Star of Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service Taron Egerton discusses what it was like to work with acting legends Michael Caine, Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson.
“He has a great sense of humour, and he can be quite cheeky, and it wasn’t long before we were taking the mick out of each other.”
At the moment, few people will be aware of Taron Egerton, a young actor who graduated from RADA in 2012. Soon, though, that will change when he appears as the rough and ready Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin in Matthew Vaughn’s forthcoming project, Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Based on Mark Millar’s graphic novel The Secret Service, and adapted by British screenwriter Jane Goldman, Kingsman sees Colin Firth star as Harry Hart, a suited and booted super spy, who belongs to a secret guild of modern day knights-cum-super-spies, tasked with protecting the world. Hart takes pity on a young boy from a South London estate, who happens to be the son of a man who saved Hart’s life. Hoping to correct Eggsy’s errant ways, Hart puts him into the organisation’s training program, where he will learn all he needs to become the world’s best. The problem? Eggsy has never been one to take advice.
We sat down with Egerton, who reveals how Colin Firth took him under his wing, what it was like to work with Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine, plus the physical and mental challenges of the role.
Film3Sixty: This is your first film, and it is a big project with an A-list cast; how easy is it for you to process that you are starring in a film, in the lead with talent such as Colin Firth?
Taron Egerton: You can’t really process it. There were so many things that happened on set that you couldn’t prepare for, such as walking in and seeing these beautiful, detailed sets, with props and weapons, and you are just constantly reminded of how big a deal it is. It is like trying to think of infinity, you just can’t quite grasp the scale. You just have to sit down and have a cup of tea and try to get on with it. Also, I have only met a handful of movie stars, and the ones that I worked with on this film I was very lucky to have, because they were so down to earth. I could tell that they were all making an effort to make me feel relaxed and I am very grateful for that.
ENTER OUR MARK MILLAR AND KINGSMAN COMPETITION HERE
F3S: What was your reaction to the story when you first read the script?
TE: It immediately felt fresh to me, and I thought I had never seen anything like it before. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t the case that I was sitting down mulling over whether I would be doing the project or not, as soon as I heard about it I knew it was a dream role. There is the one thing that it is a great script, with these beautifully drawn characters, but then there is another element to Kingsman that you don’t get with many films. I remember going to get fitted for this beautiful suit, and then all the hair and make-up, and seeing all those little details from the mind of Matthew Vaughn come to life. There was an immediate sense from the production and the script that there isn’t anything quite like this out there, and certainly not done in such a character-driven way.
F3S: Are you a comic book or graphic novel fan?
TE: I remember buying compendiums in bookshops when I was younger, and I distinctly remember buying the Mark Millar adaptation of the Fantastic Four. I have always loved comic book movies. With our film, I would say that it is more rooted in reality, but there is definitely a super-human element to it all where people are performing actions that you probably couldn’t do in reality.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE COOKSON.
F3S: Matthew Vaughn likes to pick unknown actors. How was the dynamic between the new, younger cast and the older, well-established actors? Was there a mentoring at all?
TE: Certainly, Michael and Samuel came and went during filming, but when they were there they always provided encouragement and words of advice. There was a very easy, affable atmosphere where they made it easy for me to relax. I worked with Colin a great deal more, and he really did guide me through the whole thing, which he didn’t need to do, and he went above and beyond, making sure not only that we had a good working relationship but also he made a genuine effort to be my friend and support me in all things that were happening in my life at the time of filming. He was really great, and when there was a week where he was away, but I was still shooting, he would often send a text just making sure that I was ok and that it was all happy. He has a great sense of humour, and he can be quite cheeky, and it wasn’t long before we were taking the mick out of each other. He was a joy to work with.
