Taron Egerton WANTS that Oscar nomination
Monday, January 6, 2020 at 12:07PM by Ben Miller
Elton & Taron at another ROCKETMAN screening
There’s long been an awards season cliché along the lines of 'I didn’t expect this and I’m so grateful to the Academy for the recognition.' Let’s not kid ourselves, some talent understands the process of what it takes to get an Oscar nomination. That includes schmoozing with Academy members, attending press junkets and sitting on every late-night couch you can find.
No one understands this better in the current season than Taron Egerton.
Following his Golden Globes victory on Sunday night for the Elton John biopic Rocketman, Egerton is well poised to snag one of the Best Actor slots precisely because he has done the work and put himself in front of the most faces in the lead up to the Oscar nominations...
The Two BEST ACTORS from the GlobesEgerton has a lot of pros on his side. First, he’s playing a well-known real-life figure, with whom he is constantly around this entire awards season (Sir Elton is also looking for an Oscar nomination/win this year). Second, he has presented himself as nothing if not charming, gregarious, and pleasant at these events; you never hear stories about how he seems above it all or is going through the motions. He'll gladly pose for photos and shake hands. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome.
The man puts in the work. Rocketman came out in May, but he has been striving to stay in the consciousness since then. In October, Egerton and Sir Elton performed “Rocketman: Live in Concert” together in LA. The night before the Globes, there was another Rocketman junket for the BAFTAs. Do a quick Google search on 'Taron Egerton'. Every news piece before last night was talking about the film, his relationship with Sir Elton, the singing, the effort. In short, he kept himself in the conversation.
Last but not least, and the best thing he might have going for him? It was a great performance, featuring his actual vocals and a considerable deviation from his usual screen persona. It’s a performance you can be happy with nominating, and not one that mails in mannerisms of a usual biopic emulation.
On nomination morning, when you see Egerton’s name in the five Best Actor finalists, just know that he didn’t get there without a considerable amount of effort. You can’t fault a guy for trying.
Reader Comments (33)
Considering it's light-years ahead in quality than what won the Oscar last year, he should be a no-brainer really. But it's certainly a stacked year. Hope he makes it.
It’s amazing that he’s considered in the 2nd tier for this category when he’s leaps and bounds better than the actual WINNER of last year. Sigh
His thirst has been exhausting to watch. It would’ve been excruciating had he not seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
He was fine in Rocketman; not nomination worthy but Best Actor has seen far, far worse nominations, I suppose.
Overall I wasn't crazy about the movie but Egerton did a terrific job and he would absolutely deserve a Best Actor nom. I think the main thing he's up against is that it's such a competitive year in his category.
In the last 10 years only 3 actors have missed an Oscar nomination after them winning this award Downey Jr in 2009 was never going to happen,Paul Giamatti for a film few saw and Franco for his apparent on set bad behaviour so maybe he will get in.
I'm not being silly, but he could win? He missed the BFCA lineup but if Driver wins that, then SAG will be decisive. And I'm sure we can count on BAFTA to throw some love Taron's way.
It's a stretch but I wouldn't rule it out. And I do think he's gonna get the nomination.
Please, Goddess, give me Egerton and Banderas on nomination morning! (And Ronan, Nyong'o, Pugh, Gerwig and Little Women, pretty please!)
With a Globe win and a SAG nom in a music biopic that almost grossed 100 millions....why would he not be in everyone's top 5 at this point?
Well, he deserves the nomination!
My ideal list of nominees for Best Actor :
Antonio Banderas
Leonardo DiCaprio
Adam Driver
Taron Egerton
Joaquin Phoenix
Hot take: Taron Egerton will lead Rocketman to a Best Picture nomination, and Jamie Bell will get a shocking-but-not-too-shocking Best Supporting Actor nomination.
I hope he gets nominated. And if he is, BFCA will be so pisssed by not having him as nominee when they have 7 people nominated..lol. I would like to see that!
