Looks like Mr Wolverine has found himself a new cub to take under his, well, wing.
Australian star Hugh Jackman was full of praise for his latest co-star, Welsh actor Taron Egerton, 26. “For a young actor, he is very assured of himself,” said the 47-year-old during an interview with M.
“He knew how he wanted to play the role… I think it has taken me longer, certainly, to have that kind of confidence that he has.”
That role is that of Eddie Edwards, the protagonist in the pair’s new movie, Eddie The Eagle, which opens here tomorrow.
It is a feel-good sports biopic about the tenacious but relatively talentless Edwards who, despite his lack of experience or ability, represented the UK in ski jumping during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
Although Egerton’s character is based on a real person, Jackman’s character – Bronson Peary, a drunk ski resort maintenance man who was once a ski jumping prodigy – is entirely fictional.
Edwards manages to persuade Peary to teach him how to ski jump and the unlikely pair manage to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
Speaking to The New Paper this month at the Four Seasons hotel in Seoul, where they were promoting Eddie The Eagle, Jackman and English director Dexter Fletcher could not stop gushing about their young colleague Egerton.
“He is smart, he asks a lot of questions and he is fully aware of what he wants as a person,” said Fletcher, 50.
Egerton’s breakout role was in 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, opposite Colin Firth.
“I’m impressed with the choices he is making. I’m sure after Kingsman, he had 20 other scripts like Kingsman and he chose Eddie,” added Jackman.
Pulling off Edwards meant that Egerton had to disappear behind a messy fake orange beard and hold an underbite throughout the movie.
“And he pulled it off so well. Kudos to him,” praised Jackman, who said he was attracted to Eddie The Eagle for its uplifting message.
“I love that the movie isn’t cynical and it’s the type (of movie) that my children would be seeing,” said the father of two adopted children aged 15 and 10.
“It’s a movie whose theme is, ‘You don’t have to win to be a winner.'”
POKE FUN
During a separate 15-minute press conference, the bond the duo had developed during filming was on open display, as they freely cracked self-deprecating jokes and poked fun at each other.
For example, when asked if they are able to switch roles, Egerton asked sarcastically: “Can you even be that goofy?”
Before Jackman could retort, Egerton quickly said: “Yeah, you probably could.”
Both credit their chemistry to Fletcher, who created a warm, “fun” atmosphere.
Egerton said that getting his portrayal approved by the real Eddie Edwards was a relief.
“I watched the movie for the first time with him and that was totally terrifying,” he said. “Thankfully, he is a big fan of the film.”
maazman@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 30, 2016.
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