David Dawson Is Playing Harry Styles' Love Interest in an Upcoming Film, and We're Already Obsessed

As we learn more about the upcoming Amazon film My Policeman, we’re already on the edge of our seats. David Dawson was just announced as Harry Styles’ love interest and will round out the starring cast along with Emma Corrin. However, My Policeman is not David Dawson’s first foray onto the big screen.

My Policeman is based on the novel of the same name by Bethan Roberts. The story begins as an elderly invalid, Patrick, arrives at Tom and Marion’s home. The three reminisce to a time 40 years earlier when Patrick and Tom explored a passionate homosexual relationship when it was illegal to be gay. Harry and Emma will be playing young Tom and Marion respectively, with David Dawson cast as young Patrick in My Policeman.

David has had a love of the performance arts ever since he was a young boy growing up in the United Kingdom. In an interview with author Sarah Oliver, when asked how he knew he wanted to be an actor, he shared, “I was like two, I liked dressing up as characters and I’d spend a whole day being that character.”

As a teen, David penned two plays, The Boy in the Bed and Divorced and Desperate, both of which were performed. While he began in writing, he quickly pivoted to acting and was accepted into RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, a prestigious acting school in London, in 2002.

David’s first professional role was actually as an understudy to Kevin Spacey in a stage production of Richard II, but he began booking television and film work shortly thereafter. His first television role was as Wallace in Doc Martin, a British show, although he rose to stardom stateside as King Alfred in The Last Kingdom, a BBC series that streamed on Netflix.

David Dawson is a BBC favorite with major roles in the BBC projects Ripper Street and The Road to Coronation Street. Americans may also recognize David from a few episodes of Peaky Blinders, and although David has made quite a name for himself on the screen, he still performs in live plays. He’s even been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. 

Although David has been acting for quite some time now, he has flown mostly under the radar, which is to his liking. He doesn’t have an Instagram or any social media for that matter, so it’s clear he’s an actor for the love of the work and not necessarily for the fame. There aren't even any reports or evidence of who David may be dating or have dated in the past.

However, David is very gracious towards his fans. “I’m grateful to those people who are supporting projects I’m involved with,” he shared. “It’s a lovely feeling and it certainly gives you confidence when you’re doing things that people believe in you.”

David is also 12 years older than Harry Styles, so seeing their relationship play out on screen will definitely be enthralling, although not too foreign to us since Harry’s real-life girlfriend, Olivia Wilde, is 10 years older than he is. David has said that he’s open to any project, as long as it’s different from the last thing and a new challenge, which this one definitely is. He was clearly born to act, so we can’t wait to see him take his turn in a new type of role in My Policeman.