LIDO, Venice, Italy – Harry Styles arrived at the Venice Film Festival, greeted every step of the way by an “invasion” of his fans.
Styles attended Monday night’s red carpet world premiere “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by and co-starring his girlfriend Olivia Wilde.
Florence Pugh, the period film’s endangered heroine Alice, has gone public with her dissatisfaction with the film and its director. She was not expected to show but was given a one-day break from filming “Dune 2” (like “Darling,” a Warner Bros. picture) to just walk the red carpet.
At the afternoon pre-premiere press conference, Wilde took the high road, thanking her profusely (“I’m so grateful she can be here tonight”) and dismissing “the tabloid gossip out there.”
“Darling” is a paranoid thriller set in the 1950s in a cult-like desert community where every husband works and every wife is thrilled to stay home, clean house and make meals. Naturally, there’s something not quite right in this rigorously ordained order.
“We want people to feel being heard and be inspired by a heroine like Alice,” Wilde said, “a revolutionary who’s ready to sacrifice to do what’s right. Those are the superheroes I want to see.”
Styles, low key and thoughtful, dominated the press conference (where he was seated as far from Wilde as possible), which included co-stars Gemma Chan and Chris Pine.
Asked about where acting fits with his music, “I don’t know,” he said. “I feel very lucky to get to do something I love as a job. I feel like being able to explore this has made me feel even luckier to do things I enjoy.
“As for the future? I try to go a day at a time. I enjoy both. It’s all fun and fun to be in this and see how they affect each other. But,” he added, “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it that much.”
Styles was asked about the fans massed outside, one of whom was holding a sign that said, ‘You’re the only reason to live.’
“Wow,” he began. “I would say that I’m incredibly grateful to the people who have supported me in my life — and friends in particular who have allowed me to be myself and be comfortable and express myself and make the music I want to make. I would hope I can give that same space back to them. But,” he added, “say Hi to her.”
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