Harry Styles, the former X Factor star who took the world by storm as part of the boyband One Direction has been carving out a name for himself as a solo musician over the previous few years. The fourth single from his sophomore album Fine Line was the 2020 summer hit Watermelon Sugar. On its release it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and picked up a Grammy in March 2021. Styles now adds the Brit award for Best British Single to those accolades as of early May. While congratulations on the win streamed in from the various corners of social media, one particular theme emerged among the commentary. Many people were moved to remark on Styles’ acceptance speech, which featured him speaking with a slight, but tangible American accent. Perhaps this is unsurprising as the One Direction star has been splitting his time between America and the UK since at least 2014. To date he has owned multiple properties in LA and New York, though he states he could never live full time in America, citing home favorites like bangers and mash as decisive factors in where he plants his allegiance. Irrespective of intonation, the Worcestershire native is reportedly working on new music for his next album with Watermelon Sugar co-writer Kid Harpoon.
The Name’s Styles, Harry Styles
Commentators have also been considering whether we might see Styles adding a BAFTA or Oscar to the trophy cabinet in the coming years. With the upcoming release of No Time to Die set to be Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, Styles is among the names that has been thrown around as a potential successor to Craig in the role of 007. Styles has made no secret of the fact he has an enduring love of Ian Fleming’s titular spy and in 2012 he cemented his appreciation for the franchise in the form of a tattoo that reads “Black 17” on his shoulder. This is a nod to 1971’s Diamonds are Forever where Bond wins a bet by playing this number, which sits at the center of the Roulette table and is a favorite among aficionados of the game. Styles, acknowledging the talk of him being in the running for Bond 26 has stated that sadly this is categorically untrue.
New Film Roles
While this may come as a disappointment to some, fans may be assuaged by his upcoming involvement in multiple new film projects. These include his upcoming starring role in the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. Styles replaced actor Shia LeBeouf in the top billing after the Transformers actor left the project last year citing personal differences with the production team. Don’t Worry Darling is directed by Olivia Wilde, the Irish-American actor and director widely publicized to be dating Styles. The film is expected to debut in cinemas towards the end of 2021 and will center around the experiences of a 1950s couple as they attempt to integrate into a utopian experimental community. Following this, Styles is reportedly signed on as part of an upcoming adaptation of the Bethan Roberts novel My Policeman, in which he will star alongside The Crown actor Emma Corrin. The internet movie database lists a third project under director Dan Gilroy, tentatively titled Faster Better Stronger, though little more is known at this stage with respect to its plot or what sort of part Styles will have to play in it.
Dunkirk
What we can be sure of though, is that Styles is making a definitive move into acting after an extended hiatus from the medium following his debut appearance in Christopher Nolan’s award winning film, Dunkirk. For that production, Styles in fact auditioned for the role and came out as Nolan’s first choice ahead of nearly 2000 applicants. Nolan has stated that he was not aware of Styles’ fame as a musician at the time of casting, and genuinely selected him based on the conviction and integrity of his acting.
Suffice to say the 26 year old has plenty on his plate, and appears to be going from strength to strength if his BRIT award win is any indication of his ongoing and meteoric career trajectory.