Fans Are Searching For Harry Styles On The Oscars Red Carpet & We Need Him
Harry Styles has been a no-show on red carpets all awards season long, but with his film Dunkirk up for major awards at Oscars tonight, Sunday, March 4, fans are desperate to finally catch a glimpse of the former One Direction star. Styles is obviously super busy with his solo album and growing acting career, but Styles-ites are hoping that he'll be able to make some room in his packed schedule to attend Hollywood's biggest night. So, is Harry Styles at the 2018 Oscars? Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the fashionable star made it to the Academy Awards this year, and it's a sad fact that's given One Direction fans one more thing to cry about.
Styles' movie Dunkirk is up for eight awards at the 2018 Oscars, making it the second-most nominated film of the year (The Shape of Water has 13 nominations). Dunkirk marked the singer's first major acting gig, but judging by the amazing reviews of his performance, it won't be his last. Critics immediately took to Styles' character Alex, a young soldier who is willing to sacrifice anything in order to stay alive on the cold beaches of Dunkirk, France. "One Direction singer Styles, who makes his acting debut here, offers a surprising amount of grit and pathos," said USA Today critic Brian Truitt. Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers wrote that "Harry Styles play[s] a small role with subtle grace and zero pop-star showboating." Major film critics clearly weren't expecting the pop singer to excel in the role, but the super talented Styles (unsurprisingly) proved them all wrong with his heartfelt, nuanced performance.
Styles' cameo undoubtedly drew many younger fans to the World War II film, but director Christopher Nolan admitted that at first, he didn't totally understand the singer's influence. When Dunkirk was released in July, Nolan told the Associated Press that he wasn't aware of Styles' immense fame when he first cast the singer:
I was new to Harry. I mean, I've heard his name from my kids, but I wasn't really familiar with him… What I was seeing [when he auditioned] was a very charismatic guy who clearly had a truthfulness and a subtlety in his ability to perform as a film actor.
Nolan continued to praise Styles' performance, saying, "What I'm hoping for, when people see the film, is I'm hopeful that they won't miss what he's done, because it's very subtle, very truthful and real." This is high praise coming from the Oscar-nominated director and writer behind major hits like Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight triolgy. Is it too late to give Styles an after the fact Oscar nom?
According to IMDb, Styles doesn't have any upcoming films or TV shows, but the young actor/singer/director has plenty of projects to keep him busy. In May 2017, the British singer released his first studio album, Harry Styles, filled with songs that will make you want to alternately laugh and cry. Plus, the star has some big jet-setting plans coming up: his world tour begins on March 11 in Basel, Switzerland, where he'll be joined by Kacey Musgraves, Warpaint, Leon Bridges, The Preatures, and Mabel. Styles will be traveling around Europe and Asia for the first half of his tour before arriving in the United States on June 5 in Dallas, Texas. June may seem like lightyears away, but a Harry Styles concert is a hot commodity, so it's never too early to buy tickets.
If you're desperate to get a piece of Styles before his world tour hits the United States, you can also check out the upcoming movie Love, Simon, which features a song written and performed by the star, "Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song)." Love, Simon follows a high school boy who comes out as gay, and early buzz suggests that the movie is a can't-miss rom com.
If I had to guess, I'd say that we'll be seeing Styles perform "Alfie's Song" at next year's Oscars ceremony.
