"Elton is very naughty!" Rocketman's Taron Egerton on flying, floating and channelling Elton J

it says right here city Edgington is Elton John I know it's weird, isn't that how I name phones the same size? Yeah, it's not a big deal. I mean, how does that happen? I don't really know, it's a

very

crazy thing, but I'm so glad to be here. I could hear the entire shoot in my head. E

very

thing was there. You will notice a lot when you take it out. This movie is a pleasure to watch, but there must be particular songs when you signed up. I'm a little nervous about those slow rock songs and I think since I'm not a rock singer, you know, I've sung ballads and pop pop stuff that I can sing, but they gravely rule rock singing for things like pimple wizards , the dance job to fight Benny on the Jets, why are you still buying? blinking, can you even play piano on those?

That was a completely different challenge and something that Elton was very interested in that I drove engines that we just didn't want. There seems to be nothing wrong with musical theater. I'm a big fan of him. I'm a big fan of it, but it represented a rock star and Allen was very interested in making it rock sound, so they were a challenge, but no. It was a particular moment in this movie that I wish I was you, where you're hitting a baseball with a baseball bat. Genoa, that's not CGI, close the front door, I mean men, I hit that baseball, thank you, thank you very much, I mean, if you take anything away from this movie, it should be that the Terrans can hit a baseball, You know what I can't, it was just very good luck, it was just very good luck.

I think I was channeling Elson a little bit because I hit that thing over and over again. and once again now I would miss it like a big turkey takes 304 yes exactly exactly what is this hmm number 11 in Italy the song doesn't work that the problem that the records caught no Emma Watt is there a particularly surreal moment in the set? that you like to tell people, I mean, this process has been full of them, so full of them, which said a really surreal moment when I was dressed in full gear as Elton when he was in his early forties for some of the rehab stuff in you know, a tracksuit exclusive to the album and David Furnish came on set and David, you know, I'd be sure it's always lovely to see him and he's, you know, you're pretty sure on the phone, but he was flanked by his kids. and in a way they left. and that was strange, that was strange, strange to me and obviously I tried to style it and get down on one knee and be very warm and obviously welcoming to them, but I think he was at least as scared as they were, there were moments. where I thought they might have put Elton's face on your face, well you're very kind, thank you, it's not normally a line that comes out of my mouth but there's a bit in the way the white angel is, it's really good and the rollicking '80s. you know period cocaine-addled music with a period yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, you look good, man, thanks, you know, one of the many joys of all of this is that it gave me the chance to get a little upset and your own ego brings you out of your shell and exactly an angel because you're here.

I'm going to ask you all these questions that everyone's been asking you, but I'm going to do them real quick so it doesn't feel so bad, okay? I will try to answer them quickly and efficiently. Thank you so much. Favorite outfit, rehab broom or engineer, Elvis, angel, demon, I think he's a favorite. I loved them all, the Queen Elizabeth. The first thing took a long time to put together and we filmed it in August. It was hot, it was itchy and itchy, oh wait, lyrics to my favorite song. I have several, I love them and I'm still standing where he turns and says: I found the taste of love in a simple way and it's about the healing process of the film I make.

That's great, what memories do you have of all these outfits and accessories? I have the Tiny Dancer jean jacket or at least I am reliably informed about how to receive it next week because I have campaigned very, very hard to get it and I am going to wear it, thank you. What's your best Alton anecdote when Elton has been at his peak? There are several of those. Elton is very mischievous and very funny. The first time I met him. I've said this before, but when we were filming the wedding. scene in kinsman and he said if I was five years younger I would be the one you would marry now, that was the first thing he said to me and um and it's still a pretty golden moment, he's just the king of making an entrance and This movie It starts with you in an orange devil costume.

It's a pretty good entry, isn't it, isn't it, eats up the belt, yeah, spoiling the best things I've ever had. We have a couple of good entries because the 17 year old entry is 17 years old. old Alton and when I start playing and that's a pretty good entry too into the nice fights, that whole sequence was one of those things where I went, oh, I really hope it didn't take too long and Dexter was saying three days there were three. nine three nights three nights that was more than that it was three nights at the fairground but you had the pub the pub you had the back alley mm-hmm it was like four o'clock I think you'll know these lyrics for the rest of your life, I know, I still listen to the music for pleasure, weird, there's no way, it's just great, you're so lucky, I loved it, I love the pictures of you and Elton at the premiere, honestly it was touching, great, we were both very excited.

