Elton John [1]'s musical biopic Rocketman [2] is now in theaters, and if you've seen the first full-length trailer [3], then you know it's a wacky, wild, emotional ride. The film, which is produced by John himself, tracks the pop icon's rise from an ordinary youth to an international music sensation and showman. Although actor Taron Egerton [4], who plays John, has been around Hollywood for a few years now, he's still not quite an A-list name. Here's what you need to know about the young Welsh actor who earned John's personal approval [5] for the role.

For the most part, Egerton's career [6] has been in very British movies. After graduating with his acting degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he snagged a couple of roles on British television. From there, his film career really kicked off in 2014, when he starred in two very different movies that both earned notice: as soldier Edward Brittain in the World War I drama Testament of Youth — which earned Egerton a nomination for the best newcomer award at the London Film Festival — and as young spy "Eggsy" in the spy comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service. He then reprised his Kingsman role in 2017 for the sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Egerton learned to play piano [7] and really does sing [8] in Rocketman, but it's not his first time singing for a film [9]. In 2016, Egerton voiced the character of Johnny for the animated musical comedy Sing and was required to sing two songs. In a prophetic turn of events, one of the songs he recorded was "I'm Still Standing" — one of John's big hits [10]. He also lent his vocals to a cover of The Zombies' "The Way I Feel Inside."

In 2018, Egerton tackled two very different movies about criminal financial activity. He costarred with Ansel Elgort, Jeremy Irvine, and Emma Roberts in Billionaire Boys Club, a movie about a real-life criminal ring in the 1980s; the movie was delayed by sexual harassment and assault claims against costar Kevin Spacey [11] and was eventually released to critical and commercial failure. Egerton's Robin Hood, an origin-story-style adventure film, also met with weak box office and reviews. However, with Rocketman, Egerton's fortunes may be about to take a turn for the better! You can check out some of his previous roles in the gallery below.

Testament of Youth (2014)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

Legend (2015)

Eddie The Eagle (2016)

Sing (2016)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Robin Hood (2018)