James Watkins put Tom Rhys Harries through three months of auditions before casting him as the titular villain in DC Studios’ Clayface. The upcoming body horror film follows a Hollywood actor whose desperate attempt to restore his disfigured face leads to a terrifying transformation. With its gruesome premise and connections to Gotham’s dark mythology, the film is taking a different route into the DC Universe.

For Harries, becoming Matt Hagen required more than a convincing screen test. Watkins wanted to explore just how far the Welsh actor could take the character before handing him the role.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at Clayface’s world premiere at Hollywood Legion Theater on October 13, James Watkins explained that he auditioned numerous actors before settling on Harries. The Welsh actor initially caught his attention, but the filmmaker wanted to explore his potential further. 

“I auditioned the hell out of him,” Watkins said.

“He came in, and I thought he really had something but I wanted to explore it. So we spent time exploring it,” he shared.

The challenge extends beyond physical transformation. Matt Hagen must remain emotionally recognisable even as his appearance becomes increasingly grotesque, allowing audiences to connect with the man beneath the monster. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Watkins wanted to explore the character through the audition process rather than simply settle on an actor who looked the part.

That approach also aligns with the film’s emphasis on body horror, where the loss of control over one’s own body becomes as unsettling as the creature effects.

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Watkins wanted to be certain Harries could handle the character’s many layers before filming began, but the lengthy process also gave the actor something valuable in return: time to understand the man behind the monstrous transformation.

Tom Rhys Harries also discussed the experience with The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that the process unfolded over three months and included two lengthy screen tests with Watkins. The actor welcomed the additional preparation, particularly because he had limited experience in this kind of leading role. 

“I was glad he did it with me really because it meant that we’d had time to workshop the thing before he got onto set,” Harries explained. 

Harries has also generated speculation about another Gotham character. During an interview with ComicBook, he was asked whether Hagen or Naomi Ackie’s Dr. Caitlin Bates knew Batman was operating in the city. The actor began answering before hesitating over what he could reveal. 

“We have footage, and I don’t think it’s… I don’t know how much I can say about this,” he said, adding that the subject had been discussed at length. 

His comments do not confirm Batman’s appearance in the film, but they suggest the character’s presence in Gotham was part of the filmmakers’ conversations. Director Watkins has previously noted that a story set in Gotham inevitably exists under the shadow of the Bat.

With Watkins putting such care into finding his leading man, Clayface has an intriguing character study at the heart of its body horror. 

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Do you think Harries’ casting will deliver a memorable new DC villain? Share your thoughts in the comments.