Actor Taron Egerton says it was an ‘extraordinary privilege’ to play Sir Elton John in Rocketman.
The biopic, named after Sir Elton’s 1972 hit, follows the performer’s rise to fame and his battle with sexuality, drugs and alcohol.
Kingsman star Egerton was joined by John and co-stars Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard to walk the blue carpet in Leicester Square on Monday night.
Egerton said of Sir Elton:
“Not only is he everything everyone knows him to be – which is a musical genius, and a great philanthropist – he is the most fun, naughty, irreverent, kind, brilliant man.”
The film has attracted scrutiny over the decision to cast a straight actor in the role of Elton, who is openly gay and a gay rights champion.
But at the UK premiere, where Sir Elton arrived in a golf buggy, Egerton insisted the evening deserved to be a celebration of one of our biggest musical exports.
He said the film should be “a joyous celebration of someone’s life without getting lost in that stuff because whilst I recognise that these issues are important I really do feel like I’ve addressed them.”
Sir Elton echoed this exclaiming, “That’s all bulls***, I’m sorry”.
‘If people don’t like it, review-wise, or it doesn’t make one dollar, it’s the movie I wanted to make and that’s all that counts. I can look back and say, “You know what, I love it. I can live with it”.
Rocketman premiered at Cannes Film Festival last week to a standing ovation leaving Egerton in tears.
Fans at the Premiere of Rocketman. Credit: Getty Images
Since its debut , Rocketman has received a number of comparisons to the Oscar-winning Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
The film is directed by Dexter Fletcher who took over to finish Bohemian Rhapsody, after Bryan Singer was fired.
At the premiere, Fletcher played down the comparisons, saying that Bohemian Rhapsody was “one person’s vision; this film is my vision”.
He said: “I was very honoured to be a part of [Bohemian Rhapsody], but I am super excited and thrilled to be part of Elton’s story and bringing Rocketman to the screen”.
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HeadlinePrivilege to play ‘iconic’ Sir Elton John, says Rocketman star Taron Egerton
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StandfirstStars took to the blue carpet to celebrate the films release
Actor Taron Egerton says it was an ‘extraordinary privilege’ to play Sir Elton John in Rocketman.
The biopic, named after Sir Elton’s 1972 hit, follows the performer’s rise to fame and his battle with sexuality, drugs and alcohol.
Kingsman star Egerton was joined by John and co-stars Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard to walk the blue carpet in Leicester Square on Monday night.
Egerton said of Sir Elton:
“Not only is he everything everyone knows him to be – which is a musical genius, and a great philanthropist – he is the most fun, naughty, irreverent, kind, brilliant man.”
The film has attracted scrutiny over the decision to cast a straight actor in the role of Elton, who is openly gay and a gay rights champion.
But at the UK premiere, where Sir Elton arrived in a golf buggy, Egerton insisted the evening deserved to be a celebration of one of our biggest musical exports.
He said the film should be “a joyous celebration of someone’s life without getting lost in that stuff because whilst I recognise that these issues are important I really do feel like I’ve addressed them.”
Sir Elton echoed this exclaiming, “That’s all bulls***, I’m sorry”.
‘If people don’t like it, review-wise, or it doesn’t make one dollar, it’s the movie I wanted to make and that’s all that counts. I can look back and say, “You know what, I love it. I can live with it”.
Rocketman premiered at Cannes Film Festival last week to a standing ovation leaving Egerton in tears.
Fans at the Premiere of Rocketman. Credit: Getty Images
Since its debut , Rocketman has received a number of comparisons to the Oscar-winning Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
The film is directed by Dexter Fletcher who took over to finish Bohemian Rhapsody, after Bryan Singer was fired.
At the premiere, Fletcher played down the comparisons, saying that Bohemian Rhapsody was “one person’s vision; this film is my vision”.
He said: “I was very honoured to be a part of [Bohemian Rhapsody], but I am super excited and thrilled to be part of Elton’s story and bringing Rocketman to the screen”.
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