1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:02,960 This programme film contains strong language. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,480 TEARFUL: Don't get emotional. 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,320 Have you seen my penis? CHUCKLING 4 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,600 ALAN YENTOB: Our story begins here. It's April 2013 5 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,240 and I'm on my way to Rupert Everett's house. 6 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,960 He's agreed to document the next year of his life as he finally 7 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,000 completes a project that's obsessed him for more than a decade. 8 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,160 To write, direct and star in a film about his hero, 9 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:48,440 the patron saint of homosexuals, Oscar Wilde. 10 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,280 KNOCKING Rupert? 11 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:56,600 Coming. 12 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,040 GROWLING 13 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,160 That was very theatrical. 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,920 Alan, come in. This way. 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,360 So, Rupert, I've got something for you. What is this? 16 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,440 And there it is. My God, it's beautiful. 17 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:15,720 HD. HD, only the best. 18 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,080 Only the best at the BBC. This must have cost a fortune. 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:20,560 Yes, but you're worth it. 20 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:22,200 BEEP 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,760 That's now yours for the next year and a half, or however long... 22 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,480 It takes. It takes. 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,120 This is the equipment that was used by Beyonce. 24 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,000 It's that sort of idea, you know? In bed at night. 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,760 Yep. At any point, moments of intimacy... When I have a thought. 26 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,720 When you have a thought you want to share with us. 27 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,720 I never have moments of intimacy. Don't you? 28 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,760 When I first visited Rupert back in 2013, he'd already been pursuing his 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,400 passion project about Oscar Wilde for some six years. 30 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,520 But the cast was in place and he thought he'd raised 31 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,720 almost all the money. 32 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,040 Little did he know, it was just the beginning. 33 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:02,480 Oh, that's better, yeah. 34 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,080 I think I'll be shooting myself from above. 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,160 And, Alan, tell me, what happens if my film never gets made, 36 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,720 how do we end the story? 37 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,360 My suicide? Rehab, possibly? 38 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:13,840 Yeah, rehab would be good. 39 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,880 I could end up in rehab. Yeah. 40 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,440 Or probably playing Oscar Wilde again up in Scarborough or something. 41 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:20,920 LAUGHTER 42 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,520 It's the last night of the Judas Kiss, 43 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,920 David Hare's play about the scandal and disgrace that engulfed 44 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:39,800 Oscar Wilde. It's been a smash, 45 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,120 earning Rupert rave reviews and an Olivier nomination. 46 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,360 Playing Oscar on the London stage is all part of his plan for the film. 47 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:53,200 To prove to those investors who can provide the last bit of funding that 48 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,320 he can pull off the part. 49 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:01,280 This hand was a print taken of Oscar Wilde's hand by this psychic called 50 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,520 the Sybil of Mortimer Street in 1880. 51 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,680 And there's, like, six copies of it. 52 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:07,640 And I have one. 53 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:10,840 Yep, and it's given me my sparkle. 54 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,360 But now I've got make up on it. 55 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,560 Cos when I did the play first, I really felt Oscar Wilde around all 56 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,040 the time, then when we came into this disease trap of a theatre, 57 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,840 I felt he didn't really come with me. 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,360 And the first few shows, I wasn't very good in. 59 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,520 And then, um, someone gave me that hand... 60 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,160 ..and so it did become symbolic of trying to bring him back into me 61 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,440 slightly. And get, you know, my sparkle back. 62 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:37,680 Hm? 63 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,080 Always got to sparkle. 64 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:42,920 Oops. 65 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,440 Last time, thank God. 66 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,600 It's been amazing for me because when I wrote my film, I wasn't sure 67 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,840 that I would be able to play the role. 68 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,680 So it's been an amazing experience. 69 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,800 Kind of honed down my own ideas about Oscar Wilde. 70 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,320 Lots of people don't wear make up any more in the theatre, but I can't 71 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,400 think what else there is to do before the show. 72 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,040 So I've put on tonnes. 73 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:15,200 These are my teeth. 