I bet I've been to Can, it can be a little stuffy. Oh, this is what I have been led to believe, but I have never been and that was not my experience. It was a joy. it was through the first standing ovation, what a feeling and then obviously you in the Evening Standard up front, I think I know, yes, I know, it was really lovely, yes, there's been great coverage and just starting to find the Elton's character is There's one trick in particular that maybe you leaned on a little bit to become him because I imagine you're not on and off, no, I mean, you get organized and you stay focused and I think you know you have to do it.

He has a very, very specific understanding of the chronology of the movie, he really has that kind of talent, of course he does, because you know we jump forward five years a couple of times and to maintain that line while he changes so much, you know, speaking with the voice. he alters his aesthetic he changes something flashy he loses his hair and starts to age he doesn't chase himself you know you just have to know exactly where you are at all times and that's part of my job but it was complicated in this movie Another couple of moments that really made me What caught my attention are the sequence of buying everything, which seemed so difficult, you can, you're so good, yes, and you headbutt a soccer ball.

We thought it was a nice nod towards Watford and we thought Elton would approve of it because it wasn't a big headline, I really felt like you were going to say, yeah, yeah, yeah, we, he's a guy, the guy, Alton, you know , and I just wanted you to know that he is a die-hard fan of Watford and us. I thought of us in a montage, you know, celebrating the time when he was spending huge amounts of money and he was really having fun and I think that started his big official commitment to that club. I thought it was nice to nod my head.

Excellent, literally, perfect, literally, nod your head. The head was perfect, but the head, but the head, now you have the part too. I call it the chicken suit, but it's not. I mean, it's like kind of multi-colored and you have this suit with pimples on it, yeah, and it's cool, like me. Sorry, I know with birth, don't we just want to sing without this ridiculous paraphernalia? People don't pay to see red wine, they pay to see Elton John. I'm sorry, but you start singing, you go on stage and you do this, yeah, and my friends. I already started using that as a gif, that's really cool, it's about one of the things we have, the ideas we really played with in the movie, as it's a movie that reveals what was happening behind closed doors when someone was achieving apparent massive success.

We wanted to play with the idea that you have to take on a mask and take on a personality, so you know very often that at other times you'll see me in a mirror practicing my face game, yeah, it's all that jazz, it's Showtime. and that there we loved the idea that he can come out of such a vulnerable moment where he has to self-medicate to get through it, yes, and go out and give one hundred percent, which is who Elton is, you know, I think that's what what you should know I've put so much pressure on him and his body, you know, dolphins have beaks and they like energy and he evaluates himself.

The lows were very low, the highs were very high, the problem is that you have never understood me and what I have to go through and you know what. I have a section where you left me. I'm glad I left you, it means I can maintain some objectivity and you and those in the myopic little world, get in the studio, make music for yourself or not. I don't mind talking about heights.

flying

during this movie, thanks, which is pretty cool, hey, no, no, it's funny, it's one of the many things that just happened, we didn't plan it, it wasn't in the script, I went out and flew and then I put a amazing sequence and I'm glad you can add that you can fly well on your CV.

Eva I need it. She needs you to float too. at the keyboard we saw the story of Elton's life through his eyes, he's telling it through rehab and he's an addict and an unreliable narrator and he's randomly embellishing Jeannine's stuff in a more colorful way, so with the Troubadour and Dexter said this and I love the way you phrased it, he said, you know what it is and it came out so brilliantly well that it felt like everyone was flowing out of the ground or you know, at Dodger Stadium, it may have been the best concert of my life and it may have been a great triumph, but things were so dark offstage that I honestly felt like I was about to explode and shoot into the sky like a rocket and that's how we approached it, yeah, and I would have hated it if this would have been a straight biopic of and then this happened and then this happened because you need this help, you need it for the meaning, yeah, for my life, it'll be really good, I went to school, yeah, cool, me too, dude , yeah, a couple of people asked me, do you know who's going to play you in a biopic of your life? sighs who is it who is financing this who is getting the financing for this would be a pretty big name to sell the tickets.

I'll tell you absolutely true, yes, to say where you get the budget from, that is, they are all being eliminated, well, yes. I think Born will probably postpone a lot thank you, thank you Ali, it's so lovely to see you stop your day, thank you, thank you for watching, if you like it then watch these videos or you can listen to my podcast called radio on the screen oh. and don't forget to hit the subscribe button. Now you can get more Radio 1 in your life by downloading the BBC Sounds app or the BBC iPlayer app. Look for full versions of these interviews writing movies with Ali Plum.