After a summer of sold out shows, there was one. Viral press tourHarry Styles is back to our small screens My policeman Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video Don’t worry Darling Streaming on Max. Everyone has wondered, “Can Harry Styles perform?” We offer a second, more important question: “Should Harry Styles act?”
Our answer may disappoint Harries Stylers, Directors, and Cinephiles who are emotionally invested Hollywood careers. We argue that the silent variety should be his only acting.
Mashable’s tech reporter explains. Elena CavenderMashable social reporter Chase DiBenedetto — proud Directioners and resident British boyfriend aficionados — discuss the rise of the award-winning musician, wannabe actor, and internet obsession.
Everyone’s talking about Harry Styles… still
Elena: Some of us have been talking about Harry Styles every single day for 10 years, but now that the mainstream news cycle has caught on, it’s impossible to escape Styles discourse. Here’s a quick rundown on why Styles is so popular.
Chase: Olivia Wilde’s ongoing drama on-and off-set Don’t worry Darling. Was our guy really going to the international film festival and spitting on Chris Pine? (He has denied the allegations, and whether he did or didn’t isn’t really the point.) Marvel fans and critics alike were impressed by his unexpected appearance in a scene after the credits. Eternals. He was awarded a Grammy, and we both wept. He’s also a popular TikTok and Twitter topic because of his hugely successful worldwide career. Love on Tour(which is reaching an absurd number of shows). Styles’ latest screen performance is in My policeman AndDon’t worry Darling He’s now available on streaming platforms and is back in the public’s sights for his acting skills.
Elena: At the same time, he’s been solidifying himself as a huge global brand, Harry Styles™, with the launch of his 2021 venture, a beauty brand called Pleasing and his collaboration with Gucci, HA HA HA.
Styles can be everything and everywhere at once.
ChaseStyles is at his peak saturation point and this is hindering his attempts to be a leading man. He is also a result of a decade-long professional career. Many people, including new fans, might not be aware of this fact. Be assured: We are diving into Styles’ industry history and fanmade personas.
Harry Styles the Actor™
One Direction’s music videos muse
Elena: We will explore Styles’ public relationship to cinema to find out the truth behind his attempts to be an actor. Styles was obsessed with rom-coms during One Direction, often citing either The Notebook Oder Love Actually His favorite films throughout the years. This was his first solo production. Harry StylesHe maintained this stance through the iconic intro to “Woman”: “Shouldn’t we just search for romantic comedies on Netflix? And see what we find?”
Chase: This is his best song.… But beyond these remarks (and as far as his fan-facing identity went), Styles was never really aligned with cinema as an art form. Styles seemed to be a solid music guy. He was clearly 1D’s favorite member and all acting was done to support those goals.
One Direction’s music videos, and commercials, convey this clearly. He is the man who got the girl in their first video, “What Makes You Beautiful,” as well as in “Gotta Be You.” He was the group’s unofficial center, often taking the coveted middle spot in the group’s “choreography,” and he was the main focus of every commercial, from perfume ads to car promotions. In their 2012 primetime TV debut for the XLVI Super Bowl, Styles took the acting lead in fighting Drew Brees for a Pepsi — giving the athlete a run for his money with an army of fangirls. Unfortunately, for Louis girls, the boys weren’t really there.
Elena: Thank you to Pepsi for giving my dad and me something to talk over in that commercial.
Styles had the spotlight in Styles’ first role as a boy on the silverscreen. I am, of course, referring to One Direction’s cameo on Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly2012 He was the star of the episode, and he did more acting than the others. Styles played a diva version himself, where he pretends to be sick in order to be pampered by Carly. Styles isn’t exactly showing off his acting skills, but the episode was a cultural moment that was feverish and possible because he was sillyly leaning into his Harry Styles persona.
Chase: A year later, the music video for “Best Song Ever” finally showcases some acting skills. Marcel was Harry’s goofy personality mixed with a bit of acting talent.
Elena: I agree completely. This was his first attempt at playing a completely different character from his public persona. He was the least costumed but also the most convincing character. Styles was so effective as this character that there is a separate genre of One Direction fanfiction devoted not to Styles, but to Marcel.
Chase: The fan reaction was truly impressive at that time!