74 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:27,360 As a child, Rupert loved to listen to his mother reading him 75 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:32,320 The Happy Prince, Oscar Wilde's tale of a statue who lets a swallow 76 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,520 strip off his gold to feed the poor. 77 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,800 "Swallow, swallow, little swallow," said the happy prince. 78 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,840 "You tell me of marvellous things. 79 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:44,840 "But more marvellous than this..." 80 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:50,560 But the film script Rupert has written focuses on Oscar's own de-glittering. 81 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,480 Released from prison, disgraced and dying, 82 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:00,400 he's reunited in exile with Lord Alfred Douglas, or Bosie, 83 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,600 the lover who brought about his ruin. 84 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,440 You don't seem very worried. 85 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,480 What do you mean? By not having any money. 86 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,480 I came at your invitation. 87 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,480 If you remember, it was your idea. 88 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,680 You promised to look after me. You had money, you said. 89 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:15,680 So? 90 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,120 Six years ago, I started working on my own film script about Wilde, 91 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,680 so I really did read every book about him. 92 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,080 And it may be one of the reasons I'm playing it well, 93 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,880 cos I really do know the character, quite inside out. 94 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:32,320 Or at least my version of it. 95 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,040 I think, you know, historical characters are up for grabs, really, 96 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:36,600 they are what you want them to be. 97 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,960 Good afternoon. I'm the great Irish poet and dramatist Oscar Wilde. 98 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,240 LAUGHTER 99 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,720 A MAN SPEAKS IN ITALIAN 100 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,520 Non far niente. Benvenuto casa mia. 101 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:57,920 HE GASPS 102 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,640 LAUGHTER 103 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:02,920 All the modesty of an Italian, I see. 104 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:04,360 LAUGHTER 105 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:08,160 Sorry. 106 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,360 All the films about him end when he goes into prison. 107 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,160 And, for me, 108 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,280 the part I've always found very romantic is this... 109 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,640 ..fallen star, because he was such a celebrity, he's a fallen star. 110 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:26,000 The English living... Like, one of the last great 111 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,640 19th-century vagabonds. 112 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:31,520 Smelling of piss with no teeth, you know. 113 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,840 He really is lying in the gutter. 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,280 Then I became... 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,320 ..a little bit obsessed by the story and the notion of him... 116 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,360 ..always wanting to get to the gutter, somehow. 117 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,280 I think it's a very romantic story. 118 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:56,520 It's never been told in a film, so I started writing about that. 119 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,960 Every life has its formative experiences. 120 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,920 Little Rupert Everett's first thunderbolt struck in Braintree in 121 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,960 1965 at the Embassy Cinema. 122 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:24,720 Those huge curtains silently swished open and Mary Poppins sprang across 123 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:26,560 the footlights and into my heart. 124 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,560 The next 90 minutes were the most shocking, inspiring, funny, tragic, 125 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,480 exhausting, draining and troubling of my entire life. 126 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,480 # For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. # 127 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,280 My mother was discarding an old tweed skirt. 128 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,520 It was my first act of madness. 129 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,560 I was going to be Mary Poppins' daughter and this skirt was how 130 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,440 I would pull it off. I rescued it from the dustbin and, 131 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,080 before long, I was wearing it all the time. 132 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,760 Nobody paid much attention but something had started. 133 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,520 The giant and deranged ego had been born. 134 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,920 For a posh boy from the Home Counties, 135 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,760 Rupert's big break came in a most unlikely place. 136 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,440 After his dismissal from the Central School of Speech and Drama for 137 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,720 insubordination, he washed up here, 138 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,200 at Glasgow's ground-breaking Citizens Theatre. 139 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,400 And the rest is history. 140 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,040 I will never forget that first image of the Gorbals. A half-built mosque, 141 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,240 the burnt-out carcass of a car in a circle of parched grass, 142 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,200 a menacing group of kids running around with a football. 143 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,120 And the theatre, blurry in the drizzle, 144 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,440 more like a Methodist church than a bacchanalian performance centre. 