A few weeks back, Rami Malek took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Queen singer Freddie Mercury in the crowd-pleasing Bohemian Rhapsody. And while Malek had the full support of living Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, he never had to contend with Mercury’s assessment of the performance. The same can’t be said for Taron Egerton, who is about to play Elton John on screen in the biopic Rocketman. John is very much alive and touring, and when asked about having to play Sir Elton in front of Sir Elton, Egerton admits:
He’s so universally loved, and I just want to make him happy really. Just getting over the pressure of it and having a good time.
Taron Egerton makes the leap to the piano bench after tackling spies in the Kingsman movies, and the ski jump in the winning Eddie the Eagle. He can’t be feeling too much pressure, as Sir Elton John has been very vocal in his support for both the movie Rocketman and the lead casting. The legendary singer/songwriter apparently gave producers his blessing on Egerton after hearing him sing. And recently, the duo performed John’s hit Tiny Dancer together, which was lovely.
And yet, in the back of his mind, Taron Egerton has to feel that if the reviews are bad, or his performance is criticized, he will have Sir Elton John to answer to! When asked by James Corden on the Late Late Show episode about when John will see Rocketman, the young star sheepishly admitted:
I don’t want to know.
Hilarious. You know that the two of them will play nicely on the promotional tour for Rocketman. In fact, if it’s anything like Bohemian Rhapsody, the members of Queen were extremely vocal in support of that film, and even rode the movie’s momentum to an opening slot at the Academy Awards. So, can we expect to see an Elton John and Taron Egerton duet at the Oscars next year? Only if there’s an original song on the Rocketman soundtrack, which could be eligible.
Check out the full clip of Taron Egerton talking Rocketman and playing “James That Tune” on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
We’ll all be able to judge for ourselves how Taron Egerton does as Sir Elton John when Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman reaches theaters on May 31. From what we have seen so far, it’s embracing a fantasy element that will allow it to bob and weave between truth and fiction (which were some of the slings aimed at Bohemian Rhapsody). But with John’s blessings, it should be a smooth ride, no?
