đź’ Harris Dickinson for ODDA Magazine
This article first appeared in the ODDA Magazine 19th Issue “You, Me, and Everyone We Know”.
HARRIS DICKINSON
In less than five years as an actor, Harris Dickinson has played a drug dealer, the scion of Paul Getty, a World War I aristocrat, and a Disney prince. His ability to move smoothly between different eras and genres has caught the attention of top directors and auteurs like Matthew Vaughn, Ruben Östlund, and Eliza Hittman. ODDA spoke with Dickinson just before his big-budget movie “The King’s Man” hit theaters and his gritty role in the independent film “Country Lines”, which drops on November 20th, gets him noticed for awards season. Count on these star-making roles turning him into an actor in high demand with both the Hollywood and Indie sets.
JESSICA MICHAULT. How does the prequel “The King’s Man” film differentiate itself from the previous two Kingsman movies?
HARRIS DICKINSON. We take it back to the formation of the Kingsmen during World War I. It is an origin story but it is also a fresh take on the war. It delves into the politics of what was going on at the time and it has a lot to do with the recklessness of sending so many young boys and women to war in a really dangerous and violent time with unprepared ways of fighting.
J.M. In the other two films, Eggsy is a guy that came from the street and learns about the posh life behind the Kingsmen, whereas your character comes from the upper class and is very much innocent in relation to the ways of the world. What was it like to play that role?
H.D. It was interesting. I play Conrad, who is the Duke of Oxford’s son, so he has been raised in this very grandiose lifestyle and has not necessarily been exposed to the real world the same as a normal working-class boy. For me going into it, what formed a lot of my character was the idea of restriction and limitation. I think that if you grow up with some form of restriction and limitation you probably are chomping at the bit to change that and to see outside of the preset rules and parameters that have been constructed around you. At that time, young men were being defined by their bravery and tenacity to fight for the country. However, in the film, my father is a pacifist and does not believe in violence, so there is conflict. At the heart of it is a father-son story. I think there is a parallel between the previous films in the sense that Colin Firth’s character took Taron Egerton’s character under his wing and mentored him.
J.M. Many of your scenes are with Ralph Fiennes, your character’s father. What was it like working with him?
H.D. It was amazing. I grew up watching him so it’s always a weird thing when you are a fan of someone, then all of a sudden you are working alongside him. He was a real delight, he helped and encouraged me continuously without being patronizing. He has got real bravery and freedom in the way that he works. For me as a young actor, I am still finding my footing so it is nice to be working with someone like Ralph. I felt very safe and inspired working with him. I was constantly trying to listen, learn, and absorb.
J.M. Originally, from what I understand, you were studying acting, stepped away from it, and then you came back to it. Is that right?
H.D. Yes, from where I am from, no one was an actor, I did not really know anyone that did this sort of thing. I didn’t think I was going to be an actor. Originally I made videos and short films with my friends… I thought that I was going to be a cameraman or a director. I was not always overly comfortable with being the center of attention. I used to dream of the silver screen but not with me in front of it. But then I got to a certain age and realized that I loved acting and performing. I was also contemplating joining the military. I was into it, I was doing the Marine Cadets. I really liked it, it gave me structure and discipline. I was a little fat kid so it helped me get in shape, I thought it
would be a good idea. But in the end, acting won out.
J.M. When did it switch from you wanting to be a cameraman or director to being an actor? Was it a moment or was it a natural progression?
H.D. From the age of 12, I was constantly writing and making short films. I was trying to get people to help me make them. I was writing to the local council to ask for money to make a film. I was acting at the same time, I did a play and I just remember having a special feeling about performing. Then I went to college and I still did not know I was going to do it. I was studying English, film, and theater. Then, I got an agent from a show I did and I started auditioning. I was like “actually, this is pretty good. I really like this.” I think it was a confidence thing.
J.M. “The King’s Man” is so action-packed. It all looks so fun and cool but what was your favorite scene to actually do yourself?
H.D. With Ralph, there was this scene where I had to go in and shout at him a little bit. I think it took awhile for me to get comfortable with shouting at Ralph Fiennes. But it was fun and I felt alive. As actors, we would dance with each other in this beautiful way—if you know what I mean. There was so much physical stuff as well. There was this scene where I am running with someone on my back. I literally trained for that moment for four months in order for me to carry a 14-stone man and run with him on the muddy ground whilst there was pyrotechnics going off all around me. That was pretty special.
We shot that about 50 times! So that was really me doing it in the movie, I want people to know it. I am really proud of that.
J.M. What was it like working with Matthew Vaughn?
H.D. It is a well-oiled machine because it is a large-scale operation. It feels like a very free and open atmosphere. There is something very comfortable about that. He is inspirational in the sense that he is an incredible orchestrator. He orchestrates this huge operation in a film where there are multiple different characters, stories, sets, and action-pieces. There is a level of trust and comfortability, and from my point of view, it allows everyone to do their best job.
J.M. We have an interview in this issue with Eliza Hittman, the director of “Beach Rats.” I wanted to ask you about her because you played the lead character in that film and it was your first major film role. What was it like working with her and what was that first film experience like?
