Young Gun

Taron Egerton on sequels, muscles and Bond

Were you always confident you were going to get a sequel?

I have unwavering faith in Mr Vaughn. I think he’s a freak of nature in the nicest possible way. He knows exactly what he’s trying to create, and he’s uncompromising and tenacious in his pursuit of it. He wanted a sequel. Kingsman was an origin story and there was a justified question about what happens next. That, and the prospect of making hundreds of millions of dollars, is a good reason to make a sequel. It doesn’t work when it’s just about the making hundreds of millions of dollars…

You had to hit the gym again. Could you ever be one of those action stars that has to be permanently match-fit?

That wouldn’t be a life well led. The more traditional actor in me doesn’t want to play people who look like they’ve spent lots of time in the gym. It’s a great joy to play the hero but I want to straddle that with playing as much of the everyman as I’m able to.

Every actor in Britain seems to be in contention for James Bond. Fancy it?

I genuinely really haven’t thought about it. It would be a very odd thing for me to do, having been something like a parody to him. I don’t know that they’re ever going to call me up for that. But that is the gig, and I don’t think any actor would bat it away lightly. I’m enjoying the spy I’m playing at the moment, though!