC’s biggest characters. I’m not going to pretend that I’m cool about this,” Harries said in the magazine. The story explores an actor’s transformation through body horror, touching on identity, desperation and resilience.
In the Hunger Magazine interview, Harries explained that playing the character involves seeking justification for every action to avoid an objective view. This approach informs a performance that delves into the point where survival shifts into something darker. The film is set in Gotham City and combines superhero elements with visceral horror sequences. Harries described the intellectual restlessness that drives his preparation for such roles.
Hunger Magazine highlighted Harries’ upbringing in a Welsh-speaking community and his steady career build since being named a Star of Tomorrow by Screen UK in 2012 alongside Tom Holland. The cover feature includes photographs by Austin Hargrave that present the actor in a rock ‘n’ roller style. Additional context in the piece connects his early physical theatre demands, such as nightly scenes hanging from a meat hook in Mojo, to the physicality required for Clayface. The magazine presented the cover as a snapshot of an actor reaching a franchise-launching moment.
