Taron Egerton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night to promote his upcoming film Robin Hood, but he ended up spending the bulk of his time in the ABC host’s guest chair discussing Rocketman.
The actor, who is playing Elton John in the spring-release biopic, said that he first met the British singer on the set of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle, where John had an extended cameo. Egerton, who was called to meet John in a church in front of the organ, said, “I pictured this really cool, casual meeting of two men, and [when I arrived] he goes, ‘If I were 5 years younger, I’d be marrying you [here].'” Egerton added, “That’s Elton.”
When Kimmel prodded Egerton to speak more about the project, he brought up his apparel in the movie, already glimpsed in a memorable teaser trailer and official image for the film. Both have displayed the actor wearing apparel including wing-tipped sneakers, a gold-lamé jacket, cowboy hats, overalls, a Queen Elizabeth-style gown and, of course, massive sunglasses.
“We go to places in this movie, especially with the costumes; I’m either wearing everything or nothing,” Egerton said.
The actor also explained that he was ready to sing in the film after having grown up in Wales, which has a long and storied musical culture. His skill while belting out a promotional song for his 2016 film Eddie the Eagle with Hugh Jackman, “Thrill Me,” impressed Rocketman producer (and Kingsman director) Matthew Vaughn, per Egerton. “You can sing! No, you can sing!” Egerton remembers Vaughn telling him.
As for mastering John’s skill with the piano, Egerton made an attempt. “I made a real effort to learn [piano]. As it turns out, it’s very difficult,” he joked. Some scenes are cut so that the movie doesn’t show him failing to play the instrument, he added.
Egerton concluded his chat by recalling a recent Elton John concert where the singer dedicated a song to him and Rocketman‘s director, Dexter Fletcher. “My mum started crying, and I tried to hold it together, but then my lips started going,” he said.
Rocketman is set for release on March 23, 2019.
