Taron Egerton on his 'special bond' with Ray Liotta and creating a 'gym bunny's bod' for Black Bird
When it came to his preparation to play Jimmy Keene in Black Bird (now streaming on Apple TV+), Taron Egerton wants to make one thing clear: he's not that kind of actor.
You know, the ones who feel the need to put themselves in the situation, sometimes horrible and often bizarre, that their character finds themselves in. In this case, though his character is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum-security prison but is sent off to a maximum-security institution to elicit a confession from a suspected serial killer in a chance to get himself out, Egerton didn't have any interest in actually spending time in a jail.
"It's not that I'm not interested in research, because I am, but there's a school of thought, I think, from some actors that unless you experience some semblance of what you're experiencing in the story, you can't act it well. And I don't believe that," he tells EW.
The six-episode limited series is based on the true-crime memoir In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, by James Keene and Hillel Levin. It is developed, written, and executive-produced by best-selling author Dennis Lehane. So, instead of jail time, it's the physical transformation into a "gym bunny bod," his access to the real Keene (who also serves as executive producer on the show), and Lehane's script that Egerton credits with helping him craft his character.
"I don't think you need to go and spend the night in a prison to be able to act like you've been in a prison. We shot in a prison, so I've been in a prison, but I do believe in a kind of really forensic, disciplined familiarity with the script, particularly one that is as considered and fully realized as Dennis' is, because he's figured it all out," the actor explains. "The thought processes are all there. All the subtext is there. The characters are all beautifully drawn with their shared histories. So it's just about making sure you are familiar enough and understand enough exactly what the story is you're telling. That for me is much, much more valuable."
Here, Egerton explains all that, plus he opens up about the unique relationship he shared with late co-star Ray Liotta (who died in May at 67), and why he gave his character a simmering aggression.
Courtesy of Apple Taron Egerton in 'Black Bird'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So, before we get started, I wanted to say that I talked to Paul Walter Hauser (who plays suspected killer Larry Hall) a while back and he told me that you guys bonded while working on this. And one of the things you bonded over was a shared love of The Muppet Christmas Carol —
TARON EGERTON: The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the greatest movies ever made.
And he said that you guys would send each other videos of yourselves singing the songs in the film. So I asked him if those videos would ever see the light of day, and he said that they would "with that beautiful Brit's permission." Those were his words. So, what say you?
Oh, is that what he said? He's a sweetheart. I've got them. So, yeah, they're funny. We're in the middle of July in New Orleans and we're both in our pants, in our respective houses, not together. Although I think we did do a little bit of hanging out in our pants. And we'd send each other a verse or a chorus. We both know all the words to the opening number from Muppets Christmas Carol. So yes, perhaps they will be. Maybe I'll start sharing those throughout the show airing or something. Pay close attention, I'm sure you'll see them.
We better! But on a more serious note, I know that the real James Keene was an EP on the series. So I'm curious, were you able to talk to him at all in preparation for this? And if so, what was the most valuable thing that you got from him?
He was so, so lovely to me and was very, I think, pleased I was playing the role, but you know, also understands that it's a version of the story inspired by what he went through. Particularly, I think when it comes to some of the darker aspects of Jimmy's nature in our story, it would be remiss of me to claim that they are taken from him because I think he's a better adjusted, more kind of likable guy than the Jimmy I create at the start of the story. But that, it's important to have a character arc. When he came on set, he came on set relatively late, actually for a number of reasons, obviously one of them being COVID. But he arrived in the last sort of few weeks of us shooting and spent a couple of days hanging out. And he actually cameos in the show. He's in the sixth episode as a prison guard. And that was really, really fun. And when he was around we'd chat and the overwhelming impression you get from him is just what a kind of stressful, traumatic thing it was. Which of course it was, it must have been unlike anything most people have experienced, but he's a great guy and I'm looking forward to seeing him [again].
Besides speaking with him, did you visit a prison or do any other interesting things to prepare for the part?
No, I have to be honest, I'm not really that kind of actor. It's not that I'm not interested in research because I am, but there's a school of thought, I think, from some actors that unless you experience some semblance of what you're experiencing in the story, you can't act it well. And I don't believe that. So I don't think you need to go and spend the night in a prison to be able to act like you've been in a prison. We shot in a prison, so I've been in a prison, but I do believe in a kind of really forensic, disciplined familiarity with the script, particularly one that is as considered and fully realized as Dennis' is, because he's figured it all out. The thought processes are all there. All the subtext is there. The characters are all beautifully drawn with their shared histories. So it's just about making sure you are familiar enough and understand enough exactly what the story is you're telling. That for me is much, much more valuable.
So for me, the preparation was largely about, I really wanted to do something more physical than I had done before with the role. The real James Keene was an athlete and was in great shape. And also, I felt that there was a sort of narcissism to the character that would lend itself… that that story would be told by him physically [having] a gym bunny's bod, but that was all very enjoyable work. And then, the preparation was largely about kind of… I think he's quite an angry character. There's a kind of a rage in Jimmy that you only really see fully kind of unbridled in the third episode. There's an aggression to my version of Jimmy that took some thought.
Some of the most special moments in the show are the ones that you have with Ray Liotta, who plays your father. I imagine that, given everything, watching that back hits a little bit differently now, but do you have any favorite memories from working with him or anything that maybe you learned during your time with him that you're willing to share?
I developed a very special bond with him… and I actually, I didn't develop a very special bond with him, it just appeared the moment I met him. And it was strange because of that. I couldn't quite work out why we just clicked in a way that was lovely. I felt very relaxed in his company. He and I would sit in silence and it's not often that you get that with somebody. Do you know what I mean? Especially if you've only just met them. And I mean it in the nicest way, to sit comfortably in silence with someone is quite a thing.
I don't have that with many people, but I had it with Ray and he just brought this level of focus and tenderness and vulnerability to the part that was just gorgeous. Because I'm glad you said that you found those scenes affecting or touching, because they are kind of the heart of the show, really. It's a very dysfunctional relationship, but it is one that's full of love. And Ray really brought that. And I absolutely adored working with him. It was one of the more special experiences of my career.
What do you hope audiences get from this story?
I think it's a compelling story. I hope that audiences feel the way I felt when I read it, which was that I could not stop. I just had to know what happened. And I think it's challenging as well because the characters, they're not easy. It's not a rom-com. They are difficult, at times disturbing, at times ugly characters, but they are very human and I hope that audiences just find it to be a rewarding watch. I'm very, very proud of it. I'm very proud of everyone involved with it. I think that every performance is really great, I believe, if I do say so myself. Bit self-congratulatory, but I think it's a strong piece of work and I just hope people enjoy it.
And what did you personally take away from the experience?
As an actor, you are only as good as the material you're given, to speak, I believe. I mean, that's not completely the case, but largely I think you can't tell a story unless the writer wants to tell it with you. I just have never — this script, just for me, felt like driving a Mustang. It's just so considered and well thought out and I just loved being able to bring this character to life. It was a real labor of love. It took a long time, it was a difficult shoot, but I'm really proud of the work. And I'm very, very, very excited for people to see it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Black Bird, which also stars Sepideh Moafi and Greg Kinnear, is now streaming its first two episodes on Apple TV+, followed by a new episode each week.
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