Sir Elton John couldn’t hide his delight as he appeared on the blue carpet on Monday at the UK premiere of Rocketman, the biopic about his life.
The musical icon, 72, was joined by stars of the film including Richard Madden and Taron Egerton, who led the many celebrities attending the screening at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, London.
The movie is a musical about the fantastical human story of Elton John’s, 72, breakthrough years and is produced by both Elton and his husband David Furnish, 56.
Richard Madden plays Elton’s manager John Reid in the movie. They first met at a Motown Christmas party, moved in with one another and became lovers.
Their romance ended after five years, but John remained Elton’s manager until 1998.
Richard kept things simple in a sleek black suit and crisp white shirt as he joined Bryce Dallas Howard, who wore a lacy black dress maxi dress and statement gold earrings.
Bryce plays Elton’s beloved late mother, Sheila Farebrother and she told Collider last year:
Happy man: Sir Elton was joined by his husband David Furnish, 56, at the UK premiere
Dapper: Elton looked sharp in a royal blue tux adorned with three dazzling bug brooches
Iconic: The musical icon’s jacket featured the word ‘Rocketman’ embroidered onto the back
Expressive: His red-tinted glasses couldn’t disguise his ever-changing facial expressions
Sleek: Richard Madden kept things simple as she stepped out in a sleek black suit for the UK premiere
Stylish: Taron Egerton donned a brown-grey suit with an unusual patterned pinstripe print
Quirky: Taron looked handsome in his ensemble which consisted of a funky printed tie
Looking good: Tagon cosied up to his girlfriend Emily Thomas on the blue carpet, who stunned in a sheer strapless gown
The ladies in his life: Welsh actor Taron was joined by his mother Christine Egerton as well as his girlfriend Emily Thomas
‘First and foremost, the fact that Elton is involved and his husband, David Furnish, is everything.
‘I loved getting to learn about him, and to immerse myself in his world and his music. It’s a classic musical. It’s so, so fun and transportative and wild. I’m just thrilled to be a part of it. It’s really exciting.’
David and Elton have been a power couple for more than 25 years. They entered into a civil partnership in 2005 and after the legalisation of gay marriage in 2014, the pair retroactively converted their civil partnership to a marriage.
They are parents to sons Zachary, eight, and Elijah, six and Elton previously told The Sun: ‘It’s fantastic being a dad. Ten years ago if you’d have told me that, I’d have said you’re crazy.
Standing proud: Elton beamed with pride as he stood alongside his supportive husband
Beautiful: Bryce Dallas Howard oozed sophistication in a black floor-length lace gown
Gorgeous: Bryce styled her tresses into a stylish up ‘do and finished off her make-up look with a pop of fuchsia pink lipstick and a feline flick of eyeliner
What a team: Stephen Graham (L) who portrays Elton’s first music boss Dick James posed alongside some of the other stars of Rocketman, including Tagon, Richard and Bryce
Proud: Some of those involved with the making of the biopic posed for a group photograph at the premiere (L-R Director Dexter Fletcher, actor Stephen Graham, musician Elton John, songwriter Bernie Taupin and producer David Furnish)
Squad: The cast and crew looked delighted as they took to the blue carpet together
‘That’s it, [though]. I mean we’re too old to have anymore. If we were 20 years, 15 years younger, we’d have probably had another one at least. But with the boys we’ve got enough on our hands.’
Meanwhile, there was a surprise appearance from Bernie Taupin, 68, at the photocall, the Lincoln-born writer behind some of Elton’s biggest hits, such as Your Song, Rocketman, Candle In The Wind and Levon.
Even though Bernie and Elton, real name Reginald Kenneth Dwight were close in age at the time of their first meeting, 17-year-old Taupin was in awe of John.
