Actor Taron Egerton recently shared candid reflections on his physical transformations for film roles and his personal life during an appearance on the "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard" podcast. Egerton, 36, revealed that achieving a ripped physique for the "Kingsman" franchise made him feel "beautiful for the first time" and "invincible."
"I was in incredible shape for that movie. And it was the most, I felt, I think for the first time in my life, I felt really beautiful," Egerton said. "It was completely intoxicating. And I was like, Oh my God, I am ripped. I've got this jaw."
Egerton, who played Gary "Eggsy" Unwin in "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014) and "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017), has previously spoken about his body image, noting that he was a heavier teenager. His transformation for the films, which included shirtless scenes, contrasted sharply with his earlier physique.
However, Egerton admitted that after filming concluded, he experienced significant weight gain. "And when we finished the movie, I just went bang the other way and I gained so much weight. And that, that was really, really has been a feature of my adult life," he stated. He noted that while he has a better handle on it in his thirties, he felt less comfortable being "camera ready" throughout his twenties.
Egerton also discussed his role in the Netflix film "Apex," released in April, for which he said he "starved himself" to achieve a particular look. "Every day I punish myself for not looking like that. But the truth of the matter is that I starved myself. I was running myself absolutely ragged to get there," he confessed.
Family Insights
During the podcast, Egerton also offered a rare glimpse into his family life, detailing a strained relationship with his father, David. David Egerton, a musician and bed-and-breakfast owner, separated from Egerton's mother, Christine, when the actor was two years old. Egerton moved with his mother from Merseyside to Anglesey, Wales.
"So there was a point where I pushed the ejector seat and haven't seen him since," Egerton said, describing his relationship with his father as one that "doesn't work." He expressed a desire not to discuss the matter in excessive detail, stating, "I'll always love him. I just don't think we work very well in terms of our relationship."
In contrast to his relationship with his father, Egerton views his "Kingsman" co-star Colin Firth as a "fatherly figure." He recalled that during the filming of the "Kingsman" movies, director Matthew Vaughn once threatened to remove him from the production due to excessive partying following his first breakup. Egerton admitted that Firth offered support in a "fatherly" manner, describing him as "always kind of gentle and fatherly and understanding."
