“The leap from the car in
the trailer – that is actually
me, not a stuntman!”
hen Matthew
Vaughn’s Kingsman:
The Secret Service
arrived in cinemas
in 2014, it introduced
audiences to Kingsman, an
independent, international
intelligence agency that
specialises in saving the
world – the gentlemanly way.
This stylish, cheeky and
ridiculously fun spy thriller
also made our acquaintance
with Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin
(Taron Egerton), a fed-up chav
who, over the course of the
film, transforms into a smooth-
talking, hotshot spy, watched
over by his well-to-do mentor
Harry Hart (Colin Firth).
Manners maketh man all
over again this September
when Kingsman: The Golden
Circle hits screens. ODEON
Magazine sat down with
returning star Egerton to find
out what we can expect from
this hotly anticipated sequel.
ODEON Magazine : Where do
we find Eggsy at the start of
Kingsman: The Golden Circle?
He is working as a spy and
he’s now in a relationship with
the Swedish princess from
the first movie. So he’s in the
process at the start of the [film]
of meeting the parents and
that kind of thing but he’s also
having to attend to the needs
of his newly found vocation.
Obviously, hilarity ensues...
14 odeon.co.uk
In the new film, Eggsy and
his colleague Merlin (Mark
Strong) meet the US spy
agency Statesman. Can you
tell us a bit about the rivalry
between you and them?
I can tell you they’re [in the
film] and that they’re every
bit as formidable as Kingsman
are. [But] with regards to the
exact nature of our relationship
and the dynamic between the
two, I don’t think I can say very
much, I’m sorry. I’m embargoed.
It’s a bit of a nightmare actually,
there’s not a lot I can say, so
I’m having to try and be very
creative with what I can.
Okay, now we’re intrigued,
but let’s talk about the film’s
incredible US cast instead.
Julianne Moore, Channing
Tatum, Jeff Bridges – do
you ever get starstruck?
My word, yes, of course. I’ve
been very lucky in my
two years working
professionally to
work alongside some
incredible actors,
but never such
a concentration
of them I don’t
think. The whole
ensemble of this
movie is a real
who’s who of
great Hollywood
acting talent.
It’s weird. You
kind of think
that these huge stars are
going to be aloof or distant.
But when you meet them,
they’re so refreshingly normal
and pleasant to be around.
It was a really great shoot,
everyone got on very well.
What can you tell us about
Julianne’s character Poppy?
She is a very worthy successor
to Valentine in the first movie.
She’s every bit as tapped and
strange but [also] you can
sort of understand where
she’s coming from. And that
was what made Valentine
work, I think – the best
intentions but also morally
unscrupulous. Julianne is
amazing in the film. Very
likeable as well as very scary.
The action scenes are out-
of-this-world once again.
How tough physically is
shooting a Kingsman film?
It’s really quite arduous.
Matthew [Vaughn] and
Brad Allan, who’s the
second unit director,
are very keen for the
actors, where possible,
to perform the
stunts. So,
everything that is
deemed safe, we
are encouraged
to attempt. The
leap from the car
in the trailer,
that is actually