Taron Egerton, 36, best known for his standout performances in films like Kingsman: The Secret Service and Rocketman, recently found himself in the spotlight not for his acting but for his appearance.
A before-and-after comparison of the actor has gone viral, with some social media users expressing disappointment that he looks older than his age.
Many, however, came to Egerton’s defense, arguing that the new visage was for a film role and that he would soon go back to looking like his usual self.
The conversation eventually evolved into a broader debate about why male celebrities are often spared the scrutiny women face for changes in appearance.
A recent photo of Taron Egerton has fans concluding he aged “like milk”
Taron Egerton attended Australia’s popular short-film festival, Tropfest, in February.
He walked the event’s red carpet dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt and relaxed-fit black pants, with Birkenstocks completing his look.
The actor sported a shaved head as he posed for paparazzi at the time. This detail of his appearance caught the attention of internet sleuths over the weekend.
Posting the picture alongside a snap of the actor in a black three-piece suit with glasses, a fan on X asked, “Why do men age like this?”
One response to the question was, “This is not aging. Something is definitely wrong.”
“This young man of yesterday looks 60! How???” a second asked.
“It’s called going bald. We don’t have much control over it,” wrote a third, while a fourth simply asserted, “He’s aging like milk.”
Another fan provided a detailed list of factors they believed contributed to Egerton’s mature appearance.
“Partying, cigare*tes, liquor, pork, processed foods, endocrine disrupters, lack of sleep, not doing maintenance. Aging isn’t natural to this dramatic extent so young. It is caused,” they said.
Egerton supporters claimed his bald head was to support his new film.
Taron Egerton shaved his head for Netflix’s new survival thriller
@thespillpod Who let the dogs out? Taron Egerton, that’s who. Yesterday Sydney, alongside Taron’s tootsies, put on a show for Tropfest – the largest short film festival in the world #taronegerton #tropfest #pedicure #shortfilms #filmfestival ♬ original sound – The Spill Podcast
“Not aging, just acting,” one said, while another added, “Watch his new movie, it’s wild.”
The comments seemed to refer to Apex, which was released on Netflix on April 24.
Egerton plays a serial k*ller named Ben in the title, who traps a woman named Sasha (played by Charlize Theron) in a game of cat and mouse in the Australian wilderness, where she had come to cope with the recent demise of her husband Tommy (played by Eric Bana).
Disregarding the argument, one user on the Elon Musk-owned micro-blogging platform said, “Men age more badly than women, but we ain’t ready for this conversation.”
A second user pointed out that the world reserves comments like “What happened to her?” and “She let herself go” for women with even slight signs of aging, while for men, it’s “It’s scientifically proven men age like wine.”
“Men need to take care of themselves,” a separate user quipped.
Oblivious to the debate, Taron Egerton was seen packing on PDA with Brooks Nader
Egerton, whose last known romance was with The White Lotus star Chloe Bennet in 2024, and actress-model Brooks Nader, who divorced ex-husband Billy Haire the same year, began dating in late March, according to Page Six.
The duo was seen holding hands and embracing in the water at Bondi Beach in Australia on Monday, April 27.
While Egerton and Nader are yet to address their relationship, a source told Page Six that they both looked “infatuated” while out and about in Los Angeles last month.
The source believed “it wasn’t their first date.”
Nader has been linked to several celebrities since her divorce.
In early March, she was spotted at the Las Vegas opening of the social club Zero Bond with Kevin Costner, 71.
In October 2025, Nader was romantically linked to Gleb Savchenko, a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Nader will appear on screen in the reboot of Baywatch this year, while Egerton’s Apex remains the top trending show on Netflix as of this writing.
“He used to be so hot. WTH happened?” a netizen asked
