Rupert Everett on his ‘lethal’ youth and the discipline of growing up
At 67, Rupert Everett reflects on a life defined by excess, infidelity, and professional misconduct, explaining how caring for his late mother and a late-blooming sense of purpose have reshaped his career and character.
British actor Rupert Everett, aged 67, has described his younger self as “brash, disingenuous, and lethal” in a candid interview with The Guardian Culture. The actor, known for roles in My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Happy Prince, detailed a history of drug use, infidelity, and professional misconduct, including betraying friends and disrespecting audiences. He attributes his current stability to a “protracted adolescence,” the transformative period of caring for his late mother, and finding discipline later in life. Everett is currently working on the series Rivals and the film Madfabulous.
Everett’s reflections cover a chaotic early career in Hollywood, where he concealed his skeletal frame using false body parts, including a false bottom, calves, and shoulders, without directors’ knowledge. He admitted to being “slippery” in relationships, having affairs with high-profile women such as Susan Sarandon, Béatrice Dalle, and Paula Yates while they were in other partnerships. He described pretending to feel the right emotions and constantly seeking the “next thing,” driven by a fear of missing out and a sense of deep insecurity rather than vanity.
The interview also touches on specific instances of on-set misconduct, such as walking out on the first day of The Celebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief and making inappropriate jokes during performances of Another Country, including placing sugar lumps that turned into flies in a tea party scene. Everett, who published kamikaze memoirs in 2006 and 2012, described his younger self as having a “fear of missing out” connected to sexual liberation, noting he felt he could “smash my past up through sex.”
His current stability is linked to moving back to Wiltshire in 2018 to care for his mother, who died last year. Everett stated he only “grew up” at age 55, after seeing a hypnotist to help him feel happy about going to work during a production of Pygmalion. He now describes himself as a “country blob” who walks his dog and watches dust particles, a stark contrast to his earlier life of cruising and excess. He also noted he has become a “pro-Europe conservative with a small c,” admiring the stoicism of the generation he once rejected.
Despite his past, Everett remains active in the industry, with upcoming work in Rivals, Madfabulous, and a Harold Pinter play at the Donmar Warehouse. He is also working on a second film about himself at age 17, following an exchange trip to Paris. When asked to reflect on his journey, Everett acknowledged that while he is still selfish, he is less so than before, having learned to make allowances for others while living with his husband of 16 years. He asked the interviewer not to mention he used to be a rent boy, citing his mother’s distress, although he acknowledged the topic had been public for 40 years.