Youth

Hamlin was born October 30, 1951, in Pasadena, California, the son of Berniece (née Robinson), a socialite, and Chauncey Jerome Hamlin, Jr., an aeronautical engineer. As a teenager, he attended Flintridge Preparatory School, near Pasadena, and The Hill School, a private boarding school in Pennsylvania, where he played soccer and lacrosse and acted in the school's musicals and plays. Hamlin attended University of California, Berkeley and is an alumnus of the Theta Zeta chapter of the national fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, of which he was President in 1972. Hamlin graduated from Yale University with a BA degree in Drama and Psychology in 1974. Hamlin then attended the American Conservatory Theatre's Advanced Actor Training Program from which he was subsequently awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting.

Career

Hamlin appeared in the 1976 television production of Taming of the Shrew and also had the title role in the 1979 television miniseries Studs Lonigan. He had a role in Movie Movie with George C. Scott in 1978, but his big-screen break was a starring role in the 1981 Greek mythology fantasy epic Clash of the Titans. Afterwards, his career faltered somewhat with such controversial box office films as Making Love (1982) and Blue Skies Again (1983). He returned to television appearing in the miniseries Master of the Game (based on novel by Sidney Sheldon) in 1984 and Space (based on the novel by James A. Michener) in 1985.

Following this, Hamlin's popularity skyrocketed when he starred on the highly popular NBC legal drama series L.A. Law. Playing principled attorney Michael Kuzak, he remained on the series from 1986 to 1991, during which time he was voted as People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1987. Hamlin decided to leave the series at the end of the fifth season and tried to revive his movie career. However, this was unsuccessful and so far he has only starred in B movies and direct-to-video features.

In early 1991, Hamlin appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care", which was made in support of U.S. troops who were stationed in the Middle East and involved at that time in Operation Desert Storm. He then appeared in two 1992 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, in each episode as a separate character. In the episode "Joker's Wild", Hamlin played the role of Cameron Kaiser, a ruthless businessman who sinks all his money into a casino, then counts on the Joker to destroy it in order to collect on the insurance policy from a reputable company, and in the other episode, "Moon of the Wolf", he provided the voice of Anthony Romulus, a greedy athlete who takes a potion to enhance his skills, only to realize too late that it has transformed him into a werewolf. In 1995, he participated in the documentary film, The Celluloid Closet where he discussed his role in the film Making Love.

In 2001, he starred in the television comedy Bratty Babies, and in 2002 he reprised the role of Michael Kuzak in an L.A. Law reunion television movie.

In 2004, Hamlin began a recurring role on the television series Veronica Mars. He played fading action hero Aaron Echolls, father to central show character Logan Echolls who had a turbulent relationship with him. Hamlin's character states that he (like the real-life Hamlin) was People magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' in 1987. Aaron's wife, Lynn, was played by Hamlin's real-life wife, Lisa Rinna. Hamlin appeared beginning in the sixth episode of the first season, "Return of the Kane", and made his last appearance in the second season finale, "Not Pictured". In 2006, Hamlin took part in the third season of Dancing with the Stars with Ashly DelGrosso, but was voted off the show in the third week.

Hamlin reprised the role of Perseus in the 2007 video game God of War II. In the game, Perseus was trapped in a room while searching for the Sisters of Fate to revive his dead lover, and believes Kratos to be sent by the gods to test him.

In 2009, Hamlin starred in the series Harper's Island as Uncle Marty. He was killed abruptly in the first episode by being cut in half while he dangled from a broken wooden bridge.

In June 2010, Hamlin guest-starred in an episode of Army Wives, and has since become a recurring cast member.

In June 2010, Hamlin starred in the Hallmark movie You Lucky Dog.

On December 4, 2008, TV Guide reported that Hamlin and Rinna signed a deal to create a reality television series called Harry Loves Lisa that is based around their family life. The series was developed by TV Land and premiered on October 6, 2010.

In 2010, Hamlin published a book Full Frontal Nudity: The Making of an Accidental Actor wherein he shares stories of his career as an actor. (ISBN 1-4391-6999-3)

In 2012, Hamlin began playing Lloyd Lishman, an older lover to Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) on the U.S version of Shameless (7 episodes circa the end of Season 3).

On April 15, 2012, he appeared in an adult diaper commercial with his wife during a primetime television program.

Beginning on April 28, 2013, Hamlin appeared in several episodes of season six (1968) of Mad Men as ad executive Jim Cutler after the merger of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and Cutler Gleason and Chaough. Hamlin was nominated for a 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance in "A Tale of Two Cities."

Personal life

Hamlin was in a relationship with Swiss actress Ursula Andress, his co-star in the film Clash of the Titans, from 1979 to 1983. In 1980, Hamlin had a son (Dimitri Alexander Hamlin) with Andress. From 1985 to 1989, he was married to actress Laura Johnson and between 1991 and 1993 to actress Nicollette Sheridan.

