Entertainment

Rupert Everett tells of risque modification to The Happy Prince play

The actor spoke to Graham Norton about his role in the Oscar Wilde story.
The actor spoke to Graham Norton about his role in the Oscar Wilde story.

Rupert Everett has said he is pinching himself at the success of his film The Happy Prince, but revealed a naughty modification he had to make to the stage version.

The 59-year-old, who stars as Oscar Wilde in the film and wrote and directed it, appeared on The Graham Norton Show to discuss the success of the movie.

He said: “I am thrilled, I’m pinching myself. When I was making it I thought ‘Never again’. But now I am bursting with ideas.”

The actor, who admitted he had been historically known a a “bit of a flake”, spoke of his surprise at holding on to the project, which was 10 years in the making.

Graham Norton Show – London
Host Graham Norton with (left to right) Cher, Christine Baranski, Rupert Everett and Natalie Dormer during the filming of The Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA)

“I did it because I wasn’t getting any parts. I had to be proactive as an actor, otherwise I would have been left on the shelf,” he said.

“It took 10 years to make it happen and historically I have been known as a bit of a flake so it’s remarkable that I held on to it for so long.”

But the actor, who shared the sofa with Mamma Mia 2 stars Cher and Christine Baranski, referenced a hilarious story recounted by Baranski.

According to the Emmy award-winning actress, actor Michael Sheen reportedly refers to his penis as “The Great Christine Baranski”, comedian Sarah Silverman once told her.

Everett said of wearing a fat suit for the The Happy Prince play: “I had a low-hanging bum, moobs and my very own ‘Great Christina Baranski’ before I realised that the people in the front few rows could focus on nothing else so I had it cut down to size!”

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One at 10.45pm.