Taron Egerton

Taron David Egerton was born on 10 November 1989 in Birkenhead, Merseyside, to parents from nearby Liverpool. His grandmother is Welsh.[6] He has two younger sisters.[7] His first name is a variation of taran, which means 'thunder' in Welsh. His father is a musician who used to run a bed-and-breakfast, and his mother is a social worker.[8] His parents divorced when he was very young, and from then on he lived with his mother. He then moved with her to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll on the Welsh island of Anglesey, where he went to primary school.[6]

Egerton moved to Aberystwyth when he was 12. As a child, he had an interest in animation and making sculptures as well as drawing. He began acting at the age of 15 after his friend convinced him to do a youth theatre programme. He says he was the "class clown" and acting seemed to be a better use of that energy. He attended Ysgol Penglais School before he went on to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in acting in 2012.[9] While there, he received the Stephen Sondheim Society's Student of the Year Award in 2011.

Egerton at the 2018 Global Education and Skills Forum

Although born in England with only one Welsh grandparent, Egerton considers himself to be Welsh "through and through" and is bilingual, speaking both Welsh and English.[6][19]

Egerton has stated that he finds an "umbrella in the rain" type of romance better than the dating app experience common to his generation, stating: "Actually, I have asked a girl out Kamikaze-style. I stopped her on the Tube and said, 'I think you're gorgeous, I think we should go for a drink some time.' It's terrifying, but ultimately so much more rewarding." He later took half a day off from drama school to go on a date with her.[20]

Egerton has spoken in favour of activist causes. In 2015, he responded to a question asked of a female co-star about misogyny: "I don't think things are changing fast enough—but you didn't seem to want to ask me that. It's not just a question for the women."[21] He has also addressed his privilege as a white actor in Hollywood: "I'm the epitome of an actor who walks into a room and has the upper hand just because I'm a mid-twenties Caucasian male. How frustrating must the industry be for a person of colour?"[22] Egerton has shown support for the LGBT community as well, stating in an interview about his performance in Rocketman, "Elton John's a gay icon. And who are we, as frankly heterosexual filmmakers, to not put that element of his story? How dare we. And that's not what we did."[23] Having lost a grandmother to motor neuron disease, Egerton is also an ambassador for the MND Association.[24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taron Egerton.

• Taron Egerton on IMDb 
• Taron Egerton at Rotten Tomatoes