The much awaited queer period drama My Policeman debuted at TIFF this weekend, and it’s certainly got folks talking. Among them is lead actor David Dawson, Harry Styles‘ scene partner for those most intimate moments.
Dawson sat down with Entertainment Weekly at the festival to talk all things intimacy on-set.
“[Director] Michael Grandage was wonderful in that respect,” he says. “He created a space that was full of nothing but support, and brought on a wonderful intimacy coordinator, and the four of us explored what we wanted those scenes to be, together.”
Beyond the support from the director, he apparently received integral support from his costar throughout it.
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“Me and Harry promised each other we would always look out for each other during it,” he notes.
As strong as their report was, he also says he “can’t emphasize the importance of an intimacy coordinator enough.”
Related: Harry Styles on the “tender and loving and sensitive” gay sex scenes in ‘My Policeman’
Part of developing their intimate chemistry was Dawson’s own internal battle with separating Styles, the superstar persona, from Styles, his costar.
“Because of COVID, we had to do our meet and greet on Zoom,” he recalls. “The day Michael says ‘You’re going to be meeting Harry Styles on Zoom,’ [you think], ‘How strange is life?’ Very quickly you have to get rid of the musician you knew him as before.”
The singer has commented on the film’s sex scenes as well recently. Unfortunately for him, his remarks weren’t quite as articulate as Dawson’s.
One comment in particular garnered a mass of critiques from the queer community. In it, he stated that “so much of gay sex in film is two guys going at it, and it kind of removes the tenderness from it,” and indicated that their movie would be more “tender and loving and sensitive.” It is, admittedly, a bit of a yikes comment from a figure who’s not much of a public authority on gay sex.
Related: Go between the sheets with Harry Styles for some quality bisexual spoon time
Dawson, however, has nothing but praise for his costar.
“He’s a good Northern lad like myself,” the actor says. “And we had the luxury of a three-week rehearsal process to build on that friendship and chemistry.”
If you haven’t checked out the trailer yet, see what all the fuss is about here:
bachy
The problem I have with this film is not whether Styles is refusing to commit to a gay or straight or bi or whatever “identity” – it’s that I find his sex appeal wildly overestimated to begin with.
Donston
I personally don’t care much a shit about identities, Harry’s identities in particular. That still doesn’t mean I’m completely comfortable with Harry feeling as if he can speak for “queers”, or him leaning into “queer aesthetics” and rumors so heavily as a part of his persona, or the media’s obsession with talking about and uplifting vaguely “queer-ish” performers. Y’all keep trying to make complex/contradictory topics into some basic us vs them crap. You can acknowledge that Harry doesn’t owe anyone an identity, that his sexual dimensions and journey is not our business and (as I always mention) the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum is very individual. And you can also acknowledge his privilege and how much wanting to come off kinda queer-ish while not really embracing anything overtly queer/gay has helped his career. You don’t have to be a basic bytch.
Anyways, Harry is getting middling reviews for his performance in Don’t Worry Darling. So, I’m not sure about his acting ability. While this movie just looks like another sad, sterile period piece and another “gay romance” that’s surprisingly hetero-dominant. I don’t think the limits of Harry’s sex appeal will be enough to make up for the lacks and redundancy.
stanpaske
Is he on my Pass List? Nope. I just keep asking myself WTH? Why?
johncp56
Ok so he is not comenting who cares gay srt8 bi, but if your going to be an actor do it, or do not enter a movie that has man2man action, ill still watch it ?? i,m I the only one, is he in another movie I remember a trailer that looked close to the Stepford wifes
bigrawtop
The only reason this is a story is because of the straight casting. Otherwise, it is tired. Like filming a love scene is an unusual event in filmmaking. The mere analysis of it is regressive. If the filming of a gay romance is tricky, than don’t cast straight actors. The only reason we should be talking about a gay love scene is because it was so damn hot.
dbmcvey
There was a story about the filming of a gay love scene in American Gods where the actors and director were straight. They did the scene and then the series runner (who is gay) had to come in and refilm it because neither the actors nor the director knew how gay sex works.
Prax07
Don’t give a shit about this movies because…
1: I don’t care one but about Styles
2: Queerty is pushing him way too hard
3: He’s Not Gay
4: I don’t find him or his crappy tattoos hot
Gourmet Guy
One cannot surmise much from a “trailer,” but from what I’ve seen, Harry Styles looks like he’s really trying to make a convincing characterization. I don’t understand why he stimulates such contempt. Surely he is far from the first “straight” actor to play a gay character. It’s called ACTING. In any case, this is a film I will not miss.
[email protected]
Very well said-it’s called acting for a reason. All y’all get off your gay high horse-let him be.
Thad
The book is still available. I think a lot of us might like it.
dbmcvey
Hey folks, if you don’t care about Harry Styles, clicking on the stories about him and commenting him isn’t a good way to protest. As long as you click on it, it will register. If you really don’t care about something, don’t click on it.
But, I suspect that you actually do care. You care enough to click on it and comment–and that brings revenue to the site.
dbmcvey
My issue about Styles’ comment about gay sex scenes in movies is that it’s not true. There are so few gay sex scenes in movies that almost anything is noteworthy, but the idea that they’re raunchy is pretty ridiculous.
bachy
He’s obviously been watching gay porn for… “research.” I reckon he’s a Sean Cody fan.
Huron132
It’s so hard to explain this, but if this movie is good great. If it sucks great. We are so over the top to make people an alliance to the LGBTQ+ community. That we don’t look at who we expect to understand the whole of our LGBTQ+ society. I honestly think that we will grasp at anything that may accept us. Harry is being paid to dress, model and give the effect of whom we want him to be. We need to see the sincere person to the person who is looking for fans. Honestly we are seeing who Harry really is. Just a poser to grab what he can. There are so many people that are more sincere. Those people we need to talk about.
DBMC
I think it’s sad that all this attention is on Styles, David Dawson is a really good actor who should be getting more interest.