For Australian actor Sam Worthington, two dimensions are no longer enough. The star of Avatar is going 3-D again as Perseus, son of Zeus, in Clash of the Titans. Worthington talked to TIME about Hades, Greek mythology and Harry Hamlin.
As Perseus, you head to Hades in Clash of the Titans. What’s your take on the afterlife?
I’m not going to say, because if I get up to heaven and there’s some eight-foot-tall guy with a stick and he says, “You didn’t believe in me, did you, mate?” I’m screwed. But I do believe in something. There has got to be something bigger than us.
That would be James Cameron.
He’s definitely my god.
(See pictures of James Cameron’s Best Special Effects.)
Clash of the Titans was converted to 3-D after filming. Were you surprised to hear that?
What Jim Cameron made clear was that if 3-D is used correctly, it does immerse you in that world. But 3-D is just another tool that filmmakers can use to tell their stories. It doesn’t change what I do.
Harry Hamlin played Perseus in the original, 1981 Clash of the Titans. Straight mano a mano sword fight–who wins?
I have to give that one to Harry. That guy was on Dancing with the Stars. He’s got some moves, brother.
One thing Hamlin trumps you on: that hair.
That was the reasoning behind shaving my head. Straight away, we separated ourselves [from the original]. I’ve been mocked for that on blogs, but his tresses are an iconic image. So I went the opposite way. Someone told me that they didn’t have buzz cuts in those days. And I said, Well, they didn’t have winged horses either. It’s a movie.
You’re facing a big geek group with Clash–the zealot Greek mythology clan. Are you ready for the purist storm?
Ours isn’t a history lesson. We set out to make a fun roller-coaster ride. If we were doing it for the history buffs, Perseus would be naked. I don’t think anyone wants to see me like that.
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