Harry Styles' reason for turning down Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid has been revealed

He's starred in a number of films

Harry Styles / The Little Mermaid
Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 12th Apr 2023
Last updated 12th Apr 2023

As well as being a Grammy and BRIT Award-winning artist, with hits such as 'As It Was' from his 'Harry's House' album, Harry Styles is also an accomplished actor having appeared in feature films such as Don't Worry Darling, My Policeman and Dunkirk.

However, while the former One Direction singer was offered the part of Prince Eric in upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid, he decided not to accept the role.

Rob Marshell, the film's director, opened up to Entertainment Weekly saying: "(It) really felt like he wanted to go off and do the movies that he ended up doing (Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman), which were sort of darker."

The role ended up going to Jonah Hauer-King who previously starred in TV series World on Fire and The Flatshare. Jonah stars alongside Halle Bailey in the latest live-action remake from Disney.

While we're waiting for the full film to arrive, the full length trailer has been released showing the cast giving spine-tingling performance.

Meanwhile, Harry went on to appear in several films such as Don't Worry Darling which was a psychological thriller about a couple Jack (Harry Styles) and Alice (Florence Pugh), who lived in an idyllic company town, but not everything is as it seems.

He also starred in My Policeman, which sees Harry Styles' character Tom Burgess caught in a love triangle. Set in 1957, Tom is secretly gay, at a time when it is illegal to be, so he dates Marion, played by Emma Corrin (The Crown), while having an affair with a museum curator called Patrick Hazelwood, (played by David Davidson).

Harry has also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Eros, the brother of Thanos. In 2021 Harry made his first appearance in the film Eternals, but his future with the franchise has been addressed since.

Back in the world of music, Harry has enjoyed a lot of success with his latest album 'Harry House', which was released last May. The singer picked up several awards at the Grammys and The BRITs this year, which saw him thank his former One Direction band mates for their part in his success.

You can hear songs by Harry Styles on heat radio.

Take a look through all the films and TV show Harry Styles has starred in:

iCarly (2012)

Back in the One Direction glory days, the boys delighted Nickelodeon fans when they appeared in the fifth season of iCarly in 2012, in an episode aptly named 'iGo One Direction'.

Saturday Night Live (2012 - 2019)

Both as part of One Direction and solo, Harry Styles has appeared on Saturday Night Live - five times in total between 2012 and 2019.

One Direction This Is Us (2013)

So we know there's no acting involved in this one, but One Direction had their fair share of concert films. As well as 2013's One Direction This Is Us (a 3D documentary concert film), they also had One Direction: Where We Are – The Concert Film in 2014.

Family Guy (2016)

The ultimate honour - having yourself turned into a cartoon to feature on the hilarious animated show Family Guy. Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Harry Styles all appeared in a scene alongside Stewie Griffin, with both Louis and Liam's real voices featuring. The episode aired in 2016, which avid fans may notice due to Harry's signature long locks.

Dunkirk (2017)

In 2017, Harry took on a more serious role in the war film Dunkirk. Making his movie debut, Harry played the role of Alex, with the film director claiming the singer has an "old-fashioned face".

The Late Late Show with James Corden (2017/2019)

Harry appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017 and 2019. Both times he appeared a guest host on the show, the first time was very last minute as James Corden's wife went into labour giving Harry just 2.5 hours notice to fill in!

Eternals (2021)

Harry caused quite the stir when he was featured in the end credits of Marvel film Eternals, with many excited at the prospect of him entering the Marvel universe. Introduced briefly as Eros, brother of Thanos, fans can't wait to see Harry return in later films.

Don't Worry Darling (2022)

Harry Styles appeared in Don't Worry Darling, a psychological thriller directed and produced by his then girlfriend Olivia Wilde. The film was released in September 2022, when Harry starred alongside Florence Pugh and Chris Pine.

My Policeman (2022)

2022 was a busy year for Harry, as he landed another starring role in the film My Policeman. The film was released in select cinemas on 21st October 2022, and on Prime Video on 4th November, Harry played the role of Tom Burgess, a gay man in 1957 - a time when it was illegal to be gay.

Now read:

Harry Styles: All of the films and TV shows he's been in 🎥

The Little Mermaid: Cast give spine-tingling performance in first full-length trailer

Harry Styles' biggest career moments so far

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