Taron Egerton Calls 'Rocketman' Gay Sex Scene Controversy 'Nonsense' - Variety

Contents:

• TARON EGERTON CLARIFI HIS SEXUALY THE WAKE OF SPECULATN THAT HE’S GAY
• TARON EGERTON NU PICS, NSFW VIOS & GAY SEX SCEN!
• TARON EGERTON GAY GAY PORN VIOS
• TARON EGERTON GAY PORN VIOS
• TARON EGERTON WANTED THE ‘ROCKETMAN’ GAY SEX SCEN AS MUCH AS YOU DIDTHE BITCH IS BACKAFTER THIS WEEK’S GOLN GLOBE AND SAG NODS, THE BT ACTOR NTENR TALKS BEG ELTON JOHN, THE SHADOW OF “BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY,” AND WHY THE GAY SEX SCEN WERE SO IMPORTANT.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED DEC. 12, 2019 12:03PM EST / PUBLISHED DEC. 12, 2019 5:19AM EST DAVID APPLEBY/PARAMOUNT PICTURA PERSON SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO “PLAY” ELTON JOHN. THAT’S THE WHOLE POT OF ELTON JOHN BEG ELTON JOHN. HE’S A ONCE--A-LIFETIME—HELL, PROBABLY ONCE EVER—BEAMED-OM-ANOTHER-PLA PERSONALY, TALENT, RANTR, AND RENEGA. HIS SENCE IS AS IF A KALEIDOSPE EXPLOD TO A PERSON: TRIPPY, MSY, HYPNOTIZG, BRIGHT, GARISH, AND ALTOGETHER UNIQUE AND FABULO. ANOTHER MERE MORTAL N’T PTURE THAT. IT WOULD BE A PALE IMATN, BAD DRAG, OR “A VALIANT EFFORT” AT BT. HOW, THEN, TO EXPLA WHAT TARON EGERTON ACPLISH ROCKETMAN? THE ACTOR APOLOGIZ FOR THE RASP HIS VOICE—“A RULT OF A REALLY GREAT WEEKEND” WHICH HE CELEBRATED HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY—WHEN WE MEET NEW YORK AHEAD OF AWARD-SEASON MPAIGNG FOR HIS WORK THE FILM, WHICH JT THIS WEEK GARNERED HIM GOLN GLOBE AND SCREEN ACTORS GUILD NOMATNS, AND SOLID FOOTG A TURBULENT BT ACTOR OSRS RACE.  NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY THAT WE’RE STILL TALKG ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE IS BOTH A TTAMENT TO HIS WORK AND A FEAT OF LONGEVY.  ROCKETMAN, THE “MIL FANTASY,” AS WAS BILLED, ABOUT ELTON JOHN’S EARLY REER AND STGGL WH ADDICTN AND SEXUALY, PREMIERED AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL MAY—WHICH MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN LAST CENTURY AWARD VOTERS’ RECENCY-BIASED MDS. WHEN FACTORG REHEARSALS, FILMG, RERDG THE SOUNDTRACK AT ABBEY ROAD, AND SPENDG TIME LIVG WH AND GETTG TO KNOW THE IN AND HIS HBAND, DAVID FURNISH, THE LAST THREE YEARS OF EGERTON’S LIFE HAVE BEEN SPENT THE HEADSPACE OF ELTON JOHN. THEN THERE’S THE SPECTER OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY TO TALK THROUGH. EGERTON IS THANKFUL THAT HIS FILM’S APPROACH TO ELTON JOHN’S LIFE STOOD SUCH STARK RELIEF TO LAST YEAR’S OSR WNER’S APPROACH TO QUEEN ONTMAN FREDDIE MERCURY. “FUCKG HELL, IF WE WERE DOG THE SAME THG, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MISERABLE FILM TO E AFTER, BEE WAS SUCH A BEHEMOTH.”HE ENJOYS TALKG ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE NOW, WH ENOUGH REMOVE OM THE NNON-BLAST OF PRS WHEN THE FILM PREMIERED. HE HAS MORE SIGHT TO THE SCTY AND, ULTIMATELY, CELEBRATN THE FILM RECEIVED OM THE GAY MUNY, THE IMPACT HAD ON ADDICTS AND THOSE REVERY, AND HOW THE EXPERIENCE OF MAKG THE MOVIE AND CHANNELG ELTON HAS SHAPED HIM. “MEMORI MATURE LIKE WE, DON’T THEY?” HE SAYS. “IT’S BEEN SIX MONTHS BUT I’M ALREADY A LTLE NOSTALGIC. IT’S FEELG A LTLE SUGAR-ATED—ALTHOUGH WAS ALREADY PRETTY SUGAR-ATED AT THE TIME.”THERE’S A B OF A WCE WHEN HE JOK ABOUT “THE BIG, SRY BIRTHDAY” AND TURNG 30. “IT’S THE FIRST TONE WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE LOST SOMETHG,” HE SAYS. “WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF YOUR TEENS, YOU’RE NOT LIKE, ‘THAT’S THE END OF MY TEENS!’ YOU’RE LIKE, ‘YEAH! HERE E MY TWENTI!’ BUT AT THE END OF YOUR TWENTI, YOU SORT OF GO, ‘OH FUCK. THAT WAS MY TWENTI. IT’S SORT OF DONE. I’VE HAD THAT.’”BEG FETED BY MAJOR AWARDS ANIZATNS FOR ROCKETMAN SHOULD LIVEN UP THE MOURNG.  TARON EGERTON SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THIS GOOD THE MOVIE. OR, ANKLY, BEEN AT ALL. THE KGSMAN MOVI AND ROB HOOD STAR WAS JT 18 WHEN JOHN FIRST STARTED VELOPG A FILM ABOUT HIS LIFE. TOM HARDY WAS GOG TO PLAY THE PART, UNTIL TOO MUCH TIME PASSED, HARDY GOT TOO OLD, AND THE PKY TAIL THAT HARDY ULD NOT, FACT, SG BEME TOO GLARG TO IGNORE. IN HOLLYWOOD, THERE’S ALWAYS SERENDIPY. OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, AMG CINC THAT N BE RETROFTED TO MAKE SEEM AS IF CERTA THGS WERE WRTEN THE STARS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN EGERTON WAS 17, AROUND THE TIME THAT JOHN WAS FIRST EXPLORG THE IA OF A MOVIE, HE DNED FOR THE ROYAL AMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS