Rocketman has already had a very solid start at the UK box office, and is out in the US this weekend. It had its very first outing at the Cannes Film Festival, where Egerton was seen in tears at the huge standing ovation it received. But in an interview on US TV with Jimmy Kimmel, he said that it was actually Elton’s reaction to the movie that had made him emotional in the first place.
He told Kimmel that he was sat between Bernie Taupin and Elton; and he (Egerton) and director Dexter Fletcher were nervously monitoring their reactions.
“We watched the whole movie at this [sideways] kind of angle, to try and ascertain if he approved of it.
“He’d seen bits, rushes, dailies, and the trailer but not the whole movie.
“It was the first time I’d seen it with all the VFX and everything.”
MORE: ROCKETMAN STAR REVEALS DIFFICULT SCENE TO FILM
He went on: “To see him watch the scene in which they [Elton and Bernie] meet, and grab each-other on the knee…
“And then about fifteen minutes from the end, he absolutely broke down. He was blubbing.
“And then the lights come up and I’m very moved – because Elton is moved.
“But Elton, because he’s an old pro, has managed to get himself look immaculate again, whereas I am just melting with all these cameras on me!”
Egerton had said in a previous movie that he didn’t truly appreciate how difficult the iconic musician’s past was until he got to work on the movie.
He told CNN: “”I knew he’d had his fair share of troubles [that] he had problems with substances and all of that, but I didn’t really appreciate how difficult his upbringing had been.
“Of course there are elements to our story – Elton said in an article recently not every fact in this movie is true – but it is the truth and I love that.
“I think it perfectly encapsulates what we tried to do, it’s about capturing the spirit of him.”
Rocketman is out now.