Justin Timberlake was Elton John's first choice to star in 'Rocketman'

Los Angeles: Long before Taron Eagerton was finalised to play Elton John in his biopic “Rocketman”, the music icon considered Justin Timberlake for the role originally.

John and producer husband David Furnish had the former ‘Nsync band member in mind after he featured in the 2001 music video “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” as the man of the moment.

“But we never formerly approached Justin because we weren’t ever at a stage where it was the right time to approach him. But he did an amazing job in the video. He put on a prosthetic nose, and it turned out to have been some really interesting acting work as well,” Furnish told The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, directed by Dexter Fletcher and produced by Furnish, received favourable reviews at its world premiere at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival.

Tom Hardy too almost starred in “Rocketman” but John appeared to throw a shade at the “Venom” star.

“Taron Egerton came onboard this film because somebody else dropped out,” he told the crowd at the film’s Cannes afterparty, adding that Eagerton’s “performance in this film is scary brilliant… When I watch the movie, I don’t see an actor, I see myself.