Harry Styles apparently beat out "well-known" actors for a role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film Dunkirk.
Casting director John Papsidera revealed that Styles cam back for several auditions, reading his lines to him and then in a group in London for the World War II drama that started filming this month.
Pasidera told The Mirror: "Harry was absolutely right for the role. As an actor he is unknown, but his readings made him an obvious choice. We thought he was fresh and interesting and he won the role."
He added: "I don't think he studied acting professionally and yet he won the role against some very well known actors."
And, although well-known worldwide for being in the boy band One Direction, his music career apparently was not a factor in his casting - in fact, that was almost a point against him.
"It wasn't because he's a well known pop star – if anything that was more of a detriment, because it could bring the wrong message and we don't want people pulled out of the film because of who they are," Pasidera continued.
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"Our aim was to have people who are fresh and don't bring a lot of prior work with them, so the audience will be really immersed in the film and not struggling with recognisable famous personalities.
"So Harry really had to overcome hurdles to get past that. He fought hard for it and his work was impressive and that's what attracted us to him."
Styles, who was revealed to have joined the cast in March, appears alongside Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Sir Kenneth Branagh in the new drama.
This would be Styles' first venture into the acting world. He was previously seen in One Direction: Where We Are - The Concert Film.