LONDON WH “YOUR SONG.” HE SANG A JOHN TUNE AGA LATER HIS REER, THIS TIME AS A GORILLA THE 2016 ANIMATED FILM SG, WHICH HIS CHARACTER PERFORMS “I’M STILL STANDG” AT THE NCERT FALE. A YEAR LATER, JOHN MA A MEO EGERTON’S KGSMAN: THE GOLN CIRCLE MOVIE.DIRECTOR-PRODUCER MATTHEW VGHN WAS EDG KGSMAN: THE GOLN CIRCLE WHEN FURNISH MENTNED THAT THE UPLE WAS HAVG A HARD TIME GETTG A FILM ABOUT JOHN OFF THE GROUND, WH STUDS GIVG FEEDBACK VARIATNS OF “TOO EXPENSIVE” OR “TOO GRTY” AS THE PROJECT SAT GTATN. TO VGHN, THE MOVIE WAS A NO-BRAER. HE JUMPED TO PRODUCE, DRAFTED DEXTER FLETCHER—THE MAN WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE OVER BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY HELMG DUTI OM BRYAN SGER—TO DIRECT, AND SUGGTED HIS KGSMAN STAR TO TAKE OVER AS JOHN. "TARON EGERTON PLAYS ELTON JOHN ROCKETMAN OM PARAMOUNT PICTUR."DAVID APPLEBY/PARAMOUNT PICTUR “WHEN I SAW TARON, I WAS NOT LOOKG AT HIM, I WAS LOOKG AT ME,” JOHN TOLD GUILD MEMBERS AFTER A SCREENG THIS FALL. “AND WHEN I WAS HEARG HIS VOICE, I WAS HEARG ME, BUT WASN’T ME. EVERYTHG ABOUT WAS EXTRAORDARY.” IT WAS LAST FEBARY WHEN EGERTON FIRST WENT TO ABBEY ROAD WH JOHN AND RERD EARLY TT VERSNS OF “YOUR SONG” AND “DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME.” THE FILM WAS STILL VERY MUCH VELOPMENT, EVEN AT THE SCRIPT LEVEL, AND AT THAT POT WAS IMPORTANT TO EGERTON TO TRY AND MAKE HIS VOICE SOUND AS MUCH LIKE JOHN’S AS POSSIBLE. GIVEN HOW BPICS TYPILLY GO, THAT WAS A REASONABLE PRSURE TO PUT ON HIMSELF. JOHN PUT THE KIBOSH ON THAT IMMEDIATELY. “I THK HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHG IMPRSNISTIC RATHER THAN PHOTOGRAPHIC,” EGERTON SAYS. “THERE’S A VERSN OF THIS WHERE WE ULD HAVE MA THAT OUR CENTRAL AIM, TO SOUND AS MUCH LIKE AND EMULATE HIS MANNERISMS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD ARGUE WOULD NOT HAVE FELT QUE AS EFFECTIVELY.” THE FILM TAK PLACE OVER THE URSE OF FOUR S, WH EGERTON PATG A GAP ONTO HIS TEETH AND SHAVG BACK HIS HAIRLE WH A RAZOR TO MIMIC JOHN’S PATTERN BALDNS AS HE AGED. AND THERE’S THE STUM. THE FILM BEGS WH ELTON JOHN BURSTG THROUGH THE DOOR OF A REVERY MEETG A FLAMG-RED BODYSU WH FLARED BELL BOTTOMS, A HEADPIECE WH VIL HORNS, HEART-SHAPED SUNGLASS, AND A PAIR OF MASSIVE WGS LOOMG BEHD HIM, A PREVIEW OF THE NWAY OF MPY, GLAM-ROCK UTURE TO E THE FILM—ALL PERFECT HOMAG TO THE MANY LOOKS SPORTED BY JOHN OVER THE YEARS.BUT THEN THE FILM LEAV REALY. EGERTON IS PERFORMG “CRODILE ROCK” WHEN HE, THE PIANO, AND THE ENTIRE NCERT CROWD BEG TO LEVATE. “ROCKETMAN” BEGS WH HIM SGG UNRWATER AT THE BOTTOM OF A POOL, WHERE HE WOULD REMA WH A DIVE TEAM FOR UP TO 20 MUT BETWEEN TAK OF HIM TRYG TO SG WHOUT WATER SHOOTG UP HIS NOSE. “SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTG” IS AN OLD-SCHOOL PRODUCTN NUMBER PERFORMED BY A MASSIVE ENSEMBLE AT A 1950S RNIVAL. AND THE FILM STARTS WH A DUET OF “THE BCH IS BACK” PERFORMED BY EGERTON’S JOHN AND HIS YOUNGER SELF, REGGIE DWIGHT OM PNER, PLAYED BY MATTHEW ILLLEY. “THE MOST IMPORTANT THG IS THAT ’S A MIL,” SAYS DIRECTOR DEXTER FLETCHER, WHO ARRIV TO OUR TERVIEW SGG A SONG OM LTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. “IT’S NOT A BPIC. IT’S NOT ANY OTHER SCRIPTN YOU WANT TO GIVE . IT’S LIKE LTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, A FUCKG PLANT DOWN OM OUTER SPACE AND ENDS UP EATG PEOPLE AND SGG, BUT THERE’S SOMETHG VERY REAL AND RELATABLE ABOUT STILL. THAT’S WHAT A MIL GIV BEYOND ALL OTHER FORMS.” OF URSE, “R-RATED MIL” DON’T NECSARILY HAVE THE CHA-CHG RG OF DOLLAR SIGNS TO . ESPECIALLY WHEN TONATG THE ENTIRE FORMULA THAT TURNED BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY TO A $900 LN-GROSSG, OSR-WNG CULTURAL PHENOMENON, BACKLASH OM CRICS BE DAMNED. THE PARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO FILMS WERE EVABLE, NSIRG BOTH CENTERED ON THE LIV OF GAY ’70S BRISH ROCK INS AND WERE RELEASED SO CLOSE TOGETHER; ROCKETMAN’S CANN PREMIERE ME LS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER RAMI MALEK WRAPPED UP HIS OSRS SPEECH FOR PLAYG FREDDIE MERCURY. THE FACT THAT FLETCHER STEPPED TO FISH DIRECTG BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ONCE BRYAN SGER WAS FIRED OM THE SET TIED THE FILMS CLOSER TOGETHER. FLETCHER HAS GONE ON RERD SAYG THAT, WHILE HE MA SURE TO DO THE BT JOB HE ULD THE STRSFUL AND SHED BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY SUATN, HE “WAS NOT EMOTNALLY ATTACHED TO .” WHILE THE OBV PARISONS WOULD BE