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Olivia Wilde praises Harry Styles for his 'humility and grace' in Instagram post

Wilde applauded Styles for his "nuanced sense of humanity" in the upcoming film she directed.
/ Source: TODAY

Director Olivia Wilde had some kind words about Harry Styles for his acting performance and willingness to take a supporting role in her upcoming movie.

Styles is part of the cast of "Don't Worry Darling," a psychological thriller set in the 1950s in which he plays the husband of actor Florence Pugh, who learns that he has a dark secret.

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Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde
Director Olivia Wilde had some high praise for the performance of Harry Styles in her upcoming movie. TODAY Illustration / Getty Images

The pop star was cast in the "Booksmart" director's latest film in September, replacing Shia LeBeouf, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Styles and Wilde have been rumored to be romantically linked since early January. They have not publicly confirmed their relationship, but she shared some praise for him on Instagram Monday alongside a shot of him from the movie.

"Little known fact: most male actors don’t want to play supporting roles in female-led films," she wrote. "The industry has raised them to believe it lessens their power (i.e financial value) to accept these roles, which is one of the reasons it’s so hard to get financing for movies focusing on female stories. No joke, it is harrrrrd to find actors who recognize why it might be worth it to allow for a woman to hold the spotlight.

"Enter: @harrystyles, our 'Jack' . Not only did he relish the opportunity to allow for the brilliant @florencepugh to hold center stage as our 'Alice', but he infused every scene with a nuanced sense of humanity. He didn’t have to join our circus, but he jumped on board with humility and grace, and blew us away every day with his talent, warmth, and ability to drive backwards."

The upcoming film is just the second acting role for the former One Direction star, who made his debut as a British soldier in the 2017 World War II movie "Dunkirk."

Wilde, 36, and Styles, 27, were seen holding hands at his agent's wedding in California in January in photos that surfaced online, with a source telling "Entertainment Tonight" their relationship blossomed on the set of "Don't Worry Darling."

Wilde also spoke to Vogue in November about her admiration of Styles.

"To me, he’s very modern, and I hope that this brand of confidence as a male that Harry has — truly devoid of any traces of toxic masculinity — is indicative of his generation and therefore the future of the world," she said. "I think he is in many ways championing that, spearheading that. It’s pretty powerful and kind of extraordinary to see someone in his position redefining what it can mean to be a man with confidence."

Wilde split with her fiancée of seven years, "Ted Lasso" star Jason Sudeikis, in November. The two share son Otis, 6, and daughter Daisy, 4.