Taron Egerton Dishes on Cut Karaoke Scene in “Smoke”, Says He Was 'Maybe Like 30%' Elton John (Exclusive)
- - - Taron Egerton Dishes on Cut Karaoke Scene in “Smoke”, Says He Was 'Maybe Like 30%' Elton John (Exclusive)
Raven BrunnerJuly 20, 2025 at 12:00 AM
John Lamparski/Getty; David Appleby/Paramount
Taron Egerton
The cast and crew of Smoke reveal that Taron Egerton had a karaoke scene that was ultimately cut
Actor Rafe Spall says Egerton "turned into Elton John" in the scene, but the Rocket Man alum disagrees
"Once you've been full Elton John, you can never go full Elton John again. Maybe like 30%," Egerton teases
Sometimes the best things end up on the cutting room floor.
The cast and show creator of the Apple TV+ series Smoke reveal while speaking with PEOPLE at the show’s Tribeca Festival premiere that Taron Egerton, 35, had a karaoke scene that was ultimately cut.
While the actor pulled out his seasoned singing chops for the unreleased footage, he denies that he "turned into Elton John" for the scene.
"Once you've been full Elton John, you can never go full Elton John again. Maybe like 30%," Egerton teases, referencing his role as the famed musician in 2019's Rocket Man.
Apple TV+
Taron Egerton in 'Smoke'
The show reunites Egerton with Black Bird creator Dennis Lehane. The actor plays arson investigator Dave Gudsen as he pursues two serial arsonists with Detective Michelle Calderone, portrayed by Jurnee Smollett.
The first to reveal the news of the cut karaoke scene to PEOPLE was actor Rafe Spall, who stars as detective Steven Burke in the show.
When asked about the surprise friendships he made on set, he says, “Everyone's so nice. But look, the other Brit there was Taron Egerton. I’ve been a massive admirer of his.”
Spall continues, "There's a bit in [the show] where we have to sing briefly in a bar. All of a sudden he turned into Elton John. And ripped it out and I was like 'Damn, that's amazing.' I love him, I'm a big fan of his work, so it was great to be friends with him."
While speaking with Lehane in a separate interview on the red carpet, the author confirms that Egerton performed a song by "the guy who used to be in the band Chicago."
"He was singing one of his songs and we ended up cutting it," Lehane reveals, adding that Egerton "was great and went all in."
As for Egerton, he tells PEOPLE that “Dennis [Lehane] wrote a karaoke scene in the movie where I sang 'The Glory of Love,' " in reference to Peter Cetera's 1986 hit.
When informed that Lehane cut the scene, Egerton reacts in shock before saying, "Actually, to be honest, I'm quite glad he cut it. I think he wrote it because, frankly, I've got some history as a singer and it was a bit of fun. But it didn't feel totally appropriate for the character."
David Appleby/Paramount
Taron Egerton in 'Rocketman'
The series also stars Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Anna Chlumsky, Greg Kinnear and John Leguizamo.
PEOPLE’s Breanne L. Heldman moderated a panel at the premiere, during which Egerton opened up about the complexities of Dave, who is quickly revealed to be one of the fire starters.
John Lamparski/Getty
(L-R) Dennis Lehane, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Greg Kinnear, Jurnee Smollett, Taron Egerton, Anna Chlumsky and Rafe Spall attend the "Smoke" premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2025 in New York City.
"He's fascinating because our typical idea of a villain is that they're Machiavellian and plotting and cerebral, and they're 10 steps ahead," the actor said of his character. "What I grew to realize about Dave is that his particular brand of toxicity is very immediate. It's very lizard-like really."
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New episodes of Smoke premiere Fridays on Apple TV+ through Aug. 15.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
