Harry Hamlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Hamlin
Hamlin in 2023
Born	Harry Robinson Hamlin (1951-10-30) October 30, 1951 (age 73) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Education	Yale University (BA) American Conservatory Theater (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–present
Known for	L.A. Law Clash of the Titans Shameless Mad Men
Spouse(s)	Laura Johnson ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1989)​ Nicollette Sheridan ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 1992)​ Lisa Rinna ​ ​ (m. 1997)​
Partner(s)	Ursula Andress (1979–1983)
Children	3, including Amelia Gray Hamlin

Harry Robinson Hamlin (born October 30, 1951) is an American actor. He is also an author and a businessman. He is famous for playing Perseus in the 1981 fantasy movie Clash of the Titans. He also played Michael Kuzak in the TV show L.A. Law. For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe award three times. Harry Hamlin also received an Primetime Emmy nomination for his role as Jim Cutler in the TV series Mad Men.

About Harry Hamlin's Early Life

Harry Hamlin was born on October 30, 1951, in Pasadena, California. His mother, Bernice, was a socialite. His father, Chauncey Jerome Hamlin, Jr., was an engineer who designed aircraft.

As a teenager, Harry went to Flintridge Preparatory School and The Hill School. At these schools, he played soccer and lacrosse. He also performed in school musicals and plays. He took acting classes at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Harry Hamlin later attended University of California, Berkeley. He was even the president of his college club, Delta Kappa Epsilon, in 1972. In 1974, he graduated from Yale University. He earned two degrees: one in drama and one in psychology. He then studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater. He earned a special degree in acting in 1976. While there, he starred in a play called Equus. This performance caught the eye of a famous director, Stanley Donen.

Harry Hamlin's Acting Career

Movies and TV Shows

Harry Hamlin first appeared on television in 1976 in a show called Taming of the Shrew. He also played the main character in the 1979 TV miniseries Studs Lonigan. In 1978, he starred in the movie Movie Movie with George C. Scott. This role earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination.

His biggest movie role was in the 1981 fantasy movie Clash of the Titans. In this film, he played the hero Perseus. After this, he returned to television. He appeared in miniseries like Master of the Game in 1984 and Space in 1985.

Hamlin became very well-known for his role as attorney Michael Kuzak in the NBC legal drama L.A. Law. He was nominated for Best Actor three times for this show. He left the series after its fifth season.

In the early 1990s, Harry Hamlin appeared in a music video for the song "Voices That Care". This song supported U.S. troops during Operation Desert Storm. In 1992, he lent his voice to two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. He also appeared in the 1995 documentary The Celluloid Closet.

In 2002, he played Michael Kuzak again in an L.A. Law reunion TV movie. From 2004 to 2006, Hamlin had a recurring role on the TV series Veronica Mars. He played Aaron Echolls, the father of a main character. His real-life wife, Lisa Rinna, played Aaron's wife, Lynn, on the show. In 2006, Harry Hamlin competed on the third season of Dancing with the Stars. He was voted off in the third week.

In 2009, Hamlin appeared in the series Harper's Island. In 2010, he guest-starred in Army Wives and later became a regular cast member. He also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie You Lucky Dog in 2010.

In 2010, Hamlin and his wife, Lisa Rinna, created a reality TV series called Harry Loves Lisa. This show was about their family life. From 2012 to 2014, Hamlin played Lloyd Lishman in the American version of Shameless.

From 2013 to 2014, Harry Hamlin appeared in Mad Men as ad executive Jim Cutler. He was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for this role in 2013. In 2016, he was cast in the comedy Graves. In 2017, he played Addison Hayes in the USA Network show Shooter. In 2022, Hamlin was cast as Cortland Mayfair in AMC's Mayfair Witches. This show is based on books by Anne Rice.

Stage Performances

Harry Hamlin made his first appearance on Broadway in 1982. He played Moe Axelrod in Awake and Sing! He is a big fan of Shakespeare's plays. He played the main role in Hamlet at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey. The next year, he played Faust in Doctor Faustus there.

In 1994, Hamlin was nominated for an award for his role as the main character in Henry V. This play was performed at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.. In 1996, Hamlin returned to Broadway in Summer and Smoke.

Harry Hamlin as a Businessman

Harry Hamlin is a supporter of fusion power. This is a way to create clean energy. He was an early investor and helped start a company called TAE Technologies. This company is working on a clean, non-radioactive fusion power generator.

In 2016, Hamlin gave a speech about fusion at the TEDX LA conference. It was called "You Don't Have To Be a Rocket Scientist To Be a Futurist!" He was also on the board of Advanced Physics Corporation.

Hamlin was the president and CEO of Belle Gray, a women's clothing store in Los Angeles. In 2012, he launched The Lisa Rinna Collection with his wife, Lisa Rinna, for QVC. Harry Hamlin is also on the board of governors for the National Space Society.

Harry Hamlin's Family Life

Harry Hamlin with his wife at the time, Laura Johnson, in 1987.

Harry Hamlin was in a relationship with actress Ursula Andress. They met while filming Clash of the Titans in 1979. They had a son named Dimitri in 1980. They never married and broke up in 1983.

From 1985 to 1989, he was married to actress Laura Johnson. He was then married to actress Nicollette Sheridan from 1991 to 1992.

Since 1997, Harry Hamlin has been married to actress Lisa Rinna. They met in 1992. They have two daughters, Delilah (born 1998) and Amelia (born 2001). Their daughters have appeared with them on the reality shows Harry Loves Lisa and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Harry and Lisa also played a married couple, Aaron and Lynn Echolls, in the first season of Veronica Mars.

Harry Hamlin's Filmography

Movies

Television Movies

Television Series

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Harry Hamlin para niños