Taron Egerton gets candid about shooting intimate scenes with Richard Madden in ‘Rocketman’
The two actors portray Elton John and his first love John Reid in the eagerly-anticipated musical biopic.
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Taron Egerton opens up about shooting a naked scene with Richard Madden for Rocketman.
The new biopic – which will hit UK cinemas on May 22 – follows the life of one of the most iconic gay singers, Sir Elton John, and his drink and drug addiction as well as coming to terms with his sexuality.
In the film, which has been helmed by Dexter Fletcher – who also directed Bohemian Rhapsody following Bryan Singer’s firing – we see Egerton take on the role of Elton alongside Bodyguard star Madden as Elton’s first male love John Reid.
And while speaking to Attitude’s June issue – available to download and to order globally now – Egerton gets candid about the intimate sex scenes where the two actors are naked in bed together.
Taron Egerton, shot by Damon Baker at ADB Agency exclusively for Attitude’s June issue
“I felt Richard’s penis… On my leg,” he tells Attitude. “We shot a scene where we are both naked on a bed and we are rolling around. I don’t really know how much further we could have gone.
“In the script, this is the scene of Elton losing his virginity and we wanted to try to do that justice, and also at that point their relationship hasn’t broken down yet.
“They were falling in love and it’s beautiful because it should be. We didn’t want to play like they were a couple who were eventually going to fall apart, we wanted to play it like two guys in their early twenties who are falling in love and who are incredibly sexually attracted to each other.”
Last month, rumours surfaced that Paramount Studios were pushing for the sex scene where Egerton and Madden are seen naked in bed together to be cut from the final film but Fletcher denied the rumours.
In Attitude’s interview – which is the first gay publication Egerton has spoken to about the film – the actor admits he treated kissing Madden with ‘love, care and affection’ because it was the moment Elton knew he had fallen for Reid.
Photography: Damon Baker at ADB Agency
Egerton continues: “The rawness of that experience, the fear of that experience, but also the joy of the experience of Elton’s first kiss… it’s electric, it’s exciting, your stomach is doing somersaults.
“I treat it with the same love, care and affection I would as if it was my first experience of falling for somebody.”
Read Egerton’s full interview in Attitude’s June issue – out now.
Buy now and take advantage of our best-ever subscription offers: three issues for £3 in print, 13 issues for £19.99 to download to any device.