145 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:53,280 Yeah, well, yep, yep... 146 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,160 "This doesn't look much like a place where the actors all have sex in the 147 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,160 "showers after the show," I grumbled to Joe, 148 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,440 in reference to one of the myths surrounding the theatre. 149 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,280 "I'm sure you'll change all that, replied Joe," tartly. 150 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:10,840 Well, I mean, probably, who knows whether any of it was true? 151 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,760 Well, I suppose I do, but I'm not saying. 152 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,640 Now, while we're at it... 153 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,560 He turned up one day. 154 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:23,600 I was trying to do an adaptation of Proust. 155 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,120 I was rather short on aristocrats to hang around, actually, 156 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,880 they're a bit in short supply in Glasgow. 157 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:33,160 And he, luckily, he came and banged on the door and said, 158 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,120 was there any work? 159 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:36,800 Stage door. 160 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,560 And there was. 161 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:41,440 Please help me. I don't know what to do. 162 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,160 It's your life and you've lived it as you've wanted to live it. Yes. 163 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,640 That's fair. You've wanted love, always. 164 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,800 Passionate love. Because you were made like that. 165 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,040 It's not your fault, that's the fault of circumstances. 166 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:55,280 Rupert's returned to the Citizens to help celebrate its 70th anniversary. 167 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,080 She's gorgeous, she's gorgeous. 168 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:58,760 Jack, this is Vic Davis. 169 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:00,080 Hello. And this is Celia. 170 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,240 Hello. Nice to meet you. 171 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,960 We were all in my first job together. Yes. That's right. 172 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,120 This is where I started my illustrious career. 173 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,840 Coming here changed my whole life. 174 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:17,960 And working for Philip Prowse, the director of the theatre, 175 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:22,720 and, by the way, also the person who helped me write my script about 176 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,800 Oscar Wilde, was definitely one of those life-changing... 177 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,040 What's it called, a watershed moment? Is that a watershed moment? 178 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,120 Go away. Don't keep telling me to go away when our only hope is to hammer it out. 179 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,280 It got him an equity card and it got him on a stage, 180 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,560 which is where he wanted to be. 181 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:42,760 What all actors, I think, need is the experience of standing there and 182 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,440 not wetting yourself in front of, in front of... 183 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,080 ..you know, 500, 800 people. 184 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,800 He was being beautifully brought up, traditionally brought up, 185 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:54,960 beautifully brought up. 186 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,120 Well, all I would say is you should meet his mother, I mean, 187 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,240 there's no fagging around with her. I mean, you know? 188 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,440 HE CHUCKLES 189 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,800 Look at that pipework, by the way. 190 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:07,760 Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? 191 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,080 I think I'm going to have my Christmas cards made of it. 192 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,480 Maybe you should leave it exposed. 193 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,320 Well, I'm wondering if we might leave this bit. 194 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,760 It is a work of art and nobody ever sees plumbers' works of art. 195 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,080 Rupert's moving back in with Mummy. 196 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,320 They'll be sharing a roof for the first time since Rupert was 17. 197 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,160 Major renovations are taking place. 198 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:33,200 So this is going to be your kitchen? 199 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,000 Yes. I hope you're going to learn to cook really well because why would 200 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,280 you ever want to leave here? 201 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:40,480 I'm feeling rather jealous, actually. 202 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,520 Do you two get on? Rupert and me? 203 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,640 So far. We might not get on, though, when we've moved in together. 204 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,120 When... SHE CHUCKLES 205 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,520 We will see. We'll have to make rules. 206 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,120 You've made them already. 207 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,520 I've said Mummy's allowed to come and have dinner in my house 208 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,040 twice a week, did I say? No, once. 209 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,040 Once. And then I'm going to have dinner with you once a week. 210 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,080 Don't you think you should put something on paper? 211 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:06,760 It is on paper. 212 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,960 It's an obvious question - what was Rupert like growing up? 213 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:12,680 What was he like? Um... 214 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:15,720 She can't remember! Yes, she can, leave her alone, will you? 215 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,680 He was a very nice little child, they both were, my children, 216 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:21,560 nice little children. 217 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:24,000 I hated going away to school. 