Harris Dickinson has expressed his unease regarding the response he received following his role in Babygirl. Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 29-year-old actor discussed how, despite being proud of the film and his collaboration with director Halina Reijn and co-star Nicole Kidman, the public’s reaction made him uncomfortable. This marks a rare moment where Dickinson openly addresses the challenges tied to the Harris Dickinson Babygirl controversy.
Unsettling Encounters Highlight Inappropriate Behavior
During press activities and question-and-answer sessions for Babygirl, Dickinson encountered behavior from some women that he found unacceptable. He recalled,
“Like when I was doing that press and when we were doing Q&As and stuff. Afterwards, there were some situations that were completely unacceptable. You’re expected to just laugh it off,”
he shared, highlighting the frustration he faced as an actor subjected to uncomfortable remarks.
One specific event involved an interaction on an airplane, where a female passenger referenced a scene in Babygirl where Dickinson’s character dances shirtless to George Michael’s song Father Figure. The woman then made a suggestive comment, which Dickinson chose not to repeat. As he explained,
“That’s not okay. I don’t want to know about your sexual experience with this story.”
Actor Reflects on Public Perception vs. Artistic Intent
Harris Dickinson acknowledged that some might assume the film invites erotic commentary due to its content. However, he emphasized that the intention behind Babygirl was more nuanced.
“People could say, ‘Oh, well, you did a film that you knew was going to be somewhat erotic.’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah, but the film that we made and the approach that Halina spoke about, for me, it was something way more unique. It wasn’t a reductive thing. In my mind, I saw it as one thing and then, I guess, you can’t control the perception of it and the way that people want to talk about it and the narrative,”
he said, expressing the disconnect between artistic vision and audience interpretation.
New Beginnings with Directorial Debut and Support
Amid these frustrations, Dickinson recently celebrated a more positive milestone. His directorial debut, Urchin, premiered with several of his Beatles co-stars attending the event to lend their support. This moment marks an important turning point as he moves forward in his career while navigating the complex responses to his work in Babygirl.