POTENTIALLY TRATG FOR ROCKETMAN PROMOTN—THE MENTN OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’S SHADOW IS THE ONLY TIME EGERTON LETS OUT A BELEAGUERED SIGH: “YEAH… THAT…”—THE FILM WAS OTHER WAYS ABSOLVED FOR NOT BEG LIKE BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, REALLY, AT ALL. IT WAS NOT A BY-THE-NUMBERS BPIC WH A MIMIC LEAD PERFORMANCE. IT DID NOT SANIZE S SUBJECT’S SEXUALY AND LEGACY OR PLAY DOWN ANY OF THE SEX, DGS, AND ROCK AND ROLL ORR TO APPEASE STUDS AND MAKE THE FILM MORE PALATABLE FOR A MASTREAM DIENCE. ITS LEAD STAR—SERT SHADY EY EMOJI—IS HEARD DOG HIS OWN SGG THE FAL FILM VERSN. “WE ALWAYS KNEW, JT BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT ’S A MIL, THAT WAS GOG TO BE A DIFFERENT ANIMAL,” EGERTON SAYS. WHICH WAS IMPORTANT, FLETCHER SAYS, BEE THE LAST THG THEY WANTED TO BE WAS “THE ALSO-RAN ROCKETMAN.” THERE WERE STILL LIABILI TO FOLLOWG BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY SO CLOSELY—SPECIFILLY, THE AFTERMATH OF OUTRAGE AT THE WAYS THE FILM NOT ONLY BLHED AT THE IA OF SHOWG MERCURY THE THRO OF PASSN WH OTHER MEN BUT TREATED HIS SEXUALY AS A PREDATORY GATEWAY DG TO A STCTIVE LIFTYLE. IT WOULD SEEM ABSURD TO EXPECT THE SAME THG OM A MOVIE ABOUT JOHN’S LIFE THAT CLUS THE PHRASE, “I HAVE FUCKED EVERYTHG THAT MOV.” JOHN HIMSELF HAS SAID THE REASON TOOK SO LONG FOR THE FILM TO MATERIALIZE WAS BEE HE REFED TO WATER DOWN HIS LIFE. “SOME STUDS WANTED TO TONE DOWN THE SEX AND DGS SO THE FILM WOULD GET A PG-13 RATG,” JOHN WROTE THE GUARDIAN. “BUT I JT HAVEN’T LED A PG-13 RATED LIFE.” YET BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY GROSSED THAT MUCH MONEY, AND WON THAT MANY AWARDS. THE GAY MUNY HAS BEEN BURNED SO MANY TIM BEFORE BY LGBTQ+ MOVIE REPRENTATN THAT THEY’RE PRACTILLY LLOED. IT DIDN’T REQUIRE A CYNIL BENT TO EXPECT TO HAPPEN AGA WH ROCKETMAN. EGERTON HIMSELF HAS ADMTED THAT HE FEARED THE TIMATE SCEN BETWEEN HIMSELF AND RICHARD MADN, WHO PLAYS JOHN’S FORMER LOVER AND MANAGER JOHN REID, WOULD BE EDED OUT, AS IS MON WH STUD FILMS.  “THERE’S A VERSN OF [‘ROCKETMAN’] WHERE WE ULD HAVE MA THAT OUR CENTRAL AIM, TO SOUND AS MUCH LIKE AND EMULATE HIS MANNERISMS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD ARGUE WOULD NOT HAVE FELT QUE AS EFFECTIVELY.”— TARON EGERTON SO WHEN THERE WERE REPORTS THAT PARAMOUNT WAS NSIRG CUTTG DOWN OR EXCISG THAT LOVE SCENE, THE FIRST A STUD MOVIE PCHED AT A MASS DIENCE, THE REACTN WAS LIVID. YOU ULD HEAR THE SIGHS OF RELIEF BACK HOLLYWOOD WHEN THE DIENCE AT THE CANN PREMIERE SAW THAT THE GAY SEX AND FLEETG BARE BUMS MA TO THE FILM TACT. “WE WANTED THE LGBTQ MUNY TO FEEL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OVER THE FILM AND BE CHAMPNED BY ,” EGERTON SAYS, EXPLAG THAT HE PLETELY UNRSTOOD THE SCTY THOSE ASPECTS OF THE FILM WERE UNR AND THE FEARS THE FAL CUT WOULD NEED TO ADDRS. “WE ARE, SURE, CELEBRATG A POP STAR’S LIFE, BUT WE ARE ALSO CELEBRATG A STANDARD BEARER OF THAT MUNY’S LIFE. SCTY IS GOG TO BE A PART OF THAT.” FLETCHER EXPLAS THAT FOR THE SEQUENCE THE EGERTON-MADN LOVE SCENE APPEARS , HE HAD ALSO FILMED A SEX SCENE BETWEEN JAMIE BELL’S BERNIE TP AND SHARMA HARROWER’S HEATHER, TO SHOW JOHN AND TP ON PARALLEL ROCK-STAR JOURNEYS TO SEXUAL EEDOM. THE STUD NIXED THAT PART OF THE SEQUENCE BEFORE EVEN MENTNG THAT THE GAY SEX SCENE MIGHT HAVE GONE ON FOR TOO LONG. “BUT WE STUCK OUR FLAG THE SAND,” THE DIRECTOR SAYS. “THERE ARE THGS HISTORY AND HIS PERSONAL LIFE THAT WE ARE GOG TO ADDRS, AND THAT DO MEAN HE MIGHT KISS A MAN. YOU HAVE GOT YOUR BIG PANY LOGO AT THE ONT OF THAT AND YOU HAVE TO RENCILE YOURSELF WH THAT, BEE THE ISSU ARE YOURS, NOT OURS.” IF ANY OF THIS WAS NSIRED A GAMBLE, SEEMS TO BE PAYG OFF. THE FILM GROSSED $195 LN WORLDWI ON A BUDGET OF $40 LN, AND HAS SO FAR SRED MAJOR NOMATNS AT THE GOLN GLOB, SAG AWARDS, AND CRICS CHOICE AWARDS. EGERTON IS THE SAME OSRS NVERSATN AS THE LIK OF JOAQU PHOENIX, ADAM DRIVER, LEONARDO DICAPR, ANTON BANRAS, CHRISTIAN BALE, AND EDDIE MURPHY, HOPG TO SRE HIS FIRST NOMATN. MAYBE THAT’S A TTAMENT TO ROCKETMAN PRODUCG SOMETHG VERY ELTON JOHN, WHICH IS TO SAY DAC AND PROUDLY WEIRD, THE SPIR OF WHAT EGERTON THKS MIGHT BE THE BT LSON HE’S LEARNED OM THE IDOL WHO HAS, THE TWIST OF HIS LIFE TH FAR, BEE A CLOSE IEND. “THERE’S THIS PHRASE THAT I’M GOG TO PARAPHRASE: ‘BORED PEOPLE ARE BORG AND TERTG PEOPLE ARE REALLY FUCKG TERTED,’” HE SAYS. “ELTON IS QUE TERTED THE WORLD AROUND HIM, AND THERE’S SOMETHG QUE FECT ABOUT THAT. I UGHT A TOUCH OF THAT.”  KEV FALLON

