You’ve probably heard by now that actor Taron Egerton does all of his own singing for his role as Elton John in Rocketman. It’s incredible and just adds another layer of authenticity to the performance that helps Taron Egerton disappear into the role. But while being able to sing is a huge deal, Elton John himself had a specific request for the actor playing him, as Taron Egerton explained:
He said not to try and sound like him, which is tough when you’re playing him.
This certainly seems counterintuitive and Taron Egerton said as much when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of Rocketman. When you’re an actor in a biopic, the logical assumption is that you should try to become that person in any and every way possible, from look and mannerisms to way of speaking and, when the subject is a famous rock star, as is the case in Rocketman, singing.
But Elton John did not want Taron Egerton to try and sound like him which is something that the actor had to work on because it went against his instincts in the role. He’s dressed as Elton John and singing Elton John songs, but Elton John doesn’t want him to sound like Elton John. Who knows how much practice was for naught after that request.
Taron Egerton must have been quite taken aback upon hearing this request and had to adjust his whole approach to the singing in the film. Yet, he has said that he really just wanted to make Elton John happy with his performance, so if that’s what Elton wants, that’s what Elton gets.
Taron Egerton didn’t reveal why Elton John made the request that he not try and sound like him, so we are left to speculate. Perhaps hearing Taron Egerton’s singing chops, Elton John just wanted the actor to use his own voice and not try and imitate him because it wouldn’t be as powerful and authentic, and he would sound better if he didn’t.
We know Elton John thought highly of Taron Egerton’s singing, and it sounds like he wanted him to put his own spin on the beloved tunes and express himself as an artist without being afraid to try things because they wouldn’t adhere to what Elton sounds like. The important thing is that the songs sound good and Taron Egerton captures the essence of Elton John’s music, even if he doesn’t sound exactly like him.
This request seems to have worked all around. Rocketman is receiving rave reviews and given that Elton John is sending positive notices to Taron Egerton, one assumes that he was happy with how it all turned out.
Rocketman launches in theaters today. This is just one of the exciting movies arriving this summer, check out the rest in our 2019 Release Schedule and for all your movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
