A Tribute to Rupert Everett: The Happy Prince

Rupert Everett first appeared on stage in 1981 as Guy Bennett in the West End production of Julian Mitchell’s play Another Country, a role which he repeated, alongside Colin Firth, in the 1984 film version directed by Marek Kanievska which saw him nominated for a BAFTA as Best Newcomer to Film. Everett followed up with another British film, 1985’s Dance with a Stranger, with Miranda Richardson and Ian Holm, in which he played the lover of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain. His first American role was in 1987’s Hearts of Fire, co-starring Bob Dylan. Everett’s other acclaimed film appearances include The Comfort of Strangers, Prêt-à-Porter, The Madness of King George, Shakespeare in Love, An Ideal Husband, Inspector Gadget, A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, The Next Big Thing, The Importance of Being Earnest, Stage Beauty, and Stardust. He is the voice of Prince Charming in the Shrek cycle.

In 1997, Everett’s role in My Best Friend’s Wedding won him both Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his performance as Julia Roberts’ confidante. In 2007, Everett played both Camilla and Carnaby Fritton in a role originally made famous by Alastair Sim in 1954’s The Belles of St Trinian’s. The resulting film, St Trinian’s, was followed by a sequel in 2009, St Trinian’s: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold. In 2008, his documentary The Victorian Sex Explorer retraced the steps of Sir Richard Burton, the infamous author, explorer, and sexual adventurer. He followed this with a series about Lord Byron, another called Love for Sale, and most recently, Fifty Shades of Gay, celebrating the 50th anniversary of homosexual decriminalization in the UK.