For fans of the After franchise, Hero Fiennes Tiffin has become a household name — the smoldering, emotionally complex Hardin Scott who stole hearts across five films. But long before he took center stage as the moody heartthrob in After We Fell and its sequels, Hero had a surprising connection to pop royalty: Harry Styles.
Their paths crossed in a moment that now feels almost cinematic. One, a world-famous pop icon and former One Direction member. The other, a young actor on the rise, still crafting his identity in Hollywood. Today, Hero reflects on that meeting not as a fanboy moment, but as a meaningful intersection between past and present — a moment that, in many ways, shaped his journey. To truly appreciate the significance of Hero Fiennes Tiffin’s meeting with Harry Styles, you need to rewind to 2009. At just 11 years old, Hero played young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — a chillingly poised performance that hinted at his immense potential. He came from a family steeped in film: his uncles are actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes, and his mother, Martha Fiennes, is a respected director.
What’s most interesting about Hero’s take on the connection is how respectfully he approaches it. While the After character may have been loosely inspired by Harry Styles’ image — particularly during the early One Direction days when tattoos and curls dominated Tumblr — Hero has always made it clear that his portrayal is uniquely his own. “I didn’t want to mimic anyone,” he explained. “Hardin is his own person in the film universe. He’s troubled, poetic, impulsive. Those are character traits that come from the script and from inside — not from someone else’s personality.”
Still, Hero has expressed admiration for Harry’s artistic journey. “He’s incredibly versatile,” Hero said. “He’s gone from music to acting, and done it with such authenticity. You can tell he’s in control of his own narrative.” Since their meeting, Harry Styles himself has made major moves into acting — starring in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling, and My Policeman. That move has drawn some interesting comparisons. Here were two young British men, both beloved by Gen Z audiences, both navigating careers that blurred the line between heartthrob and serious actor.
It’s wild to think about how far both have come. Harry Styles is now a Grammy-winning solo artist with a celebrated fashion career. Hero Fiennes Tiffin has gone from being “that kid who played young Voldemort” to leading an international film franchise that has earned millions of loyal fans. Their paths may seem different, but there’s a kind of poetic overlap. Both became icons for a generation that consumes stories through screens, TikToks, and shipping culture. Both have grown up in the public eye, learned from past roles, and stepped into adulthood with poise.
Reflecting on his rise and the chance encounter with Harry, Hero says one thing stands out above all: stay grounded. “Fame is strange. It’s easy to lose yourself in it,” he said. “But meeting people like Harry, who have stayed true to themselves despite the madness, that’s inspiring. It reminds you that success isn’t just about being known — it’s about being respected.”
That’s exactly the energy Hero brings to his career: respectful, intentional, and humble. To some, Hero Fiennes Tiffin meeting Harry Styles might seem like a fun fact — a blip on the pop culture radar. But for Hero, it was a milestone. A reminder that stories have origins. That careers are built on choices. And that sometimes, the people we admire from afar are just as human as we are when we finally meet them.