H.D. That was literally my first film and I had never been to New York before. I just got thrown into this very specific environment. Eliza pulled this boy from East London and put me into her film which was a very specific and localized film. I think that takes a lot of trust in someone because I had not really done anything before that movie, so Eliza handed me that opportunity. Even now, I feel so lucky to have done it because it was such an important story. Also, the process afterward and doing press, I learned so much. It pushed me into new ways of vocal openness. I think I was really passionate about trying to portray that story and do it justice, and continue the conversation afterward as well. In terms of actually doing it, Eliza is one of the best auteurs. What she did was so beautiful and quietly observed.
J.M. You also played a Disney Prince in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” What is the pressure like having to play one of those? Oh, and I can only imagine it must have been such fun working with Elle Fanning in the movie.
H.D. I enjoyed it and it is something that I will be able to look back on and tell my kids “your dad played a Disney prince!” I’ll be able to say that, and for that alone, it was worth it. I did feel a lot of pressure and I tried not to think about the pressure otherwise you just become riddled with anxiety. Meanwhile, Elle was just so lovely, such an amazing actress. She was so welcoming, and we had a lot of laughs. She is a pure soul, I love her.
J.M. So you have done films set in the worlds of medieval Disney, World War I, and modern times. Considering how short your career has been, so far you have done quite a spectrum of period pieces. Do you enjoy doing period work? Do you prefer modern, or is there an era you would like to explore?
H.D. I enjoy period pieces but there are all these things that you have to let go of when you do period because of the way we live our modern lives and the way we interact in our modern society. It is so defined by advancements in technology, so you really have to take that into consideration. It is a whole different realm and I like that, but I also like doing things that are current. Personally, I can relate more to it. I got this film called “County Lines,” and it is about a boy from East London who recruits young boys to smuggle drugs. He is a bad guy but I know people like that. I grew up with people like that around me. I did not grow up with Disney princes or aristocracy around me. For me, it is easier to go there and play a real-life or current person.
“For me as a young actor, I am still finding my footing so it is nice to be working with someone like Ralph. I felt very safe and inspired working with him. I was constantly trying to listen, learn, and absorb.”
J.M. You mentioned how you can relate to the “County Lines” character more because you know guys like that. Can you talk to us about how you get into the mindset of a Disney prince, or a World War I aristocrat?
H.D. For “Maleficent,” I was doing a lot of horse riding. That became a part of the character; the idea of owning a horse and the regality that comes with it. That informed a lot of prince qualities, but in terms of getting into it, I did not want to try and be this cardboard cutout of a prince. What was fun was trying to find the character. With combat in “The King’s Man,” the script alone is such a useful research tool with the way the dialogue is written and the history around it. Also, there was a book by W. Somerset and it was written in 1911. It was about a young boy who was from a wealthy family. He was well educated but he had a clubbed foot so he was restricted in what he could do. For me, I drew these parallels to my character. It was quite a current and important book at the time and that helped.
J.M. Where do you want to go from here? Is there another era or genre that you want to try?
H.D. I always get asked that but I do not know. I should probably get a list. I do have a mental list. I think it is just about finding different projects from the last. I get bored doing the same thing and I think it is interesting for me and educational to me if I am doing new things. It means I am pushing myself in new spaces. That is really where I want to go, working with quality directors that have a story to tell. It is fun to do different types of projects, to go and do a larger more action-based film is fun; It’s also fun to do Indie and get more into the skin of a character and journey with them.
“I feel like I learn a lot about people through acting, with empathy and stories. I think it just helps me be a better person.”
J.M. Do you have a sense of what kind of style of director that you prefer? Have you found your sweet-spot creatively as far as that is concerned?
H.D. It’s scary that some films you work on, you do not know how it is going to come to fruition. You do not know which take or which lines they will choose. That is scary. However, I really enjoyed working with directors that give me freedom. I love working with a director that lets you know that you can go where your instincts tell you and not just hit the beats. It is not about me or my ego, but more about what we are doing as a group; if a director is not in tune with people, energy, and rhythm there will sometimes be a stilted version of a story.
J.M. You starred in the television series “Trust,” what is it like to go for the same character in multiple episodes compared to doing a feature film?
H.D. I loved that process. I think that it was amazing to have a 10-hour journey with a character. I think spending six to seven months with a character is pretty cool, but with each month that goes by, you become more comfortable in their skin and you do not have to try as much. I really enjoyed that. I mean it was a tough shoot, it was long and I had to be really skinny. That was hard, but I loved working in Rome, living as if it was the 70s.
J.M. What does acting give you?
H.D. I think there are two things. The first thing is that it allows me to escape and I think that when I escape into a character; I have a lot of fun because you lose yourself a little bit. It is like some form of meditation. The other thing is that I feel like I learn a lot about people through acting, with empathy and stories. I think it just helps me be a better person.
Photographer VITALI GELWICH
Fashion Editor DAVID MARTIN
Grooming JODY TAYLOR
In conversation with JESSICA MICHAULT
Filmmaker CELINE HONG
Photographer Assistant PAUL SKULIMMA
Fashion Assistants LAURA MARTIN and GRETE MĂ–LLER
Special Thanks to THE LEDE COMPANY TEAM
