Harry Styles Explains Why the ‘Tender’ Gay Sex Scenes in ‘My Policeman’ Are So Revelatory – SheKnows
There are a lot of headlines about Harry Styles’ upcoming film, Don’t Worry Darling, because he hooked up with director (and now-girlfriend) Olivia Wilde during the shoot. However, his other film, My Policeman, might be the movie we all should be talking about.
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The storyline follows a U.K. policeman, played by Styles, and a museum curator, who fall in love during a time in the 1950s when same-sex relationships were illegal. Calling it “pretty unfathomable now to think, ‘Oh, you couldn’t be gay,‘” to Rolling Stone, the 28-year-old musician appreciates that he’s had his “own journey with figuring out sexuality and getting more comfortable with it.” That’s why he feels that the film is a “very human story” versus being labeled “a gay story,” particularly when it comes to handling intimate sex scenes.
Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles’ recent New York City outing prove the couple is still going strong. https://t.co/ToV8C3yFRs
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) August 19, 2022
Styles wanted this role so badly because he knew that director Michael Grandage didn’t want to approach those moments as “two guys going at it.” He wants moviegoers to see the “tenderness” of a relationship between them. “There will be, I would imagine, some people who watch it who were very much alive during this time when it was illegal to be gay, and [Michael] wanted to show that it’s tender and loving and sensitive,” he said. It could offer a new perspective on how LGBTQ+ relationships are handled in TV and film because they don’t always offer the layers of emotions that come with such intimacy.
Despite being an ally to LGBTQ+ groups, he’s not without criticism. Some fans have accused him of “queerbaiting” without having acknowledged whether he is a member of their community. He gave a vague response to the accusation, saying that people shouldn’t assume he’s only been with women. “Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone. If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something,” he responded. That non-response probably won’t quiet his critics right now, but Styles is definitely leaning into playing a role onscreen that breaks down gay stereotypes.
Before you go, click here to see actors who have spoken out about pressure to get naked for a role.