218 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,840 And I had this little brown suitcase, which I've still got, 219 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,280 and I was packing it and unpacking it and I was so proud and excited, 220 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,320 not knowing what was going to happen. 221 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:34,680 It was barbaric. 222 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:39,240 All children had everything knocked out of them at age seven. 223 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,880 You have to learn to contain emotion straightaway and you cannot... 224 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,520 You cry for the first day and then you have a decision to make - 225 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:50,160 either you stop crying, and become part of the status quo, or you go on 226 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,040 crying and then you become a victim of the rest of them. 227 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,040 And I became a show-off. 228 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,000 I don't agree. I did. If you read all my reports, 229 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,360 they're all about showing off. 230 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,040 Are they? Yes. And kind of a hysterical type of showing off. 231 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,680 And that's how I became an entertainer, I think. 232 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,640 My grandmother used to say to me, you probably don't remember this, 233 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,760 she said, "You were such a quiet child, what happened to you?" 234 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,200 When Rupert somehow found his calling... 235 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:19,160 ..did he inform you? Which, the gay calling or the acting calling? 236 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,680 Well, let's talk about them both. What about the gay calling? 237 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:24,240 No, he never informed us of that. The acting calling I did. 238 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,120 I can't remember how we found out about that, 239 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,200 I really can't, which is quite extraordinary. 240 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:30,800 And the acting calling, I can't remember how we found out about that. 241 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:32,280 Daddy dealt with that, didn't he? 242 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,440 You told me that I would end up on the streets. 243 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,720 I never thought he would make a success of it, I have to say. 244 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,560 I know, I was very... My husband had complete faith in him. 245 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,840 Well, you don't really expect your children to be successes properly, 246 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:46,440 do you? What did you expect of him? 247 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:47,800 I don't know. Couldn't tell you. 248 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,240 Catholic, straitlaced and military. 249 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,680 There were a fair few hurdles for the Everett family 250 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:00,280 to get over with Rupert. 251 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,680 That's about it, you see. I'm hardly even featured. 252 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,040 That's very difficult for an actor, for a thespian, not be featured. 253 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,120 What about your dad and your mum? 254 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,520 Not only an actor, but also... 255 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:19,960 Queer. A queer. I think that was very difficult for them at the beginning. 256 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,000 Did you ever have a moment when you said to your parents, 257 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,920 "This is who I am?" 258 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:26,480 No, no. Never. 259 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,640 They'd have hated that. They don't have that whole, um... 260 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:31,920 ..language at their disposal about, um... 261 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,280 ..you know, affection and love. 262 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,440 A compliment in my family is, "She knows how to park!" 263 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:39,640 Well parked! 264 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:54,480 Honestly, Alan, for fuck's sake! You can't even get us back home. 265 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,600 Oh, God, here we go, this is it. 266 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,160 We're going be stuck in traffic. Yes, well it's just inevitable 267 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,240 because there's roadworks. 268 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,760 It's because you left too late, Alan. Would you rather walk? 269 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:09,280 Hmm... If we get close to a station, possibly. 270 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,880 God, we're not in Hollywood now, you know. 271 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,400 Free recovery awaits. 272 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,920 I could dump you there and they could pick you up. 273 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,520 Oh, God, that afternoon's absolutely exhausted me. 274 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,800 Presenting my mother to the world has kind of undone me. 275 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:27,240 ALAN LAUGHS 276 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:29,840 Sleep away. 277 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,720 I had met many stars. 278 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,200 At 17, I'd sat with David Bowie downstairs at the Embassy Club and 279 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,200 been lectured on the mystical potential 280 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,560 hidden in the number seven. 281 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,120 At 18, I had dined at La Coupole in Paris with Andy Warhol 282 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,520 and Bianca Jagger. 283 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,720 I sniffed poppers with Hardy Amies on the dance floor of Monkbury's. 284 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:13,840 I'd done blow with Steve Rubell and Halston at Studio 54. 285 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:18,960 I was spoiled for excitement and I knew what it was to be drunk on fame by association. 286 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,560 It has to be said, Rupert has had a somewhat chequered career. 