Harry Styles’ My Policeman Co-Star Felt ‘Odd’ About Filming Their Love Scenes, Here’s Why
Critics have been nothing short of brutal when it comes to Harry Styles’ performances in both Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman. With two major dramas releasing around the same time, the pop star should’ve been set up for further Hollywood success. But this may or may not be the case.
Even with an assortment of negative reviews targeting his acting, it’s the drama behind-the-scenes that has eclipsed Harry’s hard work. While this obviously true for Don’t Worry Darling (which was directed by his girlfriend, Olivia Wilde, it’s also true for Michael Grandage’s My Policeman. Mostly because the film features a homosexual relationship between Harry’s Tom and David Dawson’s Patrick.
While some fans were excited about seeing Harry in such a role, others were upset by his comments regarding his love scenes. These intimate moments have been the subject of a lot of press. So it makes sense why The Hollywood Reporter asked Harry’s co-star about them in a recent interview. Here’s what David Dawson had to say about jumping into bed with one of the most lusted-after pop stars in the world.
Who Is David Dawson?
There’s no doubt that My Policeman will be David Dawson’s big break. But it’s certainly not the only notable project that the English actor was been part of.
David is an alumnus of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. But even before he graduated, he was already booking gigs.
« I had to leave RADA for a month [to guest-star on Doc Martin as] this weird sinister boy from the hills whose mother had died [and] his dad dressed as his mum, » David explained to The Hollywood Reporter. « My first stage role after school was as an understudy Richard II at the Old Vic [directed] by Trevor Nunn. »
David continued pursuing his love of theater, starring in numerous acclaimed shows. Simultaneously, he got booked on TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, Luther, The Borgias, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, and The Thick Of It. All of this led him to his biggest film role in My Policeman.
How David Dawson Was Cast In My Policeman
Director Michael Grandage had three major roles to fill in My Policeman; which was written by Ron Nyswaner and adapted from Bethan Roberts’ book of the same name. Perhaps David Dawson was the easiest person for Michael to invite for an audition as he already had a personal relationship with the star.
« I worked with Michael Grandage years ago, when he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, » David Dawson explained to The Hollywood Reporter. « I was about 26 and loved him and how he runs a rehearsal room and learned an awful lot. And then I was produced by him in a play with Andrew Scott a few years later, and that was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. So I knew, when he brought me this script, the opportunity to work with him on screen this time would be a beautiful thing. »
David, who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, claimed he was drawn to the relevancy of the script’s themes. Despite taking place in the 1960s, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights wages on today for a variety of reasons.
The acclaimed theater actor didn’t find out that he would be working with one of the world’s biggest pop stars until he was asked to audition for a second time. Although, the thought of working with a big star wasn’t something that phased him.
« I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of high-profile people over the years, » David explained to The Hollywood Reporter. « But you do think: how strange is life? Because you’ve seen this person as a musician since they were 16, basically. But they made it incredibly easy to put that to one side, within one Zoom call. He’s incredibly down to Earth, and a good Northern lad. You can’t go wrong. We communicated throughout the whole process – it was very collaborative. »
David Dawson On The Harry Styles’ Gay Scenes
Harry Styles has said a lot about his gay love scenes in My Policeman. Aside from the things he got in trouble for saying (which we won’t get into here), Harry expressed that the entire experience was « tender » and sensitively handled. His co-star, David Dawson, seemed to echo his comments in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
« That was one of the most special things I took away from this project. Because initially, when you read the script and you know that there are these intimate scenes, you hope that the person you’re going to be going through this process with is someone you can wholly put your trust in and will communicate with you and is void of ego. And I got all of that and more in Harry, » David explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
However, that doesn’t mean that David was entirely comfortable shooting the NSFW scene on the day…
« When they called ‘cut’ the two of us did laugh. That’s how odd the situation is, » David admitted. « There were only about four other people that needed to be with us in that room, and suddenly when ‘cut’ is called you notice that, you know, the DP is there. But we all just had a laugh, because that’s the best way to deal with it. »
