Taron Egertonhas madean impressive careerwith films likeKingsman: The Secret Serviceand the upcoming Netflix filmCarry-On, which arrives on the platform at the end of this year. In one of his most iconic roles, Egerton played famed singer Elton John in the Oscar-winning biopicRocketman. Three years before that, viewers could witness Egerton demonstrate his musical talents in the 2016 animated movieSing.
Sing was created by Illumination, the animation studio that found success with films includingDespicable Me,The Lorax, andThe Secret Life of Pets. Just likeRocketman,Singfalls into the category of a jukebox musical, which means it’s composed of new renditions of previously-made songs performed by the actors. Even alongside other vocal talents such as Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton’s performance was a highlight of the film, demonstrating how he became the perfect choice to play Elton John three years later.
What Is Taron Egerton’s Role in Sing?
InSing, Taron Egerton’s character, a gorilla named Johnny, can often be found singing in smooth tune on the street. The character’s introduction shows him singing “The Way I Feel Inside,” an emotional song about the singer’s hidden feelings, originally by The Zombies. Johnny is quickly interrupted by his father, Big Daddy, who has just committed a robbery with his gang. There is a war inside Johnny’s heart. His passion is singing, but he’s afraid giving up music for crime would disappoint his father. With Egerton’s talent for singing, it’s clear to the audience that Johnny needs to pursue his passion.
Local theater manager Buster Moon (a Koala voiced by Matthew McConaughey) is trying to save his theater. He decides to put on a talent show, promising prize money and inviting animals from across the city to audition in hopes of getting their big break. Johnny auditions with a brief but beautiful rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” that wows Buster and earns Johnny a spot in the show. Buster wants Johnny to perform John Legend’s “All of Me,” but Johnny doesn’t have enough focus to play the piano properly, though Egerton’s singing is still excellent.
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While going back and forth between helping his father and rehearsals, Johnny gets stuck in traffic and is unable to pick his father up from a big heist, leading to Big Daddy’s arrest. Having disappointed his father, Johnny debates stealing the talent show’s prize money to bail his father out, but finds a note praising Johnny’s singing, and it inspires Johnny to stay on the talent show. It’s also a reminder to the audience that Taron Egerton’s musical performances in this role are impeccable.
After the theater is flooded, Johnny and the other animals put on an outdoor concert instead of the talent show, which attracts the local news. Big Daddy sees Johnny performing on the prison TV, and withJohnny having Taron Egerton’s level of talent, it’s clear to Big Daddy that his son was meant to sing. Big Daddy breaks out of jail and goes to the talent show to make amends in a heartwarming conclusion to the film.
Rocketmantells the story of musician Elton John’s lifein musical fashion. The movie recaps his struggles with substance abuse and his life as a gay man, with songs helping to move the plot forward. Egerton plays Elton John in the biopic after having acted alongside the singer inKingsman: The Golden Circlein 2017. Before that, Egerton had another connection to the singer.
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InSing, Taron Egerton’s big song for the final concert is “I’m Still Standing,” originally by Elton John. Egerton sings the same song at the end ofRocketman. The version heard inSingis closer to the original, whereas the version inRocketmanbegins as a slow ballad before transiting to the up-tempo style of the original. In bothSingandRocketman, Taron Egerton’s character disappoints his parents but learns to accept himself and sings “I’m Still Standing” as a triumphant conclusion.
Many of Egerton’s previous roles helped him land the part inRocketman, beating out other names including Tom Hardy. Egerton had worked with the film’s director Dexter Fletcher onEddie the Eagle, and he worked withRocketmanproducer Matthew Vaughn on theKingsmanfilms. However, it was Egerton’s performance of “I’m Still Standing” inSingthat helped sell Elton John on the star’s potential. “John and [his spouse David] Furnish were on the fence because they had Tom Hardy attached, but when they heard Taron sing, it was like a no brainer,” Matthew Vaughn recounted toThe Hollywood Reporter.ForRocketman, Egerton even got to sing with Elton John in the film’s original, Oscar-winning song, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.”
Viewers who want to hear even more of Egerton’s singing can find him inSing’s sequel,Sing 2, where he performs songs including “There’s Nothing Holdin' Me Back” and “A Sky Full of Stars.” Egerton also appears in two spin-off shorts,Come HomeandSing: Thriller.Sing: Thrillerfeatures many ofSing’s original characters singing along to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