I liked him well enough in Rocketman. He was better than last year’s winner for sure and he seems decent. But I can’t really root for him to get in when performances from Banderas and Sandler and De Niro are skirting around the edges of this category when most other years they’d be favoured to win
@Erick That would be my ideal as well
Antonio Banderas
Leonardo DiCaprio
Adam Driver
Taron Egerton
Joaquin Phoenix
I’ll be happy for him if he gets the nomination, but isn’t he doing the same thing that made people turn on Eddie Redmayne (before The Danish Girl)?
Would be nominated in a weak year, not this current year.
I’m definitely starting to believe he’ll be nominated. I was doubting his chances for a long time, but it’s looking more and more likely. I just hope that doesn’t mean Antonio Banderas gets left out. I’m currently guessing Bale will be the one from the SAG lineup who gets left out, but I suppose it could be Leo too. Weird that Taron Egerton appears to be in third place in the Best Actor race right now.
Other things made people turn on Redmayne, as I recall.
I think Eddie won one before Danish Girl so maybe it seemed desperate!?
It's a stacked year, but I won't be mad if he was nominated. Personally, I would go with Adam Driver, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and Robert Pattinson. Even though I detested Joker, I think Joaquin Phoenix would also be deserving of a nomination, along with Taron Egerton, Christian Bale, Mark Ruffalo and Noah Jupe. If only some of these films had come out last year we may have avoided the Bohemian Rhapsody debacle.
I have a feeling people turned on Eddie as seemed a bit to pleased with himself whilst coming over all "oh shucks little ole me".
All I cared Banderas and Adam sandler gets in. DiCaprio, Bale does not need another nomination.
All I'll say is, if Rami Malek won last year for a decent, but entirely surface-level performance and lip-synching to Freddie Mercury tracks, then Taron Egerton should at least be nominated for actually digging deep into Elton John and doing his own singing.
How do you know when an actor/actress is heavily campaigning? How do you keep track of something like that?
guestguestguest - i am secretly hoping to hear Jamie Bell's name as well :) so glad to said that!!!
For sure Egerton is going to get an Oscar nom.
I say more: if not for Great Phoenix, he should win.
Great performance, brilliant and so much better than certain Mercury Malek and Charles Fox.
I have no problem with Taron’s win, but I hope it doesn’t hurt Leo’s chances. He was my favorite part of OUATIH but is getting no credit for his performance anywhere.
I agreed Taron seems in a v secure position now, definitely ahead o DeNiro, Banderas, Bales n maybe even Leo!! 😂
Truth is he did a gr8 job as Elton John n an even betta job keeping his performance in conversation! I see notink wrong w tt. Every actor is ultimately in this game to get recognized n win! They will b lying if they said or act otherwise.
Even the reclusive K Hepburn was quite hung up n proud o her wins, even thot she never once turn up for her 12 noms. 😁
Maybe only Garbo never truly care abt the Oscar.
Egerton gave a great performance as Elton and deserves an Oscar nomination
Hopefully he takes Sandler's would-be undeserved spot. Or DeNiro's.
Is he handsome? At least by Hollywood standards he looks rather ordinary and boring.
His desperation is becoming embarrassing to watch. Let's not kid ourselves, any actress who behaved the way he did would be absolutely slaughtered.
It will be interesting to see if this strategy works as well on the Academy as it did on the HFPA. Egerton got in at BAFTA, which is no surprise given that he's a Brit in a Brit film and a previous Rising Star nominee, and at SAG. He missed out on Critics Choice, but as has been pointed out it's unusual for the Globes Comedy/Musical winner to miss out on an Oscar nom. I'd put him in 4th place, possibly 3rd now that he beat Leo.
Personally I thought Malek was much better, though, so I'm relieved a win doesn't look likely. Egerton's desperate campaigning hasn't made me like him that much. Isn't he bored of talking about this movie by now?
AND SO HE SHOULD ! Make them remember its about the whole of 2019 - he was the frontrunner from beginning 2019 ... and slowly faded - good that he's doing the work ! He deserves it without sitting on all he couches !