The new holiday movie Carry-On has landed on Netflix, featuring Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek, a TSA agent who finds himself entangled in a blackmail scheme by a mysterious traveller portrayed by Jason Bateman. Egerton, famed for his roles in the Kingsman series and as Elton John in Rocketman, stars in this festive flick.
Helmed by director Jaume Collet-Serra, Egerton shared with Netflix: “When Jaume first approached me about the role, I told him I didn’t want to do something that felt like an archetypal action hero. Luckily, neither of us thought that’s what was exciting or interesting about Ethan.”
He added: “What we kept our eyes on was making sure that we made him feel as relatable and as normal as possible… whatever normal is in the extraordinary situation he’s in.”
The 35-year-old actor from Wales began his acting journey on stage before skyrocketing to fame as Eggsy in the Kingsman movies.
Despite being born in England, Egerton has two younger half-sisters and holds a deep connection to his Welsh roots. His parents separated when he was just two, leading him to relocate with his mother to Anglesey in Wales, reports the Manchester Evening News.
They moved again to Aberystwyth when he turned 12, a transition that Egerton found challenging, particularly due to the loneliness of leaving behind friends. In a candid conversation with the New York Times, he confessed: “I was quite cocky and quite confident, but that was to mask the insecurity I was feeling.”
It wasn’t until the age of 15 that he considered acting as a career. He explained: “It was as much about trying to be social and make friends as it was an interest in acting.”
Following his passion, Egerton enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2012. He’s since made West London his home base.
His personal life came into the limelight amid rumours regarding his sexuality. Clarifying the matter, he said to the Metro: “One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said ‘Look at this cutie’, and a million outlets reported I was coming out as gay.
“I’m not gay but two of my mates came out when I was 15 and it was a joy to support them because, as a group, we are all secure in who we are.”
In 2019, he opened up about his sexual identity saying, during his teenage years, he questioned whether he might be gay, causing internal turmoil.
Sharing with Attitude, he divulged: “When I was 14 or 15, I had a period of thinking I might be gay and I spoke to my mother about it.
“It was part of a period in my life where my mind was figuring things out. You question everything, there are hormones… It was a very real feeling to me and I was very panicked and upset about how I would be perceived.
“That is not the same as going through it for real but there is some understanding of what it might be like, and I remember feeling that accutely.”
Earlier this year, whispers were abound that he may be seeing Marvel actress Chloe Bennet, although none of these whispers have solidified into confirmation.
He was known to have parted ways with his long-term girlfriend, assistant director Emily Thomas, in April 2022.
Carry-On airs on Netflix on December 13