Machine Gun Kelly is drawing on his real-life experiences to play a tormented rock star tangling with addiction and the crushing pressures of fame. The star, who goes by his real name — Colson Baker — in the movie’s credits, has been very open about his struggles with addiction and fame in the past, chronicling them in his documentary “Life in Pink.” Now, in “Taurus,” a movie that he also served as executive producer, composer, and script consultant on, he’s dramatizing his story by diving into a new character whose experience appears to be both similar to his own and universal to the archetype of the tortured rock star.
“This is my 14th or 15th movie, but this movie is really close to me,” Kelly told a crowd after being honored at Variety’s Newport Beach Film Festival Honors brunch on Oct. 16, per Moviemaker. “It’s about the last week that a musician is alive, and he’s just trying to battle between the good and the — just trying to find the good in himself. And that’s kind of how I feel, a lot of the times. I always get asked about what it’s like being a musician acting, but it feels a little bit to me like going in a toy store and just looking at a toy in a box. Like I don’t want to be in a box. I want you to take the toy out of the box and experience what the toy does.”
Kelly added that he hopes his performance will help people take him more seriously as an actor. “There are roles that I say that I want or dream scripts that, when they come across, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’d love that,’ and I get laughed at a lot of the times because the director doesn’t know who I am, or the studios don’t believe that I can handle it,” he said. “But this is one step towards showing them that I can.”
Ahead, check out what we know about “Taurus.”
“Taurus” Movie Plot
“Taurus” follows a self-destructive rock star named Cole who, recently divorced and fresh off a tour, indulges in drugs, women, and reckless behavior. Loosely based on Machine Gun Kelly’s own life, it explores the alienation of fame and follows Cole over the course of a few days as he tries to find the inspiration to record one last song.
“Taurus” Movie Cast
In addition to Machine Gun Kelly as Cole, Maddie Hasson plays his assistant, Ilana, who is charged with caring for the struggling star. Machine Gun Kelly’s real life girlfriend Megan Fox also appears as Cole’s ex-wife, Mae.
“Taurus” Movie Release Date
“Taurus” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb. 13, and will be in theaters, on demand, and digital on Nov 18.
“Taurus” Movie Trailer
You can view the original article HERE.
