(This is the first post in the new Actor Spotlight feature, which covers a different actor each time – anyone from the likes of Meryl Streep to an up-and-comer who’s name you’ve never heard – highlighting three of their best performances. We hope the posts can inspire you to follow these fantastic performers and their work)
It’s taken all of two seconds for Harris Dickinson to command the attention of moviegoers everywhere, even if no one yet knows his name. He was only twenty-one years old when his debut feature, “Beach Rats,” was released. The now twenty-six year old has had an impressive year, appearing in three theatrical releases. All three just happen to be some of his best work thus far.
Training: RAW Academy in London
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (2022)
Crawdads is an uneven film, but there’s no question about the quality of the performances. Dickinson arrives in the narrative as Chase – a swaggering, rough edges love interest. He nails the simplistic and oblivious nature of Chase before revealing his darker impulses. Even as we grow to despise him, his characterization of the manipulative young man is eerily familiar.
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (2022)
First billing in the Palme D’Or winner is no small matter. Throughout the first compelling sequence about who should pay the dinner bill, Dickinson’s eyes and body language speak volumes. The admirable range of his many faces builds in the following runtime (Carl is a model after all.) Dickinson toes the line between a privileged, Draco Malfoy-like type, and an innocent and more likable pawn in a world of power players. It’s one of the best performances of the year thus far.
SEE HOW THEY RUN (2022)
See How They Run adds a pinch of acclaimed actor Richard Attenborough’s pretentiousness into Dickinson’s mix. His comedic chops are on full display. He plays high class with a searing arrogance, straightening his posture, relishing in word play and just about stealing every scene he’s in. It’s a marvelous character turn from an actor who is already becoming associated more internal, understated work.
(If you’d like to see Harris talk more about his process and passions, check out the interview below!)
