Harry Styles is many things.
He’s a former One Direction member, current rock star, total fashion icon, master of all genders (but slave to none), and king of my heart.
One thing Harry is not, sadly, is Prince Eric in the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid.
The internet lit up this morning with reports that Harry had been cast as our fave, boring, blue-eyed prince and fans were all for the news.
Despite me and every fan on the internet willing it to be so, Harry has reportedly turned down the role Prince Eric.
Am I disappointed? You bet. Not only because I love Harry Styles and the news of his ‘casting’ had me messaging everyone I know SCREAMING EXCITEDLY IN ALL CAPS, but because he would have been the perfect actor to spice up the character.
Eric is handsome and charming, like all Disney princes, but he’s notoriously boring. Harry is also handsome and charming, but he’s a lot more interesting.
First of all, he’s a rock star. He’s got a killer voice and killer talent to back it up and has performed with the likes of Stevie Nicks (just casually). His voice alone would make The Little Mermaid soundtrack revolutionary – imagine an edgy rock version of ‘Under The Sea’ or ‘Kiss The Girl’.
Harry is also a trendsetter. He’s not afraid to challenge fashion norms or gender norms and is known for experimenting with his ~look~. If he played Eric he would definitely bring some of his unique style to the character which would instantly make him more interesting. Imagine Prince Eric with a white chiffon puffy shirt à la Harry’s 2019 Met Gala look.
Then there’s Harry’s attitudes towards gender and sexuality. He’s celebrated in queer and straight communities for embracing his masculinity, femininity and all things in between. Harry has “never felt the need” to label his own sexuality.
“I don’t feel like it’s something I’ve ever felt like I have to explain about myself,” he told The Sun back in 2017.
“Everyone should just be who they want to be. It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”
Everything about Harry is progressive. His career, attitude, style, personality and way of thinking would have added depth to an otherwise two-dimensional Disney Prince and contributed to the overall diversity of The Little Mermaid film.
Harry’s progressive Prince Eric would have joined Halle Bailey’s African American Ariel -they would have been a powerful, interesting and important leading duo.
Alas, Harry has decided to stick to electric guitars and and stage shows. I only hope whoever Disney eventually casts as Prince Eric is good enough to make a boring prince interesting.
It’s 2019 after all – people want more than blue eyes and a cute dog in a man (although those things do help).