Ben Winston, the director of Styles, is one of many people behind many of Styles’ memorable onscreen moments. He not only directed several of the band’s iconic music videos, like “Best Song Ever” (with, it must be said, the help of James Corden), but he also became the pop star’s really close friend. Styles and Winston even produced a single season on an autobiographical TV series called Happy TogetherIn 2018, they were judged on the basis of their relationship.
Styles’ interest in music was revealed by his ventures after the band split. But only his core fan base was interested in Styles’ post-1D career.
Elena:Strangely, we have never watched. Happy Together. It is our single blindspot.
DunkirkThe actor that could have been in this era
Elena: The stars really were aligned. Styles’ success in Dunkirk. His role in DunkirkThis was his first act after One Direction. He appeared to disappear and was rediscovered in a WWII movie.!
Chase: Styles’ appearance in Christopher Nolan films shocked me to the core. It was such a bold choice to take on his first venture outside of the band.
Elena: He was re-inventing himself after One Direction. His personality was flexible, which made his career change exciting. Don’t worry Darling, My policeman, and his potential Marvel projects because he’s so overexposed right now.
Styles wanted to be a successful solo artist, and not just in the boy band he was best known for. Styles’ debut album was released two months earlier. Dunkirk, Styles was seen trying out different rock sounds. His promo cycle was thoughtful and complimentary to his fans who were largely One Direction fans at the time.
Chase: That fed into the fans’ desire that he produce more content, but not with the same oversaturation Styles faced in his final days. He wasn’t the star of. DunkirkSo he was charmed and took a backseat during interviews and red carpets. He was able to bond with his castmates and talked often about how he learned from his fellow stars.
Elena: Talking about it is impossible DunkirkWithout even talking about The Haircut. Dunkirk Styles was required to trim his distinctive long hair. This marked the dawn of a new era for Styles.
Chase: Fans were more open to the possibility of a career change away from music and the rebrand. Solo music projects, which were a frightening reality after the band broke up, were a death knell for the band’s reunion. However, an acting career seemed less of a risk.
This is probably the most popular Styles “era” according to many fans. He was right. He actually did very well with the few lines he was given in the film! But somehow, the Nolans of it all got in his head.
Elena: It was a good thing that his role was based on looking. Amazing English.
Late Night Talk… Show
Chase: OK Saturday Night Live double-duty time.
Elena: His best work. Styles’ charm and charisma are fully displayed. Styles is a great sportsman, which goes to show his greatest strength.
ChaseStyles’ public appeal and future acting career are now at a tipping point. He was not the first to appear on the show and even made a mistake in one of his earlier appearances. But this was Styles’ most important late-night appearance. It won him points from the public eye.
Elena:Everyone finally understood! (The 1D girls knew it all.)
Blockbuster movie central
Elena: Dare i say? DunkirkSmashing SNLStyles seemed a bit too confident about his acting abilities.
Chase: This is something you can and should do. Post SNLStyles releases his second album Fine LineThe rest of the world was then shut down. The pandemic really catalyzed his non-music endeavors — he openly said he was struggling during that time, and we think he was battling life without copious amounts of onstage attention. He eventually made a surprise appearance in Chloe Zhao’s 2021 film. Eternals. Is he acting in that video? It doesn’t seem so. The line delivery was… how do I say this succinctly… lacking.
ElenaStyles Conversations Eternals It was confusing to me. Zhao had Zhao in his mind for the role. It’s mind-boggling that he’s no actor. She also wants him to play himself in this role, which isn’t where he’s excelled before. He has excelled in playing ridiculous characters like Marcel, and in parodies. SNL.
Chase: Styles was simultaneously rumored in contention for several other movies (mindful, he only had ONE acting credit at the time). The Little MermaidElvis in the Baz Luhrmann biopic.
Elena: Is it possible that his name was even included in those roles? He isn’t even an actor. He would, at the very least, be singing those parts.
ChaseThe Announcement: Styles was given the lead role. Don’t worry Darling Florence Pugh is opposite, closely followed by a second lead part in My policeman. Here is where the general population starts to become a little cautious.
Elena: We were also wary of some fans because we loved his music and wanted to support him. Continue readingMusic, not movies or nail polish.
ChaseStyles didn’t take this time to perfect his acting craft. He was using his growing fame to secure blockbuster movies. He also uses each film to increase his audience beyond the core fan base that he has been following. Dunkirk. He is now a Marvel franchise star, which makes him a man-dominated actor with broad appeal to the general public (his Coachella appearances in the same year also reinforced this). Do not worry darling pushes his identity into an explicitly “sexy” and dramatic role — completely disregarding the public distaste of that marketing — that appeals to old and new thriller fans, and maybe even to a generation of older women. And My policemanHis attempt to act seriously, playing an introspective LGBTQ-character in a movie that also serves as a meta reflection on his public relationships, is his attempt at being serious. Queerbaiting accusations.