TARON EGERTON CLARIFI HIS SEXUALY THE WAKE OF SPECULATN THAT HE’S GAY

Taron Egerton Clarifi His Sexualy the Wake of Speculatn That He’s Gay"We are all secure who we are.

Egerton has now given an official answer, tellg Rad Tim per Metro, “One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said ‘Look at this cutie’, and a ln outlets reported I was g out as gay…I’m not gay but two of my mat me out when I was 15 and was a joy to support them bee, as a group, we are all secure who we are. Egerton, who stars the upg Elton John bpic Rocketman, shared a photo on Instagram that had fans speculatg that he uld be gay or bisexual.

TARON EGERTON NU PICS, NSFW VIOS & GAY SEX SCEN!

“One of the lads was at my London flat, and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said ‘Look at this cutie, ’ and a ln outlets reported I was g out as gay, ” he told Metro.

“I’m not gay, but two of my mat me out when I was 15, and was a joy to support them bee, as a group, we are all secure who we are. Our gay ntent clus naked celebs, dick and penis pics, hot scen om movi and seri, and nu celeb vios. Egerton and Madn have some naked and steamy naked gay sex scen together… get ready for !

TARON EGERTON GAY GAY PORN VIOS

"I thk the film feels like somethg that the gay muny pecially n really take ownership of, " Egerton told the actor recently opened up about his sexualy an terview wh the Rad Tim, explag that some wonred whether he was gay after he praised a male iend's looks an Instagram post.

Top Ten Mician Bpics Show all 10"One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said, 'Look at this cutie, ' and a ln outlets reported I was g out as gay, " he said. "I’m not gay but two of my mat me out when I was 15 and was a joy to support them bee, as a group, we are all secure who we are. Related: Watch the exact moment Taron Egerton learns about gay sex slang.

Taron Egerton on filmg gay sex scen Rocket Man - vio Dailymotn.

