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 starred in "Movie Movie" with George C. Scott in 1978, for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. 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 films as "Making Love" in 1982 (the first gay themed love story to be produced by a major studio, Twentieth Century Fox) and "Blue Skies Again" (1983). He returned to television appearing in the miniseries "Master of the Game" (based on the novel by Sidney Sheldon) in 1984 and "Space" (based on the novel by James A. Michener) in 1985.