287 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,640 You're just using her, you're going to leave her hanging and walk away. 288 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,760 This one was a bit of a car crash. 289 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:42,520 Hearts Of Fire saw him co-star with Bob Dylan, who subsequently, 290 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:44,920 and sensibly, stuck to music. 291 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,600 You know, I guess I always knew I was never one of them rock and roll 292 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,120 singers that was going to win any Nobel Prize. 293 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,360 He hit the Hollywood big time in My Best Friend's Wedding 294 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,840 with Julia Roberts. 295 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,800 George likes to pretend that he's gay! 296 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,080 And why would you do that? 297 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,960 Oh, I find it attracts women. 298 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,800 Indeed, yes. Worked for me. 299 00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:17,920 There, this one, this is the M3. 300 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:19,520 Do I make a left? Yes! 301 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,360 No. 302 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:23,840 But his most talked about turkey, 303 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,040 as Madonna's gay best friend in The Next Best Thing... 304 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,160 Oh, I missed you so much. 305 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:31,520 ..rather backed him into a corner, casting wise. 306 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:32,680 I'm pregnant with your baby. 307 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,040 I suppose being gay in the business, 308 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,680 I don't like, it's so boring to talk about, 309 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,720 but it's been such an issue, really, for me, personally. 310 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,400 You know, it was the major driving force of my career, 311 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,960 being gay and making it for a second and then, slightly, the carpet was 312 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,680 pulled from under my feet. It just didn't go on for very long. 313 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,160 What brought that about, do you think, that suddenly? 314 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:02,920 Because you were... I needed to get in Hollywood something apart from playing the gay best friend. 315 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,640 A proper, good, straight role, I could never get it. 316 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,320 And I think making the film with Madonna, in the end, you know, 317 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:14,200 because it didn't go well, was the kind of, knocked it on the head. 318 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:16,720 Daddy, are you a faggot? 319 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:19,760 What? 320 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,160 I'm here to tick you off. 321 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:31,640 Oh, you are? 322 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,040 Why? Well, because we gave you a camera... 323 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,160 ..and you haven't used it. I tell you why, what happened. 324 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,560 I became a little bit depressed about the whole process of my film 325 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,560 and I found that the idea of putting it on camera 326 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,880 was rather too excruciating. 327 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:49,520 But now I've had a breakthrough - 328 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,080 it's funny how one has breakthroughs - 329 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,240 and something lifted for me last week. 330 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:58,400 And I suddenly felt a kind of rush of energy that my film will actually 331 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:00,960 happen and I think it will happen. 332 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,360 It will happen. It will happen. 333 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:09,400 I managed to finance most of the film on getting Colin Firth to agree to be in it. 334 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,920 Which was very nice of him, and I got the signature, 335 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,960 and you take these signatures to all the financiers and they say, 336 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,240 "Oh, Colin Firth, fantastic!" 337 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:20,800 By the way... 338 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,320 ..I've decided that the greatest happiness of the greatest number 339 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,200 will best be achieved if I do agree to be a prefect. 340 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:29,920 Tommy! 341 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:31,800 Stop it. 342 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,840 I shall insist on the terms set forth by Menzies but with one extra condition - 343 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:36,640 I shall refuse to take house prayers. 344 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,440 Rupert and Colin go back - way back, 345 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,760 to their 20s, when they explored politics and sexuality together in 346 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:45,360 Another Country. 347 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,520 Rupert has been rather beastly about Colin on occasion. 348 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,720 But that didn't stop them from co-starring again in their 40s 349 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,800 in an adaptation of an Oscar Wilde classic. 350 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,200 We have to talk. You have to leave. 351 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:01,680 But if I leave, how can we talk? 352 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,280 We cannot both be called Earnest. 353 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,760 I don't believe we are, brother Jack. 354 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,480 Suddenly creative artists were on the phone to me. 355 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:12,000 He said, you know, "Colin really want us to get into this for you and 356 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,240 "it sounds like a great project and we want to package it for you," 357 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,120 and all this kind of stuff. 