TARON EGERTON GAY PORN VIOS

He ntued: “I actually thk the gay muny will be que surprised by que how gay feels. Taron Egerton addrs gay mours. Egerton recently clarified his own sexualy an terview wh Rad Tim, sayg he isn’t gay.

My boy ❤️” wh several fans askg the ments if he was gay. He has more sight to the scty and, ultimately, celebratn the film received om the gay muny, the impact had on addicts and those revery, and how the experience of makg the movie and channelg Elton has shaped him.

TARON EGERTON WANTED THE ‘ROCKETMAN’ GAY SEX SCEN AS MUCH AS YOU DIDTHE BITCH IS BACKAFTER THIS WEEK’S GOLN GLOBE AND SAG NODS, THE BT ACTOR NTENR TALKS BEG ELTON JOHN, THE SHADOW OF “BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY,” AND WHY THE GAY SEX SCEN WERE SO IMPORTANT.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED DEC. 12, 2019 12:03PM EST / PUBLISHED DEC. 12, 2019 5:19AM EST DAVID APPLEBY/PARAMOUNT PICTURA PERSON SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO “PLAY” ELTON JOHN. THAT’S THE WHOLE POT OF ELTON JOHN BEG ELTON JOHN. HE’S A ONCE--A-LIFETIME—HELL, PROBABLY ONCE EVER—BEAMED-OM-ANOTHER-PLA PERSONALY, TALENT, RANTR, AND RENEGA. HIS SENCE IS AS IF A KALEIDOSPE EXPLOD TO A PERSON: TRIPPY, MSY, HYPNOTIZG, BRIGHT, GARISH, AND ALTOGETHER UNIQUE AND FABULO. ANOTHER MERE MORTAL N’T PTURE THAT. IT WOULD BE A PALE IMATN, BAD DRAG, OR “A VALIANT EFFORT” AT BT. HOW, THEN, TO EXPLA WHAT TARON EGERTON ACPLISH ROCKETMAN? THE ACTOR APOLOGIZ FOR THE RASP HIS VOICE—“A RULT OF A REALLY GREAT WEEKEND” WHICH HE CELEBRATED HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY—WHEN WE MEET NEW YORK AHEAD OF AWARD-SEASON MPAIGNG FOR HIS WORK THE FILM, WHICH JT THIS WEEK GARNERED HIM GOLN GLOBE AND SCREEN ACTORS GUILD NOMATNS, AND SOLID FOOTG A TURBULENT BT ACTOR OSRS RACE.  NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY THAT WE’RE STILL TALKG ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE IS BOTH A TTAMENT TO HIS WORK AND A FEAT OF LONGEVY.  ROCKETMAN, THE “MIL FANTASY,” AS WAS BILLED, ABOUT ELTON JOHN’S EARLY REER AND STGGL WH ADDICTN AND SEXUALY, PREMIERED AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL MAY—WHICH MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN LAST CENTURY AWARD VOTERS’ RECENCY-BIASED MDS. WHEN FACTORG REHEARSALS, FILMG, RERDG THE SOUNDTRACK AT ABBEY ROAD, AND SPENDG TIME LIVG WH AND GETTG TO KNOW THE IN AND HIS HBAND, DAVID FURNISH, THE LAST THREE YEARS OF EGERTON’S LIFE HAVE BEEN SPENT THE HEADSPACE OF ELTON JOHN. THEN THERE’S THE SPECTER OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY TO TALK THROUGH. EGERTON IS THANKFUL THAT HIS FILM’S APPROACH TO ELTON JOHN’S LIFE STOOD SUCH STARK RELIEF TO LAST YEAR’S OSR WNER’S APPROACH TO QUEEN ONTMAN FREDDIE MERCURY. “FUCKG HELL, IF WE WERE DOG THE SAME THG, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MISERABLE FILM TO E AFTER, BEE WAS SUCH A BEHEMOTH.”HE ENJOYS TALKG ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE NOW, WH ENOUGH REMOVE OM THE NNON-BLAST OF PRS WHEN THE FILM PREMIERED. HE HAS MORE SIGHT TO THE SCTY AND, ULTIMATELY, CELEBRATN THE FILM RECEIVED OM THE GAY MUNY, THE IMPACT HAD ON ADDICTS AND THOSE REVERY, AND HOW THE EXPERIENCE OF MAKG THE MOVIE AND CHANNELG ELTON HAS SHAPED HIM. “MEMORI MATURE LIKE WE, DON’T THEY?” HE SAYS. “IT’S BEEN SIX MONTHS BUT I’M ALREADY A LTLE NOSTALGIC. IT’S FEELG A LTLE SUGAR-ATED—ALTHOUGH WAS ALREADY PRETTY SUGAR-ATED AT THE TIME.”THERE’S A B OF A WCE WHEN HE JOK ABOUT “THE BIG, SRY BIRTHDAY” AND TURNG 30. “IT’S THE FIRST TONE WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE LOST SOMETHG,” HE SAYS. “WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF YOUR TEENS, YOU’RE NOT LIKE, ‘THAT’S THE END OF MY TEENS!’ YOU’RE LIKE, ‘YEAH! HERE E MY TWENTI!’ BUT AT THE END OF YOUR TWENTI, YOU SORT OF GO, ‘OH FUCK. THAT WAS MY TWENTI. IT’S SORT OF DONE. I’VE HAD THAT.’”BEG FETED BY MAJOR AWARDS ANIZATNS FOR ROCKETMAN SHOULD LIVEN UP THE MOURNG.  