{"id":18079,"date":"2022-07-07T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T08:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1671086"},"modified":"2022-07-07T10:14:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-07T08:14:11","slug":"taron-egerton-talks-black-bird-ray-liotta-and-his-pivot-from-rocketman","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/taron-egerton-talks-black-bird-ray-liotta-and-his-pivot-from-rocketman\/","title":{"rendered":"Taron Egerton talks Black Bird, Ray Liotta and his \u2018pivot\u2019 from Rocketman"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 07 July 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Taron Egerton is used to playing the hero. Since his breakthrough performance as the unfortunately nicknamed \u2018Eggsy\u2019 in spy thriller Kingsman<\/a>, the actor has portrayed sporting underdog Eddie the Eagle<\/a>, music icon Sir Elton John and even Sherwood Forest\u2019s legendary protector Robin Hood. That\u2019s why it\u2019s surprising \u2013 and exciting \u2013 to see him take such a departure for his latest project, Apple TV+<\/a> crime drama Black Bird, where he plays convict Jimmy Keene.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was something I was aware of in making the decision to do this project,\u201d he tells RadioTimes.com<\/a> over Zoom. \u201cI\u2019ve played largely quite sympathetic, accessible people and that\u2019s lovely because it means you get to play people who are likeable and fun\u2026 But what I loved about this as an opportunity \u2013 and why I was so flattered that they asked me to do it \u2013 was it\u2019s not really something I\u2019ve done before. I read it and was thrilled they\u2019d offered it to me, but wondered why they\u2019d offered it to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose I felt there are authentic, tough East Coast guys, who you would think of, perhaps, first. But it was very thrilling to be able to do something especially that was such a pivot from Rocketman<\/a>, which was such a big event in my life and really did change my life. Obviously, I\u2019m very closely associated with that role and I\u2019m proud of that. But of course, as an actor, I selfishly \u2013 probably slightly narcissistically \u2013 want to do different things and show that I can flex different muscles.\u201d<\/p>

Inspired by his self-penned book In with the Devil<\/a>, Black Bird tells the story of how charming hustler Jimmy Keene is slapped with a 10-year prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine \u2013 and no chance of parole. On the outside, his father\u2019s health is fading fast, with the stress of seeing his son behind bars being a contributing factor. Desperate times call for desperate measures as Jimmy accepts a most unusual deal from authorities: transfer to a maximum security prison, gain the trust of a suspected serial killer and get him to disclose the location of an undiscovered body.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a high-stakes gambit; if successful, Jimmy\u2019s entire sentence would be expunged, making him a free man once more. But failure would mean, at best, a decade in a hellish institution for the criminally insane, and at worst, a nasty death at the hands of one of his fellow inmates. With nothing to lose, he takes those unfavourable odds and sets to work gaining the trust of Larry Hall; a soft-spoken man with such a reputation for lying that several police officers consider him a dim-witted eccentric. But could there be more to him than meets the eye? A mesmerising performance from Paul Walter Hauser keeps you guessing.<\/p>\n

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Paul Walter Hauser and Taron Egerton in Black Bird<\/span><\/figcaption> Apple TV+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cPaul has a tightrope to walk because you don\u2019t know what he\u2019s done,\u201d explains Egerton. \u201cHe\u2019s supposed to be somebody who could conceivably be threatening and menacing and terrifying, but also completely innocuous, and it\u2019s a hard thing to do. I think what Paul does beautifully \u2013 it\u2019s in the writing, but Paul does it amazingly \u2013 is he makes Larry this very childlike, at times quite clownish figure and it\u2019s really disconcerting to sit opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BAFTA-nominated actor continues: \u201cIt\u2019s a very disturbing performance. But what Paul understood is that the reason it\u2019s so disturbing is because there are times where you sympathise with him and that\u2019s an uncomfortable place to be as an audience member \u2013 and it\u2019s a really uncomfortable place for Jimmy to be. The story, I believe, really comes alive when they find common ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another superb screen partner in Black Bird is the late, great Ray Liotta, whose sudden passing in May<\/a> opened a floodgate of tributes honouring his career and character. Egerton is \u201cquite emotional\u201d about recalling their time together, in which they filmed several poignant scenes as on-screen father and son, describing it as the \u201cmost fully realised\u201d working relationship he has ever established with another cast member.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just clicked and we were very open and frank and candid with each other,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I think also just very excited about playing those roles. You know, as an actor, when you are presented with a piece of writing like the one that Dennis [Lehane, screenwriter] presented myself and Ray Liotta with, it\u2019s really galvanising and you just can\u2019t wait to bring it to life. Particularly when you get a scene partner like Ray, you really feel a sense of opportunity and a thrill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ray Liotta in Black Bird<\/span><\/figcaption> Apple TV+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

There\u2019s an admirable openness and eloquence in how Egerton discusses Liotta, whose tragic death aged 67 will surely still feel raw to those who knew him personally. Earlier in our conversation, the Black Bird star had mentioned that he\u2019s \u201cquite comfortable\u201d talking about his feelings, referring to it as a \u201cmillennial and modern\u201d mindset, which is a far cry from that which hyper-masculine Jimmy Keene demonstrates when we meet him at the beginning of this series. In this sense, the role pushed Egerton out of his comfort zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose for some, particularly men, the challenge is to get in touch with their feelings and [so] it\u2019s more challenging to play the kind of sensitive, introspective parts,\u201d he says. \u201cBut for me, it\u2019s actually a more interesting challenge to play someone who is maybe a little bit more repressed\u2026 and subscribing to a very old-fashioned idea of what it means to be a man. I loved this part because he\u2019s not the finished article at the beginning of the story. There\u2019s a lot of flaws in him.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the series progresses, Egerton hopes that viewers change their opinion on Jimmy, who is now living a very different, law-abiding life in Chicago, which allowed him to have some involvement in the development of this project. Billed as an executive producer here, Keene was kept informed throughout on how his story would be depicted in Black Bird, although Egerton admits that they didn\u2019t actually meet until towards the end of production. This was largely due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, but if Egerton had a choice, he probably wouldn\u2019t have done things differently.<\/p>\n