Taron Egerton Tells Us What It Was Really Like to Film Netflix’s New Thriller ‘Apex’

Taron Egerton knows range. The Welsh actor got his start as Gary Unwin in the spy franchise Kingsman (from 2014), starred as Elton John in Rocketman (2019), and played the British Olympic ski jumper Eddie Edwards in Eddie the Eagle (2015). Now, he’ll costar alongside Charlize Theron in Netflix’s upcoming thriller Apex, which is directed by Baltasar Kormákur, and will premiere on April 24.

In Apex, Egerton plays Ben, a charming psychopath who chases Theron’s character, Sasha, through Australia’s remote wilderness. Shooting the movie required intense physical demands: kayaking, falling off cliffs, and hiking for hours just to get to set.

“He’s rated very, very high in my best actors that I’ve ever worked with,” Theron told me of Egerton in an interview for Outside’s Spring 2026 issue. “I don’t think I’ve ever been around someone who has that kind of natural instinct and great intuition. He’s brave in the sense that he’ll take big swings. Watching him from afar, I was like, Wow. It’s impressive to watch.”

I spoke with Egerton ahead of Apex’s release to learn more about what it took to shoot the film, whether it was creepy to play the villain, and how he discovered he had a fear of heights on set.

Exclusive Interview with Taron Egerton

OUTSIDE: I think your character, Ben, could have very easily been sort of like a one-note villain—just a classic psychopath. But that’s not how he came across. There is more depth to him. What interested you about his character?

Taron Egerton: When I was asked about doing it [the film], I was most intrigued about the extremity of it and making a movie out in the wilderness in the rugged terrain of Australia. And the very strange, unnerving intimacy of these two characters. The nature of Ben’s pathology was something that grew organically throughout the process, and I think it’s fair to say he changed quite a lot from the script that I read to what’s on screen. The whole process was very, very creative, actually, in terms of us all finding him, finding their dynamic, and finding his story. But the appeals were many and varied.

In terms of taking on the project, working with Charlize was a very, very big draw for me, and being in Australia, and I admired Balt’s [Baltasar Kormákur] work. So yeah, I didn’t really need to be persuaded.

Did you find it unsettling to spend so much time in a character like Ben?

I don’t think so. I think it’s all play; it’s all fun, you know. It’s larger than life and in some ways preposterous. Also, I think he kind of is me. He’s a weird version of me. I don’t engage in the behaviors that he engages in, but his expressiveness is my expressiveness. It’s not like I found playing him to be a dance on the edges of madness or anything. I had a really good time. I mean, it was fucking hard work, I don’t mind telling you, but it was very rewarding.

I really enjoyed the physical aspect of it as well.

It sounded like it was very physically demanding to film. Charlize shared that the crew would sometimes hike for hours before even reaching set. She told me she learned to climb and did some kayaking for Apex. Did you also learn new sports for it?

We did some training at an Olympic training facility here for the kayaking. It was really, really awesome. I loved it. It’s not the kind of thing I would naturally be drawn to. I’m not the most intrepid person. But they were pretty unequivocal about it. They were like, “You can’t stroll into this. You’re going to need to show up, fit and ready.” I took that very seriously and spent a number of months getting in shape for it. I’ve played a couple of roles where I’ve done work to try and look buff, but for this, it’s definitely the best shape of my life in terms of just athleticism, strength, and functional strength.

The climbing stuff was hard. The climbing I do in the movie involves quite specific upper-body strength, because I can’t use my legs. It was no joke. There was a bit of a personal triumph in it for me, because I didn’t really realize until this movie that I do have a fear of heights. The stuff that we shot at height was really challenging for me. I experienced the kind of cognitive fog where I couldn’t really take direction up there. I couldn’t really repeat simple technical moves, because the fear kind of clouded my mind a little bit. So overcoming all of that stuff was a real personal triumph.

There was a day on the movie [set] where they had me suspended on a wire and dropped me, and then would catch me on the wire. Balt wants the work to be as realistic and as gritty as possible. So he said, “We’d love to get a shot of you falling here. We’ll drop you, what probably amounts to 20 to 30 meters [65 to 98 feet], but it’s perfectly safe. You’ll be suspended. You’re not going to hit the ground or anything.”

I wanted to do it; I wanted to give him the shot, but I was petrified. I was absolutely petrified. There’s a camera mounted above me for the close-up, and I fall away from it. We did it all at my pace. I was sort of having to control my breathing and not freak out. And I did it, and it was totally exhilarating. The crew was the most incredible crew I’ve ever worked with. Aussies are made of something different. Everyone gave me a spontaneous round of applause because everyone knew I was terrified. There’s something about overcoming those fears that’s really rewarding and growthful.

When people watch Apex, what do you hope stays with them?

Well, it is a popcorn movie, but it’s one that has been quite lovingly crafted. We spent a lot of time, a lot of sweat, and a lot of galleries making it something that’s really crafted. There’s nothing disposable about the movie, so I hope people appreciate the fact that it costs something to make. I’m a big horror guy, and I like a kind of walk in the woods away from the safety of my sofa. And I think Apex is a walk in the woods. I hope people get a buzz, get a thrill out of it.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length, clarity, and flow—and to avoid possible spoilers.