TARON EGERTON SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THIS GOOD THE MOVIE. OR, ANKLY, BEEN AT ALL. THE KGSMAN MOVI AND ROB HOOD STAR WAS JT 18 WHEN JOHN FIRST STARTED VELOPG A FILM ABOUT HIS LIFE. TOM HARDY WAS GOG TO PLAY THE PART, UNTIL TOO MUCH TIME PASSED, HARDY GOT TOO OLD, AND THE PKY TAIL THAT HARDY ULD NOT, FACT, SG BEME TOO GLARG TO IGNORE. IN HOLLYWOOD, THERE’S ALWAYS SERENDIPY. OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, AMG CINC THAT N BE RETROFTED TO MAKE SEEM AS IF CERTA THGS WERE WRTEN THE STARS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN EGERTON WAS 17, AROUND THE TIME THAT JOHN WAS FIRST EXPLORG THE IA OF A MOVIE, HE DNED FOR THE ROYAL AMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS LONDON WH “YOUR SONG.” HE SANG A JOHN TUNE AGA LATER HIS REER, THIS TIME AS A GORILLA THE 2016 ANIMATED FILM SG, WHICH HIS CHARACTER PERFORMS “I’M STILL STANDG” AT THE NCERT FALE. A YEAR LATER, JOHN MA A MEO EGERTON’S KGSMAN: THE GOLN CIRCLE MOVIE.DIRECTOR-PRODUCER MATTHEW VGHN WAS EDG KGSMAN: THE GOLN CIRCLE WHEN FURNISH MENTNED THAT THE UPLE WAS HAVG A HARD TIME GETTG A FILM ABOUT JOHN OFF THE GROUND, WH STUDS GIVG FEEDBACK VARIATNS OF “TOO EXPENSIVE” OR “TOO GRTY” AS THE PROJECT SAT GTATN. TO VGHN, THE MOVIE WAS A NO-BRAER. HE JUMPED TO PRODUCE, DRAFTED DEXTER FLETCHER—THE MAN WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY TAKE OVER BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY HELMG DUTI OM BRYAN SGER—TO DIRECT, AND SUGGTED HIS KGSMAN STAR TO TAKE OVER AS JOHN. "TARON EGERTON PLAYS ELTON JOHN ROCKETMAN OM PARAMOUNT PICTUR."DAVID APPLEBY/PARAMOUNT PICTUR “WHEN I SAW TARON, I WAS NOT LOOKG AT HIM, I WAS LOOKG AT ME,” JOHN TOLD GUILD MEMBERS AFTER A SCREENG THIS FALL. “AND WHEN I WAS HEARG HIS VOICE, I WAS HEARG ME, BUT WASN’T ME. EVERYTHG ABOUT WAS EXTRAORDARY.” IT WAS LAST FEBARY WHEN EGERTON FIRST WENT TO ABBEY ROAD WH JOHN AND RERD EARLY TT VERSNS OF “YOUR SONG” AND “DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME.” THE FILM WAS STILL VERY MUCH VELOPMENT, EVEN AT THE SCRIPT LEVEL, AND AT THAT POT WAS IMPORTANT TO EGERTON TO TRY AND MAKE HIS VOICE SOUND AS MUCH LIKE JOHN’S AS POSSIBLE. GIVEN HOW BPICS TYPILLY GO, THAT WAS A REASONABLE PRSURE TO PUT ON HIMSELF. JOHN PUT THE KIBOSH ON THAT IMMEDIATELY. “I THK HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHG IMPRSNISTIC RATHER THAN PHOTOGRAPHIC,” EGERTON SAYS. “THERE’S A VERSN OF THIS WHERE WE ULD HAVE MA THAT OUR CENTRAL AIM, TO SOUND AS MUCH LIKE AND EMULATE HIS MANNERISMS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD ARGUE WOULD NOT HAVE FELT QUE AS EFFECTIVELY.” THE FILM TAK PLACE OVER THE URSE OF FOUR S, WH EGERTON PATG A GAP ONTO HIS TEETH AND SHAVG BACK HIS HAIRLE WH A RAZOR TO MIMIC JOHN’S PATTERN BALDNS AS HE AGED. AND THERE’S THE STUM. THE FILM BEGS WH ELTON JOHN BURSTG THROUGH THE DOOR OF A REVERY MEETG A FLAMG-RED BODYSU WH FLARED BELL BOTTOMS, A HEADPIECE WH VIL HORNS, HEART-SHAPED SUNGLASS, AND A PAIR OF MASSIVE WGS LOOMG BEHD HIM, A PREVIEW OF THE NWAY OF MPY, GLAM-ROCK UTURE TO E THE FILM—ALL PERFECT HOMAG TO THE MANY LOOKS SPORTED BY JOHN OVER THE YEARS.BUT THEN THE FILM LEAV REALY. EGERTON IS PERFORMG “CRODILE ROCK” WHEN HE, THE PIANO, AND THE ENTIRE NCERT CROWD BEG TO LEVATE. “ROCKETMAN” BEGS WH HIM SGG UNRWATER AT THE BOTTOM OF A POOL, WHERE HE WOULD REMA WH A DIVE TEAM FOR UP TO 20 MUT BETWEEN TAK OF HIM TRYG TO SG WHOUT WATER SHOOTG UP HIS NOSE. “SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTG” IS AN OLD-SCHOOL PRODUCTN NUMBER PERFORMED BY A MASSIVE ENSEMBLE AT A 1950S RNIVAL. AND THE FILM STARTS WH A DUET OF “THE BCH IS BACK” PERFORMED BY EGERTON’S JOHN AND HIS YOUNGER SELF, REGGIE DWIGHT OM PNER, PLAYED BY MATTHEW ILLLEY. “THE MOST IMPORTANT THG IS THAT ’S A MIL,” SAYS DIRECTOR DEXTER FLETCHER, WHO ARRIV TO OUR TERVIEW SGG A SONG OM LTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. “IT’S NOT A BPIC. IT’S NOT ANY OTHER SCRIPTN YOU WANT TO GIVE . IT’S LIKE LTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, A FUCKG PLANT DOWN OM OUTER SPACE AND ENDS UP EATG PEOPLE AND SGG, BUT THERE’S SOMETHG VERY REAL AND RELATABLE ABOUT STILL. THAT’S WHAT A MIL GIV BEYOND ALL OTHER FORMS.” OF URSE, “R-RATED MIL” DON’T NECSARILY HAVE THE CHA-CHG RG OF DOLLAR SIGNS TO . ESPECIALLY WHEN TONATG THE ENTIRE FORMULA THAT TURNED BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY TO A $900 LN-GROSSG, OSR-WNG CULTURAL PHENOMENON, BACKLASH OM CRICS BE DAMNED. THE PARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO FILMS WERE EVABLE, NSIRG BOTH CENTERED ON THE LIV OF GAY ’70S BRISH ROCK INS AND WERE RELEASED SO CLOSE TOGETHER; ROCKETMAN’S CANN PREMIERE ME LS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER RAMI MALEK WRAPPED UP HIS OSRS SPEECH FOR PLAYG FREDDIE MERCURY. THE FACT THAT FLETCHER STEPPED TO FISH DIRECTG BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ONCE BRYAN SGER WAS FIRED OM THE SET TIED THE FILMS CLOSER TOGETHER. FLETCHER HAS GONE ON RERD SAYG THAT, WHILE HE MA SURE TO DO THE BT JOB HE ULD THE STRSFUL AND SHED BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY SUATN, HE “WAS NOT EMOTNALLY ATTACHED TO .” WHILE THE OBV PARISONS WOULD BE POTENTIALLY TRATG FOR ROCKETMAN PROMOTN—THE MENTN OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’S SHADOW IS THE ONLY TIME EGERTON LETS OUT A BELEAGUERED SIGH: “YEAH… THAT…”—THE FILM WAS OTHER WAYS ABSOLVED FOR NOT BEG LIKE BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, REALLY, AT ALL. IT WAS NOT A BY-THE-NUMBERS BPIC WH A MIMIC LEAD PERFORMANCE. IT DID NOT SANIZE S SUBJECT’S SEXUALY AND LEGACY OR PLAY DOWN ANY OF THE SEX, DGS, AND ROCK AND ROLL ORR TO APPEASE STUDS AND MAKE THE FILM MORE PALATABLE FOR A MASTREAM DIENCE. ITS LEAD STAR—SERT SHADY EY EMOJI—IS HEARD DOG HIS OWN SGG THE FAL FILM VERSN. “WE ALWAYS KNEW, JT BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT ’S A MIL, THAT WAS GOG TO BE A DIFFERENT ANIMAL,” EGERTON SAYS. WHICH WAS IMPORTANT, FLETCHER SAYS, BEE THE LAST THG THEY WANTED TO BE WAS “THE ALSO-RAN ROCKETMAN.” THERE WERE STILL LIABILI TO FOLLOWG BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY SO CLOSELY—SPECIFILLY, THE AFTERMATH OF OUTRAGE AT THE WAYS THE FILM NOT ONLY BLHED AT THE IA OF SHOWG MERCURY THE THRO OF PASSN WH OTHER MEN BUT TREATED HIS SEXUALY AS A PREDATORY GATEWAY DG TO A STCTIVE LIFTYLE. IT WOULD SEEM ABSURD TO EXPECT THE SAME THG OM A MOVIE ABOUT JOHN’S LIFE THAT CLUS THE PHRASE, “I HAVE FUCKED EVERYTHG THAT MOV.” JOHN HIMSELF HAS SAID THE REASON TOOK SO LONG FOR THE FILM TO MATERIALIZE WAS BEE HE REFED TO WATER DOWN HIS LIFE. “SOME STUDS WANTED TO TONE DOWN THE SEX AND DGS SO THE FILM WOULD GET A PG-13 RATG,” JOHN WROTE THE GUARDIAN. “BUT I JT HAVEN’T LED A PG-13 RATED LIFE.” YET BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY GROSSED THAT MUCH MONEY, AND WON THAT MANY AWARDS. THE GAY MUNY HAS BEEN BURNED SO MANY TIM BEFORE BY LGBTQ+ MOVIE REPRENTATN THAT THEY’RE PRACTILLY LLOED. IT DIDN’T REQUIRE A CYNIL BENT TO EXPECT TO HAPPEN AGA WH ROCKETMAN. EGERTON HIMSELF HAS ADMTED THAT HE FEARED THE TIMATE SCEN BETWEEN HIMSELF AND RICHARD MADN, WHO PLAYS JOHN’S FORMER LOVER AND MANAGER JOHN REID, WOULD BE EDED OUT, AS IS MON WH STUD FILMS.  “THERE’S A VERSN OF [‘ROCKETMAN’] WHERE WE ULD HAVE MA THAT OUR CENTRAL AIM, TO SOUND AS MUCH LIKE AND EMULATE HIS MANNERISMS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD ARGUE WOULD NOT HAVE FELT QUE AS EFFECTIVELY.”— TARON EGERTON SO WHEN THERE WERE REPORTS THAT PARAMOUNT WAS NSIRG CUTTG DOWN OR EXCISG THAT LOVE SCENE, THE FIRST A STUD MOVIE PCHED AT A MASS DIENCE, THE REACTN WAS LIVID. YOU ULD HEAR THE SIGHS OF RELIEF BACK HOLLYWOOD WHEN THE DIENCE AT THE CANN PREMIERE SAW THAT THE GAY SEX AND FLEETG BARE BUMS MA TO THE FILM TACT. “WE WANTED THE LGBTQ MUNY TO FEEL A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OVER THE FILM AND BE CHAMPNED BY ,” EGERTON SAYS, EXPLAG THAT HE PLETELY UNRSTOOD THE SCTY THOSE ASPECTS OF THE FILM WERE UNR AND THE FEARS THE FAL CUT WOULD NEED TO ADDRS. “WE ARE, SURE, CELEBRATG A POP STAR’S LIFE, BUT WE ARE ALSO CELEBRATG A STANDARD BEARER OF THAT MUNY’S LIFE. SCTY IS GOG TO BE A PART OF THAT.” FLETCHER EXPLAS THAT FOR THE SEQUENCE THE EGERTON-MADN LOVE SCENE APPEARS , HE HAD ALSO FILMED A SEX SCENE BETWEEN JAMIE BELL’S BERNIE TP AND SHARMA HARROWER’S HEATHER, TO SHOW JOHN AND TP ON PARALLEL ROCK-STAR JOURNEYS TO SEXUAL EEDOM. THE STUD NIXED THAT PART OF THE SEQUENCE BEFORE EVEN MENTNG THAT THE GAY SEX SCENE MIGHT HAVE GONE ON FOR TOO LONG. “BUT WE STUCK OUR FLAG THE SAND,” THE DIRECTOR SAYS. “THERE ARE THGS HISTORY AND HIS PERSONAL LIFE THAT WE ARE GOG TO ADDRS, AND THAT DO MEAN HE MIGHT KISS A MAN. YOU HAVE GOT YOUR BIG PANY LOGO AT THE ONT OF THAT AND YOU HAVE TO RENCILE YOURSELF WH THAT, BEE THE ISSU ARE YOURS, NOT OURS.” IF ANY OF THIS WAS NSIRED A GAMBLE, SEEMS TO BE PAYG OFF. THE FILM GROSSED $195 LN WORLDWI ON A BUDGET OF $40 LN, AND HAS SO FAR SRED MAJOR NOMATNS AT THE GOLN GLOB, SAG AWARDS, AND CRICS CHOICE AWARDS. EGERTON IS THE SAME OSRS NVERSATN AS THE LIK OF JOAQU PHOENIX, ADAM DRIVER, LEONARDO DICAPR, ANTON BANRAS, CHRISTIAN BALE, AND EDDIE MURPHY, HOPG TO SRE HIS FIRST NOMATN. MAYBE THAT’S A TTAMENT TO ROCKETMAN PRODUCG SOMETHG VERY ELTON JOHN, WHICH IS TO SAY DAC AND PROUDLY WEIRD, THE SPIR OF WHAT EGERTON THKS MIGHT BE THE BT LSON HE’S LEARNED OM THE IDOL WHO HAS, THE TWIST OF HIS LIFE TH FAR, BEE A CLOSE IEND. “THERE’S THIS PHRASE THAT I’M GOG TO PARAPHRASE: ‘BORED PEOPLE ARE BORG AND TERTG PEOPLE ARE REALLY FUCKG TERTED,’” HE SAYS. “ELTON IS QUE TERTED THE WORLD AROUND HIM, AND THERE’S SOMETHG QUE FECT ABOUT THAT. I UGHT A TOUCH OF THAT.”  KEV FALLON

