One Direction have just seen their five-piece knocked down to four, but if Harry Styles has his way, then the legendary boyband could soon be nothing more than a trio. The curly-haired hottie has been rumoured to be going solo for months, and now it seems he has another career path he'd like to pursue, acting.
The news comes as Zayn Malik sensationally announced he was quitting the band after signing off from their tour with stress. And as Directioners around the world have struggled to come to terms with the shocking news, it looks like Harry could be the next star on the way out.
Earlier this year, the star turned down the chance to star in a film produced by American bigwig Harvey Weinstein, but only because it would have clashed with his hectic touring schedule. Now, however, with Zayn's departure leaving the band in crisis, it could be the perfect time to swap his microphone for a script.
Will Harry follow in Zayn's footsteps and leave the band? (FameFlynet)
"Harry has told his friends that the wants to get into acting. He loves Los Angeles," a source told E! News. They added that the 21-year-old had also been pursuing singers to work with him on some solo material: "He's been writing with other artists like Meghan Trainor, Kodaline and Ariana Grande.”
The rumours that Harry has been considering quitting the band are nothing new. In fact, Bookmakers Coral were forced to suspend bets on bands splitting last year after a rush of punters ran to place bets that the Steal My Girl hitmaker was going to walk. Now though, with Zayn breaking up the five-piece, and Weinstein's certainty that “there's no question [Harry] will enter the movie business,” could this signal the end of One Direction?
An insider told the site Harry has been mulling over his options, and has “distanced himself from the rest of the band over the last year.” They added, “He considers himself to be on a different path to the other boys. He certainly has hopes of doing solo stuff, branching out on his own and so this might be the natural juncture in which to do that."
One Direction say they will continue as a four-piece (FameFlynet)
Regardless of the rumours, the boys showed a united front when they announced the news of Zayn's departure, insisting that they would go on as a foursome. In a statement released on the band's Facebook page, Zayn said, "My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.
“I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world."
The boys shared their support for the former member, writing, "We're really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we've gone through so much together, so we will always be friends. The four of us will now continue. We're looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour."
