Taron Egerton has spoken out about the ongoing speculation that he could be the next James Bond, confessing his fears about stepping into the iconic role. The 33-year-old actor, who rose to fame with the Kingsman series and portrayed Elton John in Rocketman, is currently priced at 33-1 to succeed Daniel Craig as 007.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Egerton admitted he does not think he is the right choice for the part. “You have to be consistently statuesque to be that guy,” he said. “And that’s something that I am still striving for. I’ve always struggled with my weight.” The actor revealed he often calculates how much gym time would be required if he were offered the role.
Egerton also highlighted the long-term commitment involved in playing Bond, noting that producers have described it as a 15-year commitment. “It’s sort of irrelevant how I feel about it, anyway, because I can tell you there have been zero phone calls,” he added.
Despite ruling himself out for the Bond role, Egerton is positive about returning as Eggsy in Kingsman 3. He and director Matthew Vaughn have “very strong opinions” on the direction of the sequel. Egerton said the key question is: “if Eggsy was the recruit at 22, who is he at 35? What have those 13 years done to him?”
Meanwhile, Vaughn is currently working on his new spy film Argylle, starring Henry Cavill – who is joint frontrunner with Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the Bond role at odds of 5-2.
