Dunkirk’s Cillian Murphy: Christopher Nolan cast Harry Styles for his talent

'I trust Chris implicitly'

(BBC)

When it was announced that Harry Styles was on the Dunkirk cast, it was hard to believe it was not for any reason other than the inevitable ticket sales boost, despite a Christopher Nolan movie starring Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and more really needing no extra hype.

Murphy has insisted however that he believes Styles, who has never acted in a feature film before, was simply right for the part.

"Harry Styles is great," he told the Radio Times this week.

"I had very few scenes with Harry but we got to hang out and I've got to say he's a great, great kid, and really, really funny.

"Above all,” he added, “Chris Nolan knows talent and would have cast Harry for a reason.

"There's a long history of musicians moving over into acting and I come from that world myself, so I'm sure he'll be terrific in the role. I trust Chris implicitly in that."

Harry Styles in Gucci by Alessandro Michele (Wireimage)

Murphy isn’t the only revered actor in the film to sing Styles’ praises, co-star Mark Rylance likened him to a young Sean Penn.

Asked if he had given the singer any advice on set, Rylance told the Standard: “No, he doesn’t need tips. He is shaping up.

"I didn’t know anything about him really other than my 12-year-old niece played me a music video. She adores him. There are girls all over the place trying to get to him — he is one handsome fella with an incredible smile and eyes.

“What’s really surprised me is he’s really witty, really funny — he really makes me laugh. He’s been ever so brave, not making any fuss.

“He seems remarkable ... one of those people [who has] — Sean Penn has it too — a kind of panache. I look at them and think, ‘How did you get that? How do you get so that life is easy?’ But he has got a lovely, lovely character. It’s a gift.”

The World War II movie, Nolan's first film since Interstellar, has yet to be given a release date, but will arrive sometime in 2017.