Taron Egerton is the actor who most of us have seen in nice suits in the Kingsman franchise. But the English-born actor is gradually making quite an impressive filmography for himself with Rocketman and now Tetris, his upcoming project. It’s undeniable that the actor caused the most stir when he played Elton John in Rocketman (2019). While he received plenty of praise for the role, many were upset that a straight actor played a gay man. Now, Egerton has weighed in on the discourse and his opinion will make many raise their eyebrows.
Taron Egerton Weighs In On Straight Actors Playing Gay Characters
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Taron Egerton was asked about his thoughts regarding the discourse surrounding straight actors playing LGBTQ characters. The actor had faced backlash for being a straight actor and playing an openly gay man in Rocketman. However, Egerton said he wouldn’t change anything about the film. In fact, he mentioned that since he grew up in a liberal neighborhood so he never pondered about the discourse. As per Egerton:
“I grew up in a very liberal town, and a couple of my close friends are gay. I feel an affinity with that community. I don’t particularly feel that there should be a blanket rule about whether straight actors should play gay roles. That’s very easy for me to say as a straight man, but I think that’s possibly a precedent not worth setting.”
Egerton’s words aren’t going to resonate with everyone on the internet, but it’s a statement worth considering. After all, already the discourse has evolved and many are calling for LBGTQ actors to only play characters that match their sexuality spectrum. This will limit any openly LGBTQ actor from playing a variety of roles and stretching their acting muscles. Not to mention the fact that it will further alienate LGBTQ actors from an industry that already sidelines them. As Egerton expressed, these are not precedents worth setting.
Taron Egerton Talks About Playing James Bond
For months now, Taron Egerton’s name has come up as part of fan castings for the role of James Bond. However, the actor has refuted all such rumors. Egerton said that he hasn’t had any phone calls about the role and he also said that he doesn’t think that he’s the right actor for Bond. The actor said:
“I don’t think I’m the right choice for it. You have to be consistently statuesque to be that guy. And that’s something that I am still striving for. I’ve always struggled with my weight…It’s sort of irrelevant how I feel about it, anyway, because I can tell you there have been zero phone calls.”
In the interview, the actor confessed that he has struggled with his weight and even chose roles after taking into account the gym time he needed to do for them. As such, Marvel fans who have been hoping for Egerton to play Wolverine in the MCU should take the actor’s words into account. After all, the role of Wolverine requires serious gym time. It remains to be seen if Egerton can get into the big superhero franchise or not. Regardless, his acting future is one to look out for.
Tetris will be available on Apple TV+ from March 31, 2023.
Source: The Telegraph
