Taron Egerton made waves as Elton John in the movie Rocketman, and now, he continues to impress audiences in North America with his gripping performance as Jimmy Keene in Black Bird, the Apple TV+ original series based on a true story. While 32-year-old Egerton might only have recently become a household name outside of his home region of the U.K., he already has an impressive resume.
Some of his biggest roles have been voice ones, which means, while fans have heard him, they haven’t seen so much of him until now. Many people may recognize him as Eggsy from the Kingsman series, and his riveting performance in Black Bird has made viewers want to see more of him.
Legend (2015) - 61%
Stream On Netflix
The 2015 biographical crime thriller Legend also starred Tom Hardy and Paul Bettany. Set in the ‘60s, it was about Reggie Kray (Hardy), a former boxer who now works in the criminal underground world. Once he gets his twin brother Ron (also Hardy) released from a psychiatric hospital, the pair come together to control the dark underbelly of London.
Egerton only had a small role as Edward “Mad Teddy” Smith, a psychopathic gay man who people believe has had affairs with Ronnie. But his performance was convincing as he fully thrust himself into the role. Even though Legend was called “deeply flawed” by critics, it ranks among Egerton’s best roles as he was a stand-out among a star-studded cast, despite being a relative unknown at the time.
Sing (2016) - 71%
Stream On Fubo
Fans who joyfully watched Sing with kids (or even without) might not have realized that Egerton has a pretty major role. He voices Johnny, a teenage gorilla who really wants to pursue a life in music. However, his criminal father is pushing him to join his dirty dealings instead and become part of that family business.
A top-billed character in the movie, Egerton surprised when he actually sang in the movie himself, proving that he had some serious vocal talent. It was this realization and role that made him perfect actor to play the role of Elton John in Rocketman. Sing also stars Hollywood heavyweights like Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Cannavale, and Nick Kroll, who all plays characters that Johnny interacts with in different ways. Sing is the perfect movie to watch with the entire family, sing along to, and enjoy a new perspective knowing the face behind its voice of Johnny.
Sing 2 (2021) - 71%
Stream On Netflix
Not surprisingly, the sequel of this computer animated musical comedy film, Sing 2, also ranks among Egerton’s best. The story takes place after the events of the first movie. Egerton plays the same character of Johnny, but in the sequel, Johnny left the gang to pursue his passion of becoming a singer and pianist. This led to even more vocal dancing for Egerton, who might have only been the voice of a character, but showed how multi-talented he is with this movie.
One of his biggest moments in the movie is when Johnny finally earns the respect of Klaus Kickenklober, a proboscis monkey who teaches Johnny how to dance to complement his singing and develop a true performance. It’s no surprise Johnny is ranked one of the most likeable main characters on Sing 2, a testament to both the character and Egerton’s abilities to bring him to life.
Watership Down (2018) - 74%
Stream On Netflix
One of the more obscure titles on the list, this adult CGI-animated adventure fantasy drama aired on BBC back in 2018 and also streamed on Netflix. Based on the Richard Adams novel of the same name, Watership Down features the voices of some big Hollywood names, including James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Ben Kingsley, and Olivia Colman.
Egerton has a small part as the voice of El-Ahrairah, the prince known as the “prince with a thousand enemies.” He rules over rabbits, who have incredible gifts and talents, and Egerton's performance was commanding, engaging, and authoritative, despite working with actors who had been in the business far longer than him. There are some differences between the show Watership Down and the novel, but for the most part, the show was praised for being faithful to the original, and received decent reviews all around.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) - 75%
Stream On Sling
In this action spy comedy film, which serves as the first instalment in the Kingsman series based on the comics by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, Egerton has a starring role. He plays Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, a young man who is recruited into a secret spy organization. It was his performance in this 2014 film that really gave Egerton a moment to shine and let others see his captivating charm, humor, and promise as a leading man. Together, they are trying to tackle an evil villain named Richmond Valentine, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service gave Egerton the opportunity to show off not only his dramatic acting chops but also his great comedic timing. Once again, he found himself in great company, counting A-listers like Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine among his co-stars.
Eddie The Eagle (2016) - 81%
Rent On Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, & Redbox
Egerton had another starring role in this 2015 movie about the life of British skier Michael Edwards, who became the first person in six decades to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping when he competed in 1988. A biographical sports film, Eddie the Eagle was released in the U.S. in 2016 and received generally positive reviews.
The movie joins many others on Egerton’s resume that include high-profile Hollywood actors; in Eddie the Eagle, it was Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, and Jim Broadbent. At the time, Egerton was considered a rising star in the business, and while his performance was overshadowed by a brilliant one by Jackman, he played the character with honesty and heart, able to evoke emotions from those who watched. The performance was yet another that helped solidify his position as an actor worthy of leading a film.
Testament Of Youth (2014) - 84%
Stream On Starz
Another British film, Testament of Youth was released in 2014 and is set during the First World War. Based on Vera Brittain's memoir of the same name, the film follows a young woman Vera who, at the time, decided to abandon her studies at Oxford and join the fight as a war nurse.
Alicia Vikander starred as Brittain while Kit Harrington was Roland Leighton, a friend of her brother. Egerton’s character is Edward Brittain, Vera’s younger brother who is also attending Oxford with her. Egerton was able to transform himself into a man from another period, delivering a convincing performance as someone born decades before, living in an entirely different world. Dubbed a solid British period drama and lauded for the cast, Testament of Youth also stars Emily Watson, Hayley Atwell, Dominic West, and Belfast’s Colin Morgan. The movie ranks among Kit Harington’s best movies & TV shows as well.
The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (2019) - 88%
Stream On Netflix
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a fantasy series jointly produced by Netflix and The Jim Henson Company. The main characters are Rian, Deet, and Brea, three Gelfings trying to unite the various Gelfing clans, so they can work together to fight the Skeksis villain and protect their planet from destruction.
Serving as a prequel to the 1982 movie The Dark Crystal, the series only lasted a single season after premiering in 2019. As the voice of the puppet Rian, Egerton perfectly captured the character's fierceness, recklessness, and sometimes, immaturity. Anya Taylor-Joy was Brea and Nathalie Emmanuel was Deet. The series also featured the vocal talents of Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Helena Bonham-Carter.
Rocketman (2018) - 89%
Rent On Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, & On Demand
The movie that put Egerton on the map as a bona fide A-lister, Rocketman is a biographical musical drama about the life and career of British icon Elton John. Egerton played the eccentric, unapologetic, flamboyant musician in the 2019 movie, touching on everything from his battle with drugs and addiction to his troubled family life and strained personal relationships along with his rise above and recognition as one of the musical greats.
Along with the music and costume design, thanks to the best outfits on Rocketman, Egerton’s performance was universally praised by critics and fans, alike. Egerton received numerous awards nominations for the role and won the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Black Bird (2022) - 98%
Stream On AppleTV+
With plenty of Emmy buzz for the Apple TV+ streaming service (eligible for 2023 based on the release date), Black Bird has received praise both for its story and performances by the leads, which include Egerton along with Paul Walter Hauser and Greg Kinnear. Based on a true story, Egerton plays Jimmy Keene, a one-time football superstar who falls into the criminal world of drug dealing. After receiving a 10-year prison sentence, he is given the opportunity of a lifetime: transfer to a maximum security prison and coax a confession out a suspected serial killer before he is released, and Keene’s entire sentence will be commuted.
Keene was chosen for the assignment because of his charm and likeability, able to get just about anyone to open up to him. Egerton plays the role beautifully as a hardened man who finds himself racing against a clock to both befriend and potentially stop a disturbed killer and save himself from the dangers of being in a prison for the criminally insane.