On this episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo is joined by Taron Egerton, the star of “Smoke,” a gripping new Apple TV+ series inspired by the real-life crimes of arsonist-turned-investigator John Leonard Orr. Created by Dennis Lehane (“Black Bird”), the series explores the chaos and duality of a man split between duty and destruction.
Egerton stars as Dave Gudsen, a small-town arson investigator who appears to be a dependable family man. But as the series progresses, a darker truth is revealed – SPOILER ALERT for Episode 2: Dave is secretly setting fires and unraveling psychologically at a dangerous pace. According to Egerton, one of the biggest acting challenges came in those early episodes, where Dave must suppress his true self. The series also stars Jurnee Smollett, Greg Kinnear, Rafe Spall, John Leguizamo, and more.
“The first 1.7 episodes, I’m having to keep a lid on some character traits that are very, very, very extreme,” Egerton said. “And I found that hard because I wanted to portray him authentically based on my instincts. But to do that too early would be to kind of give the game away.”
It wasn’t until the end of episode two that Egerton was able to lean into Dave’s violent tendencies. A pivotal scene involving Dave’s teenage stepson reveals his capacity for explosive brutality. “It’s horrible, but it just felt very right,” Egerton said. “Very ugly out of nowhere.”
In building a character who represses such darkness, Egerton said it was key to work from the “mask inward.”
“I don’t know that Dave is aware that he’s a monster. That’s an inconvenient truth for Dave,” he explained. “[To him], Dave is a hero. Dave is a good guy. He’s grossly misunderstood. He’s in a kind of place of existential denial.”
Working with real fire on set also helped elevate the performance. The “Smoke” production used practical fire effects for many key scenes, a choice that Egerton praised.
“It still injects a sense of jeopardy to a scene,” he said. “You can’t ignore it, so it puts you in the moment. And fire as a thematic force should be there as something that symbolizes the chaos in Dave.”
Egerton also touched on the possibility of returning to franchises like “Kingsman,” though nothing is set in stone. Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn has long said that the third film is dependent on Egerton’s schedule—a notion that Egerton laughed off. “Is that what he said? Yeah, he’s so funny.” Taron said, shaking his head. “He did call me on Friday night, actually. Yeah, look, we both want to do it. And I know Colin [Firth] is open to doing it, too. I think the interesting thing will be figuring out whether we all see the same thing. I love Matthew. Matthew is like family to me. I really think there’s a brilliant story to tell with the third Kingsman. And I still think it will happen.”
As for “Carry On,” the Netflix film that followed “Black Bird,” he added, “People seem to really enjoy it. It would be fun to do another one. But it’s a hard thing to do because it’s a movie about lightning striking.”
Egerton also addressed the long-standing superhero rumors that seem to follow him—including fan casting as Wolverine or turning down Cyclops. While those speculations continue to swirl, he confirmed that a conversation with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige happened. “Yeah, I did meet with Kevin Feige once, but it didn’t lead to anything specific,” Egerton shared. “It was more of a general meeting, and I think that’s all it ever was.” Despite the buzz, Egerton remains clear-eyed about the reality of joining such a behemoth. “I think there’s an expectation with Marvel that you’re signing on for a long journey,” he added. “And that’s a big commitment. So unless the character is something I really, really connect with, it’s not something I’m rushing into.”
Egerton says he’s currently more drawn to “weirder and smaller” character work. His upcoming slate includes the indie drama “She Rides Shotgun” and a Netflix film, “Apex,” co-starring Charlize Theron.
“This is the first of a little period of quite interesting, much darker characters for me,” he said. “I’m definitely entering a new little chapter of stranger fare.”
“Smoke” is currently airing new episodes weekly on Apple TV+. Listen to the whole podcast conversation below.
The Playlist Presents: Taron Egerton’s TV Recommendations:
- “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
- “Severance”
- “The White Lotus”
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