Since 1997, Hamlin has been married to former Days of Our Lives actress and television host Lisa Rinna. They have two daughters, Delilah Belle Hamlin and Amelia Gray Hamlin, who both featured in the reality show Harry Loves Lisa with the couple. The couple also starred in the first season of Veronica Mars as Aaron and Lynn Echolls, a married couple.

All three of Hamlin's wives have been prominent prime time soap-opera actresses: Rinna starred on Melrose Place, Sheridan was a regular on Knots Landing and more recently on Desperate Housewives, whereas Johnson was a regular on Falcon Crest (on which even Andress later made guest appearances).

Hamlin is an advocate for Fusion energy and has invested in Tri-Alpha Energy, Inc. and is also a board member of Advanced Physics Corporation.

His wife Lisa Rinna joined the fifth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where she revealed that Hamlin quit drinking alcohol and has been sober for three years at the time of filming due to two of his brothers dying from drug abuse and alcoholism, with Rinna stating that Hamlin had to "break the cycle."

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Hercules	N/A
1978	Movie Movie	Joey Popchik	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor
1979	Studs Lonigan	Bill 'Studs' Lonigan
1981	Clash of the Titans	Perseus
1981	King of the Mountain	Steve
1982	Making Love	Bart
1983	Blue Skies Again	Sandy
1985	Maxie	Himself
1987	Laguna Heat	Tom Shephard	Television movie
1989	Dinner at Eight	Larry Renault	Television movie
1990	Deceptions	Nick Gentry	Television movie
1991	Deadly Intentions... Again?	Charles Raynor	Television movie
1992	Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View	Richard Worthington	Television movie
1993	Poisoned by Love: The Kern County Murders	Steve Catlin	Television movie, also known as, Murder So Sweet
1993	Save Me	Jim Stevens
1993	Under Investigation	Detective Harry Keaton
1994	Ebbtide	Jeff Warren
1994	In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness	N/A	Television movie
1995	Tom Clancy's 'OP Center'	Paul Hood	Television movie
1995	Her Deadly Rival	Jim Lansford	Television movie
1997	Allie & Me	Dustin Halaburton
1997	Badge of Betrayal	Sheriff Dave Ward	Television movie
1997	Night Sins	Chief Mitch Holt	Television movie
1997	Time to Say Goodbye?	N/A	Television movie
1998	Frogs for Snakes	Klench
1998	Like Father, Like Santa	Tyler Madison	Television movie
1998	The Hunted	Doc Kovac	Television movie
1998	Stranger in Town	Jack	Television movie
1999	Silent Predators	Vic Rondelli	Television movie
2000	Shoot or Be Shot	Jack Yeager
2000	Quarantine	President Kempers	Television movie
2001	Perfume	Hancock
2001	Sex, Lies and Obsession	Cameron Thomas	Television movie
2002	Roads to Riches	Dan Smith
2002	Disappearance	Jim Henley	Television movie
2008	Strange Wilderness	Sky Pierson
2010	You Lucky Dog	Jim Rayborn	Television movie
2012	Christmas High School Reunion	N/A	Television movie
2012	Shadow of Fear	Richard Steele	Television movie
2013	Shiva and May	Ed
2016	Director's Cut	Godfrey Winters

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Master of the Game	Anthony James 'Tony' Blackwell	3 episodes
1985	Space	John Pope	5 episodes
1986-1991	L.A. Law	Michael Kuzak	102 episodes Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama
1988	Favorite Son	Senator Terry Fallon	Episode: "Part One"
1992	Batman: The Animated Series	Anthony 'Tony' Romulus	Episode: "Moon of the Wolf:
1992	Batman: The Animated Series	Cameron Kaiser	Episode: "Joker's Wild"
1992	The Legend of Prince Valiant	Sir Lymon	Episode: "The Traitor"
1997	Ink	Brian	4 episodes
1997	The Nanny	Professor Steve	Episode: "Educating Fran"
1999-2000	Movie Stars	Reese Hardin	21 episodes
2001	Touched by an Angel	Liam	Episode: "Winners, Losers & Leftovers"
2004-2006	Veronica Mars	Aaron Echolls	12 episodes
2005	Arrested Development	Himself	Episode: "For British Eyes Only"
2007	Law & Order	Randall Bailey	Episode: "The Family Hour"
2009	Harper's Island	Uncle Marty Dunn	2 episodes
2010-2011	Army Wives	Professor Chandler	8 episodes
2010	Harry Loves Lisa	Himself	2 episodes
2011	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Dino	Episode: "The Smiley Face"
2011	Franklin & Bash	Rick Paxton	Episode: "Bro-Bono"
2012-2014	Shameless	Lloyd 'Ned' Lishman	8 episodes
2013-2014	Mad Men	Jim Cutler	15 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
2014	Rush	Dr. Warren Rush	4 episodes
2014-2015	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Chief Charles Patton	2 episodes
2015	Glee	Walter	4 episodes
2016	Mom	Fred Hayes	2 episodes

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	God of War II	Perseus

Charities

Harry Hamlin supports the following charitable causes: Diabetes, AIDS, Animals, Drug Abuse, Multiple Sclerosis, Hunger.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]