Shining star: The movie is a musical about the fantastical human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years (Taron as Elton from a film still)
Stunning: Elizabeth Hurley was breathtaking as she elegantly flaunted her cleavage in a shimmering white trouser suit
Beauty: The actress displayed a bronzed glow and enhanced her natural beauty with a dark smokey eye
Work it: Liz contrasted her sparkling white suit with a marble-effect pink clutch bag
He once told the Daily Mail: ‘I was the quintessential country bumpkin and he was sophisticated. He lived in London and played in clubs! So, he looked out for me. He was like a big brother.’
After the photocall for Rocketman in Cannes over the weekend, Elton shared a picture of himself and Bernie from the day and wrote: ‘The brother I never had… Love you Bernie,’ alongside two love heart emojis.
Elton has previously spoken about how thrilled he is that Taron Egerton, has decided to take on the role as him in the biopic of his life.
Speaking on Elton John’s Rocket Hour on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio, Elton gushed over Taron’s ‘brilliant’ execution of his much loved tracks.
He said: ‘For those of you who don’t know, in Rocketman I don’t sing anything. Taron has recorded, re-recorded, all the songs that are in the movie, and sings them quite brilliantly.’
Elton then asked the Kingsman: The Secret Service star: ‘Did you find it difficult to sing them?’
To which Taron replied: ‘I think I would have found it harder if it wasn’t for the fact that you were so encouraging.
‘I think that was a big part of what was an enabler and facilitated me to feel kind of relaxed enough to do them in the way that we have, and, of course, Giles Martin, who produced them, who is just the most incredible man, who I didn’t know before this process. I know you did. I owe a lot of it to him, I think.’
Wow! Claudia Schiffer dazzled in a pleated rainbow coloured gown which trailed on the blue carpet
Gorgeous: The blonde beauty drew attention to her slim waist with a studded belt wrapped around her midsection
A vision: The supermodel clutched onto a sparkling gold clutch as she sashayed along in front of photographers
Date night: Claudia was joined by her husband, film director Matthew Vaughn, at the premiere
The I’m Still Standing singer also brought up the recent Freddie Mercury biopic in which Rami Malek portrayed the music legend.
Stating the difference between the two leading men, he said: ‘It’s not Bohemian Rhapsody where the brilliant Rami Malek, who played Freddie, lip synced.
‘You’re actually doing the whole thing. I can’t congratulate you enough.’
While Taron further highlighted the contrast between the films, adding: ‘Our film is different from Bohemian Rhapsody in the sense that we sing some of yours and Bernie’s songs, not only as performance pieces but as legitimate pieces of musical theatre.
‘I know you were always very keen on this idea of a fantasy. That’s what our movie is. It’s a musical fantasy.’
Cute couple: Kelly Osbourne linked arms with boyfriend Jimmy Q as they made their way to the premiere before staying close by each others’ side on the blue carpet
Flawless: Kelly opted for an all-black ensemble, with her lilac hair standing out next to her flawless visage
Looking good: Kelly cosied up to Jimmy who who looked handsome in a slick suit and shades
Flamboyant: Boy George showed off his fabulous sense of style in a long-line tux jacket with scribble embroidered throughout (pictured with a male companion)
Jazz hands: The Voice Australia coach took the opportunity to pose for the cameras on the blue carpet
Pink perfection: Tamara Beckwith donned vibrant hot pink paper bag trousers, which she wore with a sheer black blouse
Risque: The blonde beauty subtly flashed a peek at her toned abs through her sheer ruffled blouse
Fashionista: Lulu spiced up her black trousers and blouse with a grey checked blazer
Quirky: Singing sensation Lulu put on a quirky display as she completed her outfit with a pair of angular sunglasses and a wide-brimmed black hat
Meanwhile, Elton pin-pointed the moment he realised that Taron was the right person to portray him.
The star recalled how he knew the Robin Hood star could sing when he heard Taron’s rendition of I’m Still Standing in the 2016 animated film Sing, in which he played gorilla Johnny.
He said: ‘I didn’t get involved in any of it. I just let you go ahead … I knew you could sing because I heard ‘I’m Still Standing,’ which you did in the film ‘Sing’.
