Richard Madden could barely afford food before Game of Thrones

24 May 2019, 12:00 | Updated: 24 May 2019, 14:47

The Rocketman star claims he was pretty hard up before the hit show came along…

Richard Madden has confessed he could barely afford food before he found fame on Game Of Thrones.

The Rocketman star has confessed he had to choose between food or a newspaper and a pint before he got the call about the role of Robb Stark in the HBO fantasy series.

Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he said: "I had two options: I could buy one meal, or a newspaper and a pint. I got that phone call and I was on my last month's rent and I asked my agent for an advance."

Madden is currently to be seen playing rock manager John Reid in the Elton John biopic Rocketman.

Meanwhile, Madden previously admitted he was at risk of having to move back in with his parents before he found fame.

He said: "I'm not bullsh***ing you - I was completely broke. I used my savings to pay my last month's rent and that was it. I thought, 'After this, I don't have any money. I'll have to move back to my parents.'"

And Richard's experience of poverty means he would not hesitate to accept a role just for the money and is open to using his star status to take on well-paid parts in order to free himself up to take on indie projects.

He said: "Nothing wrong with the money job. We all have to eat, and I'm sure at some point I'll take a job for the money. Maybe I'll use that to fund a smaller project for myself six months down the line. I'll put on some Lycra, I'll be a superhero. People want entertainment and escapism and I'm not against that."