Harry Styles Beat Out ‘Thousands’ For ‘Dunkirk’ Role, Says Christopher Nolan

Apparently, Harry Styles impressed Christopher Nolan enough to cast him in his war film "Dunkirk." The director revealed that the singer beat out thousands who auditioned for a part in the movie.

"He had it." This is what Nolan simply said when asked why he cast Styles. The director, who is famous for his award-winning films including "Interstellar" and "Inception," talked briefly about the casting process for his World War II film in an interview with the LA Times.

Styles' audition came up. Nolan said that they already had a list of established actors who could be part of his film. However, he wanted to cast young unknowns for the soldiers on the beach. Obviously, the former One Direction singer does not fit this category. Nolan gave Styles a chance to audition anyway, since he had not done acting before.

Nolan revealed that Styles beat out thousands who auditioned for a role in his film. "I auditioned literally thousands of young men with different combinations of young men," Nolan said. Styles eventually landed a role as one of the soldiers. The trailer for "Dunkirk" below gives a glimpse at the singer in military costume, sitting along the shore with the rest of the young soldiers.

Of course, being one of the soldiers in "Dunkirk" means the singer had to cut off his long hair. Nolan refused to reveal if Styles was hesitant to chop off his locks. He said he did not want to get into details about it. The director clearly did not consider the singer's celebrity status when he decided to cast him in his film.

According to Unreality TV,  Styles also received praises from the film's Special Effects Supervisor Paul Courbould. He said that the singer was amazing in "Dunkirk." Styles did an amazing job as a WWII soldier, so much so that he had additional lines.

The crew reportedly saw his natural talent for acting so decided to expand his role. Styles initially had minimal lines and a minor role to play in "Dunkirk." Fans will finally see his acting debut when the film opens in the US on July 21.