Ray Harryhausen’s swan song wasn’t supposed to be about a Yale-educated theater kid with a fresh face. But it was. When you think about Clash of the Titans Harry Hamlin is usually the first image that pops into your head—specifically him holding a severed Gorgon head while looking slightly overwhelmed by a mechanical owl. It’s iconic. It’s also a miracle the movie even worked.
Back in 1981, the cinematic landscape was shifting violently. Star Wars had already changed the "look" of adventure. Lucasfilm was pushing high-tech motion control, but here came Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with a movie that felt like it belonged to a different century. It was hand-crafted. It was slow. It was mythological in a way that felt academic yet pulpy. And right in the middle of it was Harry Hamlin, playing Perseus with a sincerity that most modern actors would probably mask with irony.
He wasn't the first choice. Not even close. But his casting ended up being the glue that held the stop-motion monsters and the Shakespearean gravitas of Laurence Olivier together.
The Reluctant Hero of Joppa
Harry Hamlin didn't exactly grow up dreaming of slaying krakens. He was a classically trained actor, deeply involved in the American Conservatory Theater. Honestly, he thought the script for Clash of the Titans was a bit ridiculous when it first landed on his desk. He’s gone on record in various interviews—including his own memoir Full Frontal Nudity—explaining that he almost turned it down because he didn't want to be a "prop" for special effects.
He was wrong. Thankfully.
The production was a massive undertaking. We're talking about a $15 million budget in 1980 dollars, which was huge for a movie that relied on a technique (stop-motion) that many critics thought was dying. Hamlin arrived on set in Malta and London to find himself surrounded by legends. Imagine being a relatively green actor and having to hold your own against Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, and Claire Bloom. Oh, and Lord Laurence Olivier is playing your dad, Zeus. No pressure, right?
The dynamic on set was... weird. Hamlin has often spoken about the "old guard" of British actors who would spend their mornings doing serious theater talk and their afternoons in tunics and sandals. It was a clash of cultures. Hamlin was the American boy, the athlete, the one who had to do the heavy lifting while the veterans sat on thrones and looked regal.
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Why the Perseus Performance Actually Holds Up
If you watch Clash of the Titans Harry Hamlin brings something very specific to the role: genuine vulnerability. In the 2010 remake, Sam Worthington played Perseus like a disgruntled soldier. He was angry at the gods. He was "gritty."
Hamlin’s Perseus is different. He’s actually kind of scared.
When he enters Medusa’s lair, he isn't swaggering. He’s sweating. His eyes are wide. This is a crucial distinction that makes the original film more resonant than the CGI-heavy updates. Because Hamlin is playing it straight, the stakes feel real. When he’s swinging that sword at air (because the creature wouldn’t be added for months by Harryhausen), you believe he’s fighting for his life.
The Medusa Sequence: A Masterclass in Tension
Let’s talk about that Medusa scene. It is arguably the greatest sequence in stop-motion history. Ray Harryhausen spent a year animating Medusa by himself. But for the scene to work, Hamlin had to sell the terror.
- He had to move in sync with a creature that wasn't there.
- He had to use his shield as a mirror without catching the camera crew in the reflection.
- He had to maintain a level of physical tension that matched the eerie, flickering light of the cavern.
Hamlin’s performance here is all in the eyes. He captures that "don't look" panic perfectly. It’s the peak of his career in the genre, even if he didn't realize it at the time.
Behind the Scenes Drama and a Mechanical Owl
It wasn't all fun and games in the Mediterranean sun. Hamlin has shared stories about the friction regarding Bubo, the mechanical owl. Rumor has it that the bird was added because Star Wars had R2-D2 and the studio wanted a "cute" sidekick. Hamlin, being a serious actor, reportedly wasn't a fan. He felt it undercut the epic nature of the Greek myth.
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He wasn't alone. Most of the cast thought the owl was a bit much. Yet, ironically, Bubo became one of the most beloved parts of the film for children of the 80s.
Then there was the romance. While filming, Hamlin fell for his co-star, Ursula Andress, who played Aphrodite. She was the original Bond girl, an international sex symbol, and 15 years his senior. Their relationship became a tabloid fixture, eventually leading to the birth of their son, Dimitri. It adds a layer of "Old Hollywood" glamour to the production that you just don't see anymore. A young lead actor falling for a screen icon on a set built of plaster and dreams? That’s movie magic.
The Lasting Legacy of the 1981 Original
Why are we still talking about Clash of the Titans Harry Hamlin and those jerky-moving monsters decades later?
It’s the soul.
Modern fantasy films are polished until they’re frictionless. Everything is smooth. Everything is "perfect." But the 1981 Clash has texture. You can see the thumbprints of the animators in the clay. You can see the sweat on Hamlin’s brow. There is a tangible sense of craft that bridges the gap between the silent era of film and the digital revolution.
Hamlin eventually moved on to L.A. Law and became a massive TV star, but he never truly escaped the shadow of the Kraken. And honestly, why would he want to? He’s the face of the last great era of practical fantasy.
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What You Can Learn From the Perseus Arc
If you’re a film buff or a storyteller, there are a few "actionable" takeaways from Hamlin’s time in the bronze age:
- Sincerity wins over irony. Don't be afraid to play a "pure" hero. Perseus works because Hamlin doesn't wink at the camera. He believes in the quest, so the audience does too.
- Physical acting is a lost art. In an era of green screens, Hamlin’s ability to react to nothing—and make it look heavy, dangerous, and real—is a skill every actor should study.
- Respect the process. Even if you think the "mechanical owl" in your project is silly, give the performance your all. The parts you hate might be the parts the audience loves most.
The best way to experience this is to skip the 4K AI-upscaled versions if you can find an original print or a high-quality Blu-ray that preserves the grain. Look at the way the light hits the shield. Watch the Medusa sequence one more time and pay attention to Hamlin’s breathing. It’s a masterclass in making the impossible feel inevitable.
Go back and watch the film with a focus on the lighting in the Joppa scenes; it's some of the most underrated cinematography of the early 80s, specifically how they used filters to create that "mythic" haze. If you really want to dive deep, track down the 2011 "30th Anniversary" interviews where Hamlin finally opens up about the technical difficulties of the final battle. It changes how you see the ending completely.
The Kraken may be dead, but the way Harry Hamlin swung that sword remains the gold standard for mythological heroes.
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