Harry Styles Declined Prince Eric Role in 'Little Mermaid' to Seek 'Darker' Roles, Says Director
Director Rob Marshall said Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric in the new Disney movie, had a "sweetness" and "deep passion" that fit the part
Harry Styles came close to playing a Disney Prince!
In Entertainment Weekly's new digital cover story about the highly anticipated live-action reimagining of the 1989 animated musical, director Rob Marshall, 62, confirmed that he talked with Styles, 29, about playing the love interest, Prince Eric, for the movie.
However, Styles "really felt like he wanted to go off and do the movies that he ended up doing, which were sort of darker," said Marshall, referring to the singer's R-rated 2022 films Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman. The Grammy winner also made a cameo in the 2021 Marvel movie Eternals.
Jonah Hauer-King was eventually cast opposite Halle Bailey's Ariel. Marshall told EW that the actor had a "sweetness" and "deep passion" that fit the character.
Hauer-King, 27, recalled how Bailey, 23, knocked on his trailer door, wished him luck and expressed that she hoped to see him again after they auditioned together, while three other actors were also vying for the male lead role.
Related:Halle Bailey Meets Young Little Mermaid Fan Who 'Hugged Me So Tight' at Disney World
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"I didn't take her being kind to me as any indication. I just assumed she was a lovely person and would've done that for anyone," he said. "I thought, 'What does it all mean? Is that an indication? Did she knock on everyone's door?' "
He added of Bailey, "We became very, very close friends — and still are."
Styles previously spoke about turning down the Little Mermaid role. He told The Face magazine back in 2019 that a possible role for him "was discussed" but never came to fruition.
"I want to put music out and focus on that for a while," he said at the time. "But everyone involved in it was amazing, so I think it's going to be great. I'll enjoy watching it, I'm sure."
The new Little Mermaid features three new original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, including one for Prince Eric called "Wild Uncharted Waters." The other tunes are "For the First Time" for Ariel and "Scuttlebutt" for Scuttle and Sebastian (voiced by Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs). The cast also includes Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy and Jacob Tremblay, plus The Undoing actress Noma Dumezweni as a new character, Prince Eric's mom Queen Selina.
The Little Mermaid is in theaters May 26.
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