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

[situationcritical]

If Rupert had never come out of the closet (I don't think he was ever in the closet), all the posters here who refer to him having a "bitchy, hissy or whatever other effeminate term would never think to do so.

But since he let you know he's gay, you can't resist showing your homophobic ass.

[smugglerdurant]

I find his bitchy rant refreshing. What surprises me (always) is the low level of discourse these comment threads bring out. What you say here says more about you than Mr. Everett.

[situationcritical]

Ru is making sense.

The opressor will always tell you things are perfectly fine. The opressed, however, will not.

BTW, this blogger didn't say he had plastic surgery recently, I said around 4 years ago, which is a very, very long time ago, especially in these Bush/Cheney years.

[Boris]

Who is this guy and why the hell should anyone care what he has to say? Oh, yeah...by dissing major stars, he calls attention to himself and, as they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity in Show Business. That isnt too hard to figure.
But this guy has had, what? one movie? Maybe its not because he is gay...mayb­e he is just an asshole.

[dommyluc]

I am gay and am so sick of hearing how "liberal" Hollywood is. When Hollywood had the chance to tell the truth about a certain culture - gays, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, women, Native Americans, etc. - or show the basic stereotype, they ALWAYS chose the stereotype - the shuffling Negro, the evil, effeminate gay man or ruthless lesbian, the lazy Mexican, the subserviant, brain-addled woman, the crafty, untrustworthy Asian - the list is endless. I really get pissed when other gays stick up for Disney because they throw us a bone and have a Gay Day or two at their theme parks, while at the same time they strike deals with right-wing Christian anti-gay media companies (i.e. Walden Media). Hollywood would sell us all out in a second. Look at the writer's strike. They are greedy, fascist conglomerates that should be broken up into a million pieces just as the phone companies were once broken up, and should be again since the telecoms are again getting too much power. Fuck Hollywood, and fuck these posers like Clooney and Pitt and the rest who worry about Darfur and starving kids - which are noble causes regardless - but should be worrying about OUR nation and the death of OUR civil and constitutional rights. If they would speak out as much about those issues as about melting icecaps we might be able to get a lot more done against the Bush/Cheney regime. Global warming and the rest of the world's ills must be stopped, but if the Constitution is destroyed NO ONE is going to be able to do anything. And it figures it would take a foreigner like Rupert Everett to speak truth to power, Thanks, Rupe!!!

[Twocentlady]

He's probably on point.
http://twocenlady.blogspot.com

[helen]

Rupert is absolutely right about Hollywood. It is a hugely sexist town where image is everything, and where chauvinism runs deep under the currents.

Jodie Foster, other gay actors, and women, know the truth. So do the men. But everyone talks a good game or they won't get the parts.

[MaxD]

Strangely,
I think Mr. Everrett is making a great deal more sense in this report, than the last. Last time he sounded like a bitter old crone who was upset that his career didn't pan out the way it should have. I wanted to say, hey, have a little class, you don't see Jason Patric crying about how lousy his movie career has become.

[BuffaloMeridian]

Simon Callow, Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, and David Hyde Pierce do okay, too, even playing straight roles.

I'm sure David Geffen, too, might disagree with Everett's characterization of Hollywood.

Bite the hand, Rupert, bite the hand.

[Darwin48]

Whose the crack addict?

[BuffaloMeridian]

Gay men have a hard time getting roles? Tom Cruise seems to be doing okay.

[Cojonú]

Hey 'RUPERT'; you're still here!
Joe Pesci is on his way to England to have a meet with you.
You don't bad mouth a couple of 'Siciliani' from N.Y.C.with­out incurring consequences.
We'll send flowers.

[VivaZapata]

a pissy, hissy fit rant, and just for the record, the tabloids exploited robert downey every bit as much as they did britney spears. i'll give him the benefit of the doubt on this error in case there was less coverage in the Brit tabloids.

[rpence]

Once again, Mr. Everett is exactly right. I find his candor refreshing; others won't be able to deal with it, obviously.

Uh, right, gulopartisan. McKellan gets good roles so that clearly invalidates everything Everett says.

[JMEB]

Oh please. British tabloid culture is at least 100 times worse than it is here. They're more obsessed with Britney over there than they are here.

Another washed-up queen with no real talent bemoaning the fact that he can't get work. I don't seen Ian McKellen having problems getting roles despite being old and gay.