Elena: Although it’s giving mastermind, his strategy has partially backfired since both Don’t worry Darling And My policeman They were shrouded by controversy. Styles’ loyal fanbase is sure to show up for their king, so directors and production companies aren’t bothered. Yes, we did. Don’t Worry Darling has made over $86 million at the worldwide box office, which is pretty good for a non-Marvel movie.
Chase: And the fact that he doesn’t see any repercussions for a bad role just reinforces that he should be considered for even bigger roles.
Harry Styles the Character™
Chase: The conversation surrounding Styles’ acting performances isn’t happening in isolation; it’s prompted by our perception of him as a teenage heartthrob and global pop star.
Elena: Weirdly, the most interesting part of this whole thing is that Styles is playing characters that fans have already written for him. Just scroll through the fanfiction sites, and you’ll see that two popular fan-created versions of “Harry Styles” are referred to as “Dark Harry” and “Larry Harry.”
[Mild Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman spoilers ahead.]
In “Dark Harry” fanfiction, Styles is written as dramatic and abusive, and an early trope found in fics at the time was female characters (sometimes original characters, known as OCs, or self-inserts, known as Y/N or “your name”) being sold to or kidnapped by One Direction. This is eerily similar to what happens in Don’t worry Darling.
On the other end of the spectrum is the way he’s often depicted in Larry Stylinson (a portmanteau of Harry Styles and bandmate Louis Tomlinson) fanfiction. Styles is shown as a closeted character, hiding behind his heartthrob image by fic writers. My policeman. Fans still believe this depiction to be true, which is a controversial faction of the fandom. Tomlinson has spoken against.
Chase: Those are essential characterizations of Styles within the fandom and their cultural resonance might be one reason why fans are quick to dismiss actual film criticism or broader industry context when discussing Styles in these roles. These identities are not new to him, but he has gotten used to them. ample criticism For feeding those stereotypes.
Elena: And it’s important to note that fans often have to reckon with these fictional identities whenever they see him. That’s more than 10 years worth of context. It’s not like there has been one. TwoMovie adaptations of Harry Styles fanfic. The most recent is The Idea of YouAnne Hathaway stars as the lead in the film. He is not able to overcome that as an actor, I don’t think. However, I support him continuing to take on comedic roles that are funny and am open to his taking them on.
Chase: The Harry Styles™ brand is also a character in itself — the way he has become a face of Gucci, a “business owner” with brands like Pleasing, his investment in various music venues, and his identity as one of the so-called kindest men in the industry also feed into another version of Styles. His attractiveness is so well-known that it’s everywhere.
Elena:Styles’ character was the inspiration for the line “ordinary faces are best to paint” My policeman I am completely lost.
Now the question is: Do you think he should keep acting??
Chase: Based on the burden of his own musical, acting, and fan-dictated history… no.
ElenaStyles is a huge fan. It takes a lot of brainpower to be in a theater without thinking about him. It is exhausting to have then to follow the actual movie plot.
Chase: His recent film cycle was almost certain to fail after he had been involved in a lot of music and business ventures, as well as a public relationship. If he really is determined to act, he should keep his focus on comedy, or musical theater. He also needs to understand that acting is not something he does. You can see his joy when he is having fun and not taking himself too seriously. Because in all of these roles there’s an obvious elephant in the room — him!
Elena: Or, make him the star of a silent movie!
Chase: Totally agree. Those moments that he doesn’t use dialogue and where he relies solely on his physical acting to succeed are the best. Just picture a silent movie era renaissance helmed by Harry Styles… His Music video for The Fine LineSong: “Treat People with Kindness”This was a great example!
There are no blockbusters or indies anymore. However, he might be able to do “regular” roles as a way to start his film career.
Elena: He’s no Timothée Chalamet or Josh O’Connor! If he really wanted to be more than a singer, he could make a great variety host. It’s too bad that he is so addicted to touring.
Chase: Harry Styles readers, take a vacation to practice self-care. You can’t do it all.
Elena: Please don’t bring the pop to the cinema ❤️.
