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Taron Egerton is back in leading man status in Carry-On. The 35-year-old actor burst onto the scene in 2015 thanks to his breakout role in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service and has elevated himself to A-List status in the decade since. Egerton has held starring roles in critically-acclaimed projects like Tetris and Black Bird while also flexing his vocal talents in Sing and Rocketman.
In Carry-On's cast, Egerton plays Ethan Kopek, a complacent TSA agent frustrated with the current trajectory of his career. In a last-ditch effort to improve his standing with his employer, Ethan goes above and beyond on Christmas Eve, which just so happens to be the day that he receives an early stocking stuffer of blackmail. Acting opposite Jason Bateman's mysterious traveler, Ethan's livelihood is threatened in order to get a dangerous bag through security.
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In celebration of Carry-On's streaming premiere on Netflix, ScreenRant spoke with Egerton to discuss the action-thriller, showcasing his TSA knowledge after playing Ethan, analyzing how working with just Bateman's voice impacted his performance, and how the future of the Kingsman franchise may not be as dim as 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell recently indicated.
Taron Egerton Plays "Checked Bag Or Carry-On"
The Welsh Actor Retained Much TSA Knowledge
ScreenRant: I made a little game for you. It's called checked bag or carry-on. I'm going to give you some Christmas-themed items. You're going to tell me if they go in a checked bag or a carry-on.
Taron Egerton: Let's do it.
First item: a glass Christmas tree ornament.
Taron Egerton: Wow, that's hard. I think it totally depends. I think if it's a very important gift for somebody that you don't want to see broken or in any way damaged, I think you should take it as a carry-on because it probably deserves to be cradled and nurtured. But I would also say that there is a very, very, very, very valid technique where you wrap particularly cushioned sweaters and things around an item like that and hope for the best.
There's also an element of risk and gamble with that. If you are that way inclined, it can feel quite exhilarating, but, be warned, it's also high risk. You could end up with shards of broken glass. If it's a receptacle that has fluid in it, that's absolutely on you. The options are there for both. I think for me, presuming the sentimental value, or it's a gift for somebody that I don't want to damage, I would take it as a carry-on.
I can tell you learned a lot from this film. That was a very thorough answer. I have got one more for you: four ounces of eggnog.
Taron Egerton: Eggnog, I don't think I've ever tried. Four ounces would be the limit for carrying on liquids, is that right?
It's double the limit. I was trying to trick you there.
Taron Egerton: It's double the limit! So I don't know that metric because I'm from the UK. Unless you want to get arrested or in trouble, I would probably say not taking the four ounces of eggnog. You could secrete that in your luggage. And again, the same method applies. I think it's a universal method, the one of wrapping the sweaters around that I described to you earlier. Wrap that around the eggnog and hope for the best.
Acting Opposite Just Jason Bateman's Voice Was "A Real Challenge"
"He did a couple of days with me where he actually provided the voice, and he was there recording live with me..."
Let's get into the film specifically. I love what goes on between your character and Jason Bateman's Traveler. Something I find so fascinating is we, as the audience members, are watching this film and hearing Jason Bateman's voice illuminating the screen. You're not acting opposite him. I don't even know where you're getting his lines coming from. For you as an actor, how does your performance change when the person you're sharing most of your screen time with is just a voice?
Taron Egerton: Yeah, it's really interesting. Jason was amazing. He did a couple of days with me where he actually provided the voice, and he was there recording live with me, and that was a real luxury. The rest of the time I recorded it with an actor.
Part of why I wanted to do the movie, one of many reasons I wanted to do the movie, was that it's a real challenge. So much of the film, I think the first 50, 60 pages is me being kind of sat at a monitor, not really interacting with anything other than this voice. I think the script is so strong in terms of setting up the intrigue and the tension that I didn't really have too many fears around it. Obviously, there are these little moments where he attempts to kind of break free and get a message out that he's in this situation.
Egerton Is Holding Out Hope For Kingsman 3
I feel like some of those smarts that you get from Ethan, you might've picked up from the Kingsman movies. I feel like you're thinking like that when you're playing Eggsy. I know you said that you wanted to do more with that character. It was said recently that there are no concrete plans to do any Kingsman in the future. You've only done Eggsy for two films. Are you comfortable leaving it where it is right now?
Taron Egerton: I believe that was said by somebody from Fox.
20th Century. Yeah.
Taron Egerton: Yeah. I don't know. And I don't want to speak out of school, but I don't think that necessarily means that we won't do it. I think Matthew [Vaughn] and I very much want to do one more. I want to do one more. And so, while we don't have a shoot date yet, I think it could still happen.
More About Carry-On (2024)
A young TSA agent, Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton), fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) who blackmails him by threatening his girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. Carry-On is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam) and is written by TJ Fixman (Ratchet & Clank).
Check out our other Carry On interviews with:
- Sofia Carson
- Danielle Deadwyler
Carry-On is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: ScreenRant Plus
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Carry-On
Carry On is a film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, focusing on a young TSA agent who is coerced by a mysterious traveler into allowing a dangerous package onto a Christmas Eve flight. As events unfold, he must use his wits to resolve the perilous situation.
Release Date December 13, 2024
Runtime 119 Minutes
Character(s) Ethan Kopek , Traveler , Nora Parisi , Elena Cole , Mateo Flores , Watcher , Agent Alcott , Phil Sarkowski , Jason Noble , Lionel Williams , Ron Dunn , Eddie , Herschel , Security Director Marm Bellows , Lance , Nina , Jesse , Samir , Olek , Yuri
Director Jaume Collet-Serra
Writers Michael Green , T.J. Fixman
English (US) ·