Taron Egerton

Taron Egerton shot to stardom with his portrayal of Elton John in Dexter Fletcher's 2019 film Rocketman. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen biopic where star Rami Malek lip-synched to Freddie Mercury's original vocal tracks, Egerton sang his own parts, a decision showcased on the Giles Martin-directed soundtrack for Rocketman. The Elton John film was the first time Egerton was identified as a singer. Prior to its release, he was an actor, earning a reputation in England for his roles in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman films.

Born on November 10, 1989, in Birkenhead, Merseyside, Taron Egerton was raised on Anglesey, an island in Wales. He spent his adolescence in the Welsh town of Aberystwyth. Egerton studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, earning a BA in Acting in 2012. Following his graduation, he appeared in the Sky1 television series The Smoke.

By the time The Smoke aired in early 2014, Egerton had been cast in Kingsman: The Secret Service, an updated spin on James Bond action capers directed by Matthew Vaughn. Kingsman and its 2017 sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, didn't merely elevate Taron Egerton in the public eye, it developed a connection with Vaughn, which would pay off in Rocketman. Prior to that, Egerton had landed several plum roles. In 2015, he co-starred with Tom Hardy in Legend, Brian Helgeland's cinematic adaptation of the story of the notorious London crime lords the Krays. He graduated to leading roles by depicting the titular Eddie the Eagle in Dexter Fletcher's 2016 film telling the story of British skier Michael Edwards.

Also in 2016, Egerton voiced Johnny, the gorilla in the animated musical Sing who stole the show singing Sam Smith's "Stay with Me" and Elton John's "I'm Still Standing." This wasn't Egerton's only connection to Elton; the two also appeared in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Taron's ties to John were solidified when he was cast as Elton John in Rocketman, a film that had been in various stages of development since 2001. Tom Hardy was once attached to the project, but after he passed on it, Vaughn decided to produce the film, bringing aboard Egerton as his star and Fletcher as his director. Giles Martin was hired as the musical director, and he set about creating new versions of key portions of John's catalog, pushing Egerton front and center.

Rocketman and its accompanying soundtrack, Rocketman: Music from the Motion Picture appeared in May 2019, helping to make Taron Egerton something of a household name. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi