Harry Styles Movie debut
Harry Styles ( of pop group One Direction) in new Dunkirk war epic.
From pop star to movie star!!....Your thoughts?
Yes. He does look better with short hair. Oh the power of fame!!
Yup, a role that most up and coming actors would literally kill for but as he's Harry Styles he's thrown immediately into a big budget blockbuster without any of the struggle or hardships that most of us have had to endure.
Yeah I understand why he's in the film and how he managed to obtain the part but it's incredibly frustrating. I’d like to see him start like most of us at the bottom of the ladder and see if he’d manage to get a role like that with only his talent, willpower and determination.
Fair play to him but I’d rather they give someone else a chance than a famous popstar.
I agree chaps, however, me being angry about it isn't going to change anything, so I try to ignore it! It is annoying though!
Hey Keith, I'm not angry about it, just incredibly frustrated like yourself. There are literally thousands of exceptional actors throughout the UK that could have fulfilled that role and what do they do? They give it to a pop star who potentially may not even be able to act.
Hi Chris,
No argument from me on that point, I guarantee there are many young actors on this site alone who would make a better job of the role.
The traditions in this country are changing for these sorts of projects with reality stars and pop stars don't care about acting at all. These producers don't care about where you trained or how many strong professional credits you have, all they care about is how many people they can get in to see there "Film" its becoming all about twitter followers, something I want nothing to do with.
A known actor guarantees an audience, however a 'face' like Styles will ensure millions of teenage girls will either go to the cinema and/or buy the DVD.
He started at the bottom and worked hard from the X Factor just like we are all trying to do. So he did graft and work hard to get to a position where he could easily get a movie role. Don't be a hater!
Did the graft? Has he been to a drama school, gathered professional acting credits, worked on his voice and posture, networked, read plays, gathered a good working relationship with casting directors and directors, worked on his diction? I don't think so. I agree he worked hard at being a pop star but that does not mean he has done the work to be an actor.
I 'd hardly call winning X Factor in a band manufactured by Simon Cowell, working hard! I'd call doing small gigs in pubs and clubs for a decade before getting a break hard work. However, that's not the point we're discussing here. The main point is he's not an actor.
England used to have the best dramatic traditions in the world, thriving theatres in every city, in some cases two or even three, full of actors who trained and worked on there craft every day. Now look at it pops tars and social media stars been praised as actors. It's not just theatre that changed look at twenty years ago there we no such thing as reality TV now it fills out scheduals with hours and hours of cheap nothingness. Say what you like about these "stars" but at the end of the day it means less and less jobs/money for the people that have worked at the actual craft of acting.
They came third in the X Factor. It's not easy getting through the rounds at x factor - If anyone on here has auditioned they'll support me in saying that before television there are four rounds of auditions - he had also been audtitioning beforehand elsewhere and singing amongst family and friends etc. Don't get me wrong, I see how it is unfair that he has managed to acquire this role purely because he is a popstar but being the lead singer of the world's most popular boyband is difficult. If anything Simon Cowell related is so easy then why have countless others including Steve Brookstein, Leon (whatshisname) etc failed so miserably.
Like him or not, he's grafted and worked harder than most. He's ensured his band has kept up popularity and thrown out popular music. Not everyone has to suffer by playing for free in pubs. Some graft in other ways.
Regarding acting - yes he's only got this role because he's Harry Styles and yes that's a shame. But alternatively he could've just been put on the audition list because he's Harry and then killed it in the audition room. Truth is that none of us know or will find out.
Should Will Smith be looked at with envy because he was a rapper and got Fresh Prince? Since he has moved on, worked on his craft, grafted, proved critics wrong by changing the way directors look at him etc. Should we hate on him as well? Or move along with the industry that we all strive to work in.
There used to be fantastic theatres all around and there still are but times are changing.
There's something about this notion of the "struggling actor" that really gets on my nerves.
Why should an actor have to struggle before garnering any respect or dues? It's not all about struggling to survive, having no money and no regular achievements and only then one is considered a true "artist."
A lot of us struggle - myself included - this industry is tough, really tough. However if I could choose not to struggle I would. It seems that many actors and actresses almost enjoy the feeling of struggling. It's almost an indication that at the end of the day he/she deserves any reward because they struggled for it. You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness. Makes me sick!!
Times of changing your right.
Acting is the only profession where people just walk in and all of a sudden they get to call themselves actors. If I wanted to be a chemical engineer, just because I have a few good theatre credits and television credits they would not let me. Why should it be the other way round?
I can't wait to see Gaz from Geordie Shaw give his Lear at the Old Vic or what about Kim Kardashian giving her Lady Mcbeth at the Royal National Theatre.
And people are struggling because popstars and reality stars are taking our jobs.
Thirty years ago there were far more jobs because there more theatres producing plays there was far more tv work around because people actually made drama instead of reality crap.
People are struggling because the work load has been halted because the general public no longer feels the need to go to the theatre or watch a drama on the television instead of season 37 of The X Factor that's what makes me sick.
Couldn't agree more David. It is a huge shame. I would find it difficult getting a basic/starting job in marketing or sales without a degree in the subject.
One major difference is that anyone can become an actor because acting is living truthfully in an imaginary world (atleast it is for me - don't want to debate this too much as we could go on and on!). You do not have to go to school or university if you wish to become an actor so therefore anyone is welcome.
Perhaps it should become more closed? Perhaps not then again as this aspect of oyr industry is what makes it interesting.
I personally think that training is one of the most important things be that a drama school or NYT or a respected university.
I agree with your idea of what acting is however you need other things with that such as voice training and diction to be a good actor. These singers or reality stars have none of that and I am not going to pay to support it.
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