Welsh actor Taron Egerton, who plays the witty young spy Eggsy in the 2015 hit "Kingsman: The Secret Service," has been shortlisted for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. Meanwhile, the upcoming sequel of the espionage-themed film is speculated to bring back the pivotal character of Colin Firth.
According to Vogue U.K. Egerton will compete with some of 2015's breakout stars, including Dakota Johnson from "Fifty Shades of Grey"; Bel Powley from "The Diary of A Teenage Girl", Brie Larson for "Room" and John Boyega from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".
Previous BAFTA Rising Star winners include James McAvoy, Tom Hardy and Kristen Stewart, Wales Online reported. Last year, 25-year-old actor Jack O'Connell picked up his award for his outstanding performances in "'71" and "Unbroken," which was directed by Angelina Jolie.
Egerton's performance as Gary "Eggsy" Unwin in "Kingsman" earned the 26-year-old Aberystwyth-raised star a lot of praise from co-actors and critics. He was even considered as a possible pick to play the young Han Solo in the upcoming "Star Wars" spin-off.
Just recently, Taron Egerton made it to Forbes' annual "30 Under 30" list for 2016, alongside fellow British actors Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke.
Meanwhile, a sequel to "Kingsman" has been confirmed by Fox and has been set for a 2017 release. But whether Colin Firth, who plays Eggsy's mentor Harry Hart, will make a comeback remains a mystery. It can be recalled Harry was shot by villain Richmond Valentine (played by Samuel L. Jackson) after a heart-racing action sequence with frenzied people in a church.
However, "Kingsman" director Matthew Vaughn previously hinted at his plans to bring back Firth in the sequel.
"A lot of people are upset that Colin might not be in the sequel but I'm coming up with ideas at the moment. If people buy tickets in America, I've got a feeling we'll figure out a way for having Colin back," Vaughn said in an interview.
According to Vaughn, the sequel will revolve around the concept of a "modern-day gentleman spy". In the first "Kingsman" film, Harry Hart is quoted as saying, "There's a reason why we've developed weak chins." Vaughn explained that Harry meant to say the spy agency needed to put "new blood into this system," and that's exactly what Eggsy's character represents.
The movie picked up $400 million in total box office movie sales, with over $35 million in its opening weekend, and a bevy of positive reviews.
In the meantime, fans will soon get to see Taron Egerton in the big screen again as he takes on the role of British downhill ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards in a biopic directed by Matthew Vaughn. The movie also stars Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken, and will hit theaters on April 1.