‘You’ve redone that in this film, so I think you should do an album of ten different versions of I’m Still Standing.’
For the film, Swarovski collaborated with BAFTA-nominated costume designer Julian Day, incorporating more than one million Swarovski crystals into his designs to illuminate Elton’s extravagant style.
Coordinated: James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley coordinated their looks with the singer donning a dusty blue-green jacket which worked well against his wife’s elegant one-shouldered frock in a similar hue
Sweet: Sofia’s textured polka dot dress featured an oversized bow at the top of the single strap
Date night: Stephen Fry, 61, was supported by his husband Elliott Spencer, 32, as they walked the blue carpet together ahead of the screening of Rocketman.
Contrasting looks: Stephen wore a multicoloured tie to jazz-up his blue suit while his husband Elliott kept things casual in a hoodie and black jeans
Risque: Jackie Sinclair put on a risque display in a red fishnet gown which clung to her curves
Wow! Leigh Francis AKA Keith Lemon and his glamorous wife Jill Carter were sure not to be missed as they arrived in eye-catching ensembles
The famous Dodgers costume – a fully-crystallized baseball kit – is a stunning reimagining of the iconic costume worn by Elton to perform at his legendary Dodger Stadium concerts in Los Angeles in 1975.
The shimmering design worn in the film by Egerton was created using 140,000 Swarovski crystals to be even more dazzling than the original.
The dramatic Devil costume was designed for a moment when Elton feels unloved, so Day surrounded him with love in the form of a fiery-red jumpsuit with heart-shaped wings.
The costume blazes with bespoke crystal flames, a headdress and sunglasses all glowing with over 60,000 hand-embellished Swarovski crystals.
Perfectly put together: David Walliams matched his jagged-print tie with his pocked square
Retro: Vanessa White put on a leggy display as she slipped into a purple mini dress with sheer sleeves and feathery black cuffs
Less is more: The Saturdays singer kept her accessories to a minimum, letting her dress take centre stage
Fabulous: Musical theatre icon Elaine Paige’s white ensemble caught the eye with playfully voluminous sleeves and a cropped embellished silver waistcoat (photographed with a male companion)
Dapper: Stanley Tucci looked dapper in a checked grey suit and red patterned scarf (L) while James Bay (R) kept things simple in a black suit and white T-shirt
Family outing: Nadia Sawalha stunned in a pretty floral gown as she posed with daughter Maddie, 16
Stylish: Janet Street-Porter teamed a silky brown and white print shirt dress with a pair of purple trainers for the star-studded premiere (pictured with a male companion)
Julian Day commented: ‘I’ve used Swarovski crystals on numerous films and they are very much part of the idea of showmanship.
‘What they do is elevate and exaggerate an outfit – let’s say my designs are 110%, Swarovski crystals make them 150%.
‘Wherever we could find a place for a crystal in this film, we put it there – Swarovski and Rocketman is a perfect partnership.’
Standing Out: Terri Seymour ensured she turned heads as she stepped out in a tasselled tangerine gown
Classic: Liza Marshall and Mark Strong were a picture of elegance as they graced the blue carpet together
Co-stars: Stephen Graham, Taron Egerton, Bryce Dallas Howard and Richard Madden stood together for a quick snap
Cosy: Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne cosied up for snaps on the blue carpet at the premiere
Quirky: Radio One presenter Clara Amfo (L) slipped into a light green velvet co-ord set for the premiere whilst Billy Elliot The Musical star Layton Williams (R) commanded attention in a vibrant paisley print trouser suit
Elton recently touched upon the fact that he feels like it is time is right to stop performing after almost 50 years on and off the road, with his first tour beginning in 1970 to promote his second album, Elton John.
He told The Sun: ‘I’ve been travelling in the back of a van since I was 15, it’s the life of a gypsy. But I’ve got other things to do. I just don’t want to be performing all my life.’
Rocketman hits UK cinemas on May 22 2019.