Rupert Everett: Hollywood Is Like Al-Qaeda

British movie star Rupert Everett has continued his critique of Hollywood days after bashing Hollywood heavyweights such as George Clooney, Diane Keaton, Al Pacino, and others as "parodies of themselves."

In an interview with The Times, Everett tells interviewer Ben Hoyle:
"Hollywood is a place that pretends it's very liberal but it's not remotely. It's like Al-Qaeda."

Everett, who is openly gay, says he has lost "tons" of roles do to his sexuality. Playing the voice of Prince Charming in "Shrek" is "a role I would never get in a live-action film."

He later says making movies in Hollywood is "like being in Afghanistan."

"The treatment of women there is quite extraordinary. If you compare being a 70 year old woman to a 70 year old man, the old woman will maybe get to play a grandmother. The old man will do a film with a 20 year old girl (opposite him).

"On abortion, (the studios) are for it in private because they don't want actresses to clog up their schedules (by taking time off to have babies). But in films, if you get pregnant you have to keep the baby and end up with the man.

Rather than name names to bash in his latest interview, Everett cites only one specific example of Hollywood's double standards

"A 50 year old male drug addict will be supported. Everyone feels enormous compassion for them. Without naming names, female alcoholics and drug addicts are absolutely rejected. It's not accepted.

"No one suggests that Robert Downey Jr (who went to prison twice while battling drink and drug problems) was really that crazy whereas Britney Spears is almost witch hunted."

Everett is promoting his role as a headmistress in "St. Trinian's"

Comments

[BlackJAC]

"Sour grapes make for sour whine."
--David Gerrold, openly gay sci-fi author who wrote the single most popular STAR TREK episode "The Trouble With Tribbles"

[toritori]

"Do to his sexuality"
Editors, please.

[roscoepeko]

Are you guys kidding?? While I do not totally agree with his comment on Hollywood, the remarks about him looking skinny and sickly are way off. Lets face it guys, most American men by his age are either bloated and thick waisted, or totally obese. You ask people that live in most parts of Europe, they can see Americans a mile away, by the layer of fat most of us carry...

[javaman]

perhaps rupert just sucks as an actor, I'm sure that thought never crossed his mind.

[jrb35]

For every bitter, gay failed actor there's a THOUSAND bitter STRAIGHT failed actors. Get over it. Hollywood studios, producers and production companies don't give a damn who you sleep with as long as casting you in a film will make them (and the share holdera) a profit. It's a business folks and entertainment is a product. I you think otherwise, I invite you to invest your life savings into a film and then take out a second mortage and put yourself in debt and we'll see how fast you make casting decisions based on how much of an audience said star can bring into the theaters. Mr Everett may be very talented, but does anyone think audiences anywhere would believe him in a leading man action role that Will Smith usually plays? How about a Matthew McConaughey romantic comedy? Everyone knows Jodie Foster is gay and she still gets leading roles. She's often cast as a widow or divorcee because no one would buy her in a straight romance. I think she's brilliant but it just wouldn't work.

[tonybar]

In the years that I have seen the man in person, I have watched him go from one of the most handsome men I'd ever met to downright scary. I would be bitter too. Coupled with the fact that he was a serious partier, some young gorgeous British men don't age so well. They become middle aged and not so attractive just like the rest of us. He should learn to keep his mouth shut. Makes him less attractive.

[doctorfloyd]

Hollywood is a dying American dynasty. So much has been done and with their need to cater to the masses of unenlightened half-wits and the perpetuation of special interest, they have completely lost touch with a huge number of working class Americans. Things may change in five to ten years time when the current children of parents now in their 30s and 40s demand the classic entertainment these parents impress upon them. The dumbing down of America has been the entertainment of choice for the current demographic of kids born in the mid to late 80s. Technology has shortened their attention spans and reality TV has killed their desire for pure talent to guide them through a good story, because now they dream of being the story. Gone are the days of sympathy and concern for what they relate. Now they just love to watch people squirm and Hollywood is more than willing to provide. But the new kids have the edge; an arsenal of parents who were kids during the last great era of entertainment – the 80s and early 90s. We’re letting them have their YouTube, but we’re keeping them from the pathetic waste of time that is today’s entertainment. Instead we are showing them the library of the greatest in entertainment that has already been made. Entertainment that stayed true to the creative elements that helped it evolve into the greatness it came to be, instead of today’s entertainment that panders to the dazzling light show, the $20 Million dollar mediocre actor and cheap special effects.

[priorzola]

He's got it completely wrong with the Robert Downey and Britney Spears comparison. Unlike Miss Spears, Downey's artistic output continues to outshine his personal exploits. The same cannot be said of Britney. There are those in the world of celebrity who want to be good and then there are those who want to be famous. Then there is the rare individual who is both. The second Britney Spears starts taking her careeer seriously enough to learn to sing her own songs LIVE is the day when we should pretend she's nothing more than an attention whore. If she doesn't take her career seriously, why should anyone else.

Downey, on the other, has his demons but continues to use his work to address them. It doesn't excuse his troubles but it reveals that he's willing to use his art cathartically and continues to do good work no matter what is going on in his life. A better comparison would have been Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. These are two egomaniacal has-beens who demand that people pay attention to them whether or not their artistic output warrents it.

In many ways, becoming a celebrity is the new religion. When you think of how members of the modern culture believes a person is capable of achieving immortality, the concept of heaven or reincarnation no longer suffices. But becoming famous (or even infamous) can assure your existence will be noted. The problem is now is that "celebrities" from Paris to Nicole to Anna Nicole to Britney to Omarossa etc are famous simply for shoving there face in front of a camera enough to have people take notice. These are people whose biggest feat is getting arrested or dying, nothing more. When you bank on that kind of celebrity, you don't get to control the reasons why people pay attention to you. If you're famous for artistic output you have some semblance of control over what makes you famous.

[JoeLosFeliz]

Bitter old queen...

[tkondaks]

Hey, Ruprecht, if you don't like the way Hollywood makes movies, make one yourself. Put up your own friggin' money and produce and direct it yourself. Lots of stars do that and they let their art speak for itself.
Go. Do. Shut up.

[Qbear]

Rupert this is getting stale, and absurd.
Have a vacation, or a mydol, or a good lay,
but shut your trap.

[MaxTaylor1]

Didn't this hack do a movie with a talking chimp, and another playing an over the top gay guy (one of the stereo-types he seems to be deploring)?

[Vr6]

You've got yer Misogyny, you've got yer Misandry and now you've got Homogyny!? HAHA! What are you people defending, Hollywood is in many ways the propaganda Arm of the Corporations dept. of Social Engineering - the actors are in it for the money and position, largely - not all and the rest either 'get it'and keep quiet or go independent - hands tied. I mean actors, becoming, presidents and governors etc... talk about paid puppets, corrupted at least - many in ways they know not what! Go Rupert, keep talking your stuff - eat the rich!?

[insanityfollows]

Rupert, I've always admired your talent, but you've lost it. Hollywood has always been a tough town, but folks with tenacity make it anyway. You've just had your cheese slide off your cracker. Get a better agent and let them tak for you if you want to get work again. Sorry, but that's how Hollywood is. If you don't like it, there are plenty of other jobs out there. C'mon, you're smarter than this!

[colibri1]

He's right.