The movie Harris Dickinson hopes people forget he was in: “Maybe that’s a good thing”
With his recent casting as John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopics, which comes hot on the heels of his directorial debut with Urchin, Harris Dickinson is really having his moment.
When you begin to reach such big heights, there’s a chance it could all come crashing down, but with the steady and impressive trajectory that Dickinson’s career has taken on so far, it seems like he won’t be disappearing from our screens anytime soon.
Making his debut in the 2017 indie film Beach Rats, the actor has shown himself to be versatile in his performances, tending towards slightly more challenging projects. Whether he’s playing a working-class dad who reunites with his daughter in the indie hit Scrapper or a young intern who begins an intense sexual affair with his boss in Babygirl, Dickinson prefers something with a bit of grit and depth, as reflected by the themes of homelessness and addiction in Urchin.
Yet, before he really found his footing in the industry, he appeared in a few movies that, looking back, he probably wouldn’t go near again. It’s pretty normal for an actor to make some cinematic blunders as they search for their place in Hollywood, and while Dickinson isn’t ashamed of his past choices, he won’t be upset if you forget he appeared in a Disney movie.
The actor was cast as Prince Phillip in 2019’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which wasn’t exactly a huge hit with critics, but audiences lapped it up. Grossing close to half a million dollars, the film was the biggest hit of his career, but it was an experiment he soon realised he wasn’t that comfortable with. It was simply too big, and it just wasn’t him, but at least he had the chance to try it out.
“I don’t think anyone really knows I was in a Disney movie,” he told The Independent, “Maybe that’s a good thing, not to throw shade!” While the actor is grateful for the opportunity, you probably won’t see him in another Disney movie anytime soon.
“They were opportunities to try something. Like… I’m from East London, and you want me to play a Disney prince? OK, that’s not me at all, but yeah, all right, I’ll do a Disney prince. Why not?” he admitted.
Instead, Dickinson realised he prefers something with more bite to it, happily throwing himself into the hands of indie filmmakers. In fact, he’s one of the few modern male actors who frequently works with female directors, too.
“I’ve been lucky that the things that have done well for me are the ones made by these really great auteurs that have particular visions. And that’s definitely what I’m more interested in,” the actor continued, and his career choices can attest to this. Matthias & Maxime, Triangle of Sadness, Urchin, Scrapper, Babygirl, Blitz, these are all films that truly have something poignant to say.
So, perhaps cast any mention of Disney’s Prince Phillip out of your mind, because that’s just not the kind of star Dickinson believes himself to be.
