I'm usually skeptical about the castings in biopics. Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla? Just fine (though the Mexicans beg to disagree!). Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe? A for Effort. Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury? Convincing but Oscar-worthy? I don't think so.
In all of the movies that depict real-life people, only two really resonated well with me. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and Taron Egerton as a young Elton John. The latter was simply divine in "Rocketman!" It may have helped a lot that he's become good friends with the big man himself.
To this day, I still get chills listening to the movie's soundtrack. While John's voice is deeper, Egerton got his timber and range just right. And in the film, his sort of campiness wasn't over-the-top, even despite the costumes he got to wear. I've long been a fan of Elton John, so Egerton's performance was crucial to me. Thank God he pulled it off. Academy, if you're going to award another Oscar to a biopic actor, no one deserves it more than Taron Egerton as Elton John. At the very least, nominate the guy!
I had the privilege of meeting the young Welsh actor when the movie premiered in Hollywood. Having not seen the movie then. I thought nothing of it. In fact, I may have been rather stoic when I met him only because I was nervous about how he'll portray my favorite singer in the world on the big screen. At least, he was a cool guy. He signed all of my copies of the movie poster and took a selfie with my niece. At that moment, I just thought he'd be another matinee idol Hollywood has seen the likes of in years. Boy was I wrong!
Not only did he do well, he shattered my expectations! He really was Elton John in that movie! His demeanor, his voice, his emotions. Having followed the music icon for many years, I recognized my idol in him on the big screen! I got so emotional that, I kid you not, I teared up a little.
I like to be proven wrong from time to time about my first impression on young up and coming actors. I’ve never been so grateful that I was wrong with this one!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
