Harry Styles turned down the role of Eric in The Little Mermaid.
Harry Styles may not be starring as Prince Eric in the upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid, but he did reveal that the opportunity “was discussed.”
The former One Direction member was originally in the running to star as the prince opposite Halle Bailey‘s Ariel, but he ultimately passed on the role. Melissa McCarthy will play Ursula, with Jacob Tremblay voicing Flounder and Awkwafina voicing Scuttle.
Speaking to The Face magazine, the singer and actor said that he wanted to focus on his music. “I want to put music out and focus on that for a while,” he explained.
“But everyone involved in it was amazing,” he continued about the film. “So I think it’s going to be great.”
“I’ll enjoy watching it, I’m sure,” he added.
Styles also spoke about auditioning to play Elvis Presley in the upcoming Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic. While Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were also in the running for the role, Austin Butler ultimately got cast to play Presley.
“[Elvis] was such an icon for me growing up,” said Styles. ?”There was something almost sacred about him, almost like I didn’t want to touch him. Then I ended up getting into [his life] a bit and I wasn’t disappointed,” he said of his initial research to play the iconic musician.
He added that he wasn’t upset to lose out on the role. ?”I feel like if I’m not the right person for the thing, then it’s best for both of us that I don’t do it, you know?” said the singer.
Either role would have marked his second major acting project. Styles made his film debut in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 WWII drama Dunkirk.
And while fans were left disappointed at the news, he recently revealed on Capital Breakfast it just wasn’t meant to be.
During a video chat with presenters Roman Kemp and Sonny-Jay, the former One Direction star admitted he met with director Rob Marshall but didn’t take the role because of “a few things.”
Roman asked: “When The Little Mermaid was about, you were trending [on Twitter] because you were playing the part of Eric, what happened? Did you turn it down? Did you even audition? What’s the deal?”
“I had, you know, a meeting with Rob Marshall the director, who is the most wonderful man, he’s great,” Harry replied. “And it was just, honestly, it was just a few things.”
He added: “It just, it wasn’t… erm… I think it’s gonna be amazing, obviously it’s an amazing film, and I can tell Roman’s watching how I’m kind of worming.”
The singer – who starred in Dunkirk in 2017 – also previously admitted that he wanted to focus on his solo music before taking on another acting gig.
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