Harry Styles director: Eyebrows also raised when Heath Ledger cast as the Joker
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Christopher Nolan said the One Direction singer landed the role for his charisma and acting skills.
Director Christopher Nolan has insisted acting novice Harry Styles is “perfect” for his role in Dunkirk, saying there were also “raised eyebrows” when he cast Heath Ledger as the Joker.
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker also said he was not aware of the height of the One Direction singer’s fame before casting him in the Second World War drama.
“When I cast Heath Ledger as the Joker, it raised a lot of eyebrows and caused a lot of comment,” Nolan told US broadcaster Entertainment Tonight.
“I have to trust my instincts, and Harry was perfect for this part.”
Styles, 23, plays a soldier in the film about the 1940 evacuation of Allied troops from the French shores.
Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy and Kenneth Branagh also star in the movie that premieres in London on Thursday.
“I was new to Harry. I mean, I’ve heard his name from my kids, but I wasn’t really familiar with him,” said Nolan, who was nominated for Oscars for Inception and Memento.
“What I was seeing was a very charismatic guy who clearly had a truthfulness and a subtlety in his ability to perform as a film actor.”