The parisons between the two films were evable, nsirg both centered on the liv of gay ’70s Brish rock ins and were released so close together; Rocketman’s Cann premiere me ls than three months after Rami Malek wrapped up his Osrs speech for playg Freddie Mercury. The gay muny has been burned so many tim before by LGBTQ+ movie reprentatn that they’re practilly lloed.

You uld hear the sighs of relief back Hollywood when the dience at the Cann premiere saw that the gay sex and fleetg bare bums ma to the film tact. The stud nixed that part of the sequence before even mentng that the gay sex scene might have gone on for too long. "I actually thk the gay muny will be que surprised by que how gay feels, " the Welsh actor said of the film.

I actually thk the gay muny will be que surprised by que how gay feels.

Though the sger squashed mors that he was gay earlier this month, he had no hang-ups when me to filmg timate scen wh a male partner: “I’m not someone who is remotely perturbed by male timacy. That clus talkg about a pivotal moment the film where the actor had his first-ever sex scene; and, beg that the film is about the life of Elton John, a proudly open gay man, that scene was wh another guy—and Egerton had a blast wh star, who recently clarified that he is not gay but is able to appreciate other men’s looks, says he “loved” dog the sex scene Rocketman wh his star Richard Madn of Game of Thron and Bodyguard fame, who plays Elton‘s former boyiend and manager John Reid.

“I thk the film feels like somethg that the gay muny pecially n take ownership of, ” he recently told MTV. “When out, I actually thk the gay muny will be que surprised by que how gay feels, ” he says. Taron Egerton, who will play Elton John the forthg bpic “Rocketman, ” rpond to claims that Paramount attempted to cut out a gay sex scene om the bpic.

Taron Egerton Calls Paramount’s Attempt to Cut Out ‘Rocketman’ Gay Sex Scene ‘Nonsense’. Rocketman‘s Taron Egerton is currently playg gay aga a play lled Cock, which was wrten by Mike Bartlett and started performanc last week at the Ambassadors Theater London.