Taron Egerton describes ‘raw, electric’ gay sex scenes with Richard Madden
Taron Egerton ahead of the release of Rocketman. (Attitude)
Rocketman star Taron Egerton has talked candidly about filming gay sex scenes with Richard Madden for the upcoming Elton John biopic.
Madden stars in the film as John Reid, who was the singer’s manager for almost three decades and his boyfriend for five years.
The film documents the early days of their relationship including their first kiss, which Egerton described as “electric.”
“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,” he told Attitude.
“I treat it with the same love, care and affection I would as if it was my first experience of falling for somebody.”
Rocketman gay sex scene is ‘beautiful’
Later in the film, John is seen losing his virginity to Reid.
“We wanted to try to do that justice, and also at that point their relationship hasn’t broken down yet,” Egerton said.
Taron Egerton plays Elton John in Rocketman. (Attitude)
“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.
“I don’t really know how much further we could have gone.”
“We wanted to play it like two guys who are incredibly sexually attracted to each other.”
—Taron Egerton
In March, the film’s director Dexter Fletcher was forced to deny that the sex scene had been cut so that the film could achieve a lower age rating.
Taking to Twitter on March 22, he wrote: “Seeing much speculation about ROCKETMAN!! That’s good! It’s still unfinished so it’s nothing but rumours.”
Taron Egerton ‘proud’ to play Elton John
Egerton’s casting was met with some criticism when it was announced in April 2018, with many arguing that a gay actor should have portrayed John.
Addressing the controversy, Egerton said that he is “proud and privileged” play the singer, who came out as bisexual in 1976 and as gay in 1992—a year before he met his now-husband David Furnish.
“It’s easy for me to sit here as a white heterosexual man and say I should be able to play a part I want, but I completely understand why a gay actor would feel that this is an opportunity for which they would be better suited,” he said.
Taron Egerton on the cover of Attitude. (Attitude)
“The way I feel about it is that Elton asked me to play him in a movie about his life. I am proud and privileged to be playing this person who happens to be gay.
“And I want to live in a world where people are excited about playing people who are different from themselves, and I believe that there is something inclusive and progressive about that.”
Taron Egerton covers the June issue of Attitude magazine. Available in print and online from April 25.
