Harry Styles explains why he turned down Prince Eric role

July to August saw a roller coaster of emotions from avid fans of Harry Styles as he made headlines from being cast in The Little Mermaid remake as Prince Eric to later “respectfully declining” the role.

Fans took the news of Styles’ casting to heart even when it was merely rumored at the time. They took to Twitter to sing praises of the singer and expressed their excitement over the big news. Heck, even Variety published a story about why he’s perfect for the role, including his debut in acting, his musical prowess, and his overall charm. I mean, nothing more really needs to be said.

But things took quite the turn when multiple media outlets reported that the musician “respectfully declined” the role. Hearts were broken, souls were crushed and some had claimed on social media that the only way Disney can make up for this is if they cast Timothée Chalamet for the role. Only then will the gaping hole in the hearts of many could be filled in wake of Styles’ declining the offer.

While neither Disney nor representatives of Styles confirmed either of the news at the time if one thing is clear it’s that nothing was. If the news were true, why in the world would the singer turn down the role? As Variety quite adamantly argued, he was perfect for it. Not only that, Styles was fresh out of making headlines for reportedly screen testing for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis Presley biopic. Which meant that he was ready for a big-screen return.

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Now, we have our answers straight from the man himself. Speaking to The Face magazine, the star confirmed that he was offered the role saying “It was discussed.”
But, apparently, the actor chose music over acting at the time. “I want to put music out and focus on that for a while. But everyone involved in it was amazing, so I think it’s going to be great. I’ll enjoy watching it, I’m sure.”

Laura Ebeling
Laura Ebeling
Laura is a reporter and a gossip columnist for Best in Australia. She focuses on celebrities, science and social affairs in Australia and worldwide.
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