Yet, the 30-year-old admitted he felt he had to refuse a significant role in Paul Feig’s Christmas romantic comedy, Last Christmas. This film boasted a star-studded cast, including Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke.
The screenplay, crafted by Bryony Kimmings and Emma Thompson, and inspired by the 1984 Wham! song, narrates the story of a disenchanted Christmas store employee, portrayed by Clarke, who finds romance with a mysterious man, typical of a heartwarming festive romcom.
Styles decided against playing the enigmatic man, a role that eventually went to Henry Golding.
Upon its 2019 release, the film grossed $123 million but received mixed reviews, with a 46 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Styles’ decision to pass on the role was not due to the script. He stated that he felt he was simply too ‘young’ for the character, as reported by The Mirror.
Director Feig expressed his desire to collaborate with the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer on the film.
He remarked: “I love Harry. We wanted him to play the part that Henry Golding played but he turned it down because he felt he was too young for the role. I’ve tried to get him in a few movies.”
Following his last film role in My Policeman in 2022, Styles reportedly stepped in for another prominent actor in a different film three years after declining Feig’s offer.
In the thriller-mystery, Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde and co-starring Florence Pugh, Styles replaced Shia LaBeouf, who left amidst rumors of a conflict with Wilde.
Although LaBeouf denied being fired, Styles assumed the lead role of Jack.
The film’s performance was not as strong as Last Christmas, earning $87.6 million and receiving a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
During a press conference, Styles, who was dating Wilde at the time, confessed he ‘had no idea’ what he was doing.
He explained: “What I like about acting is I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. Making music is a really personal thing. There are aspects of acting where you’re drawing from experiences a bit, but for the most part you’re pretending to play someone else. That’s what I find the most interesting about it.
“They can aid each other in a way. Any time you get to view the world through a different lens, it can help to create whichever way it goes. I find it really different. I think the fun part is that you never know what you’re doing in either one of them.”