Harry Styles' reason for turning down Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid has been revealed
He's starred in a number of films
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 Cool FM.
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'.
Ed Sheeran - 'Drunk' (Official Fan Video) (2012)
Harry also made a brief appearance in Ed Sheeran's first 'Drunk' video. It was filmed backstage at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Saturday Night Live (2012 - 2019)
Both as part of One Direction and solo, Harry Styles has appeared on Saturday Night Live in the US - 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 film director Christopher Nolan claiming the singer has an "old-fashioned face". As part of the ensemble cast of Dunkirk, Harry was nominated for five awards: the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, two National Film Awards UK and two Teen Choice Awards.
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 as a guest host on the show - being drafted in very last minute on the first occasion as a stand-in, as regular host's 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 were hoping to see Harry return as the character in later films, but that has yet to materialise.
In July 2022, the Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, answered questions about Phase 4, 5 and 6 - where, of course, the topic of Harry Styles' return as Eros was addressed. Speaking to MTV News, he said: "Yes, the adventures of Eros and Pip is something that is very exciting for us!" Referring to Phase 4, 5 and 6, he continued: "That's where our friends Eros and Pip live."
The exciting hint at Harry's return to Marvel follows on from previous comments made by Eternals director Chloé Zhao, who admitted that the 'Watermelon Sugar' singer was the only person she wanted to play Eros. She said: "I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting. After meeting him I realised he is that character – the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There's so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes, and Kevin says yes, then it's a go. And I'm very happy they both did."
However, in August 2025, Kevin Feige gave a very vague answer when asked about characters with "loose ends" such as Eros, telling GamesRadar+: "There are plans for some and there are opportunities for all. It's about finding what the right moment is. Some, maybe we'll never see again. Some, maybe we'll see soon. Who knows? What I love about it is as much about the actors as it is about the characters. It's as much about our enthusiasm and excitement to work with those actors, which is how almost all those came about – but we will not alter a storyline just to include them simply because they have been seen in the past."
CBeebies Bedtime Story (2022)
In May 2022, he appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. Wearing brown polka-dot pyjamas, Harry read In Every House, on Every Street, which was written by Jess Hitchman and illustrated by Lili la Baleina.
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, and saw Harry star 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.
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