358 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:19,560 "Listen, I think we've got a great cast already. 359 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,800 "We've got Emily Watson, we've got Tom Wilkinson, we've got you." 360 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:27,080 And I wanted to say, "And Colin," but I never dared say it. 361 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,520 And I realised halfway through that the reason they were doing it was 362 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,720 because actually Colin didn't want to be in the movie. 363 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,160 And so he had said to them, "Listen, try and help him out." 364 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,720 And then I got an e-mail from Colin Firth's wife, Livia, saying, 365 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,720 "Oh, Colin doesn't dare to call you. He's got a lovely new part," 366 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,600 and I knew the game was up. 367 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,840 Are you planning now to sort of delay until you can get Colin back 368 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:53,680 or what? No, I've read Colin the Riot Act. 369 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,000 Because the point is, his role is only six days long. 370 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:02,360 And, as we all know, stars of his stature can reorganise any shooting 371 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,440 they want, if they want to. 372 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,880 And the thing is, he's just got to do it because otherwise I'm going to kill him. 373 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:10,040 I really will kill him. 374 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,000 Rupert's been invited to the Marrakech Biennale 375 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,360 to promote his project. 376 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,720 Progress has stalled yet again. 377 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,480 He's been refused funding by the BFI, the British Film Institute. 378 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,840 I'm hoping we might be able to change the minds 379 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,480 of the guy at the BFI. I don't know why, 380 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,440 but I very much want to make my film with the help of the BFI. 381 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,520 Bonjour. 382 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,800 Oscar loved North Africa, too. 383 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,280 He visited Algiers with Bosie, 384 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,600 where they indulged in all sorts of activity. 385 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,800 Oscar even turned pimp, 386 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,360 procuring a flute-playing Arab boy for the French writer Andre Gide, 387 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:25,240 who later wrote home, 388 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,760 "Wilde, if only he were capable of being careful - 389 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:30,920 "he would be a great genius. 390 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,760 "But, as he says himself, I have put my genius into my life." 391 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,760 HORN BEEPS 392 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,640 Oh! 393 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:47,560 Dead end. 394 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,920 This could be the scene that represents my struggle to get my film made, 395 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,720 endless dead ends, false leads. 396 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:02,520 Beautiful vistas that turn into culs-de-sac. 397 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,040 Marrakech won't bring any cash for the film, but Rupert's new strategy 398 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,200 is all about networking. 399 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,400 Talk to anyone who'll listen, any time. 400 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,480 OK, perfect. Yes. 401 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,160 8.30. 402 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,080 All right, bye. 403 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:25,920 OK, welcome to my pad. 404 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:36,920 Here's La Yentob. 405 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,000 You've got to film him arriving. 406 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,120 Alan! 407 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,280 Come, come to my riad. 408 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,600 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 409 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,400 Let's start. Rupert, I described you as a movie star. 410 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,000 Do you take that as an insult or a compliment? 411 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,200 I'm dying to be a movie star. 412 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,240 I just... So it's definitely a compliment. 413 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,560 I think at the moment, really, my movie career kind of has, you know, 414 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,840 disappeared without trace, but I'm hoping to get it back on track. 415 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,000 So we are making our way towards your... 416 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,480 My little personalised riad, where I'm going to take you out onto the 417 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:14,680 roof for a grilling. 418 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,720 I'm always plotting and planning. 419 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,640 And my latest plot is writing a movie, which I've done, 420 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,240 which I'm going to direct and act in myself, and hopefully it's going to 421 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:25,440 be made this October. 422 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,360 This is amazing, this is the life, ligging off festivals and biennales. 423 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:32,400 I think I'm going to make a career out of it. 424 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,640 I felt rather guilty at first when I got here. 425 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,520 Surely not! But then, I thought fuck it. 426 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,760 This is a movie about Oscar Wilde. 427 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:46,880 Talk to us a little bit about why he's such a role model to you? 428 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,640 I'd love to know, also, what your take on him is in the screenplay. 429 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,800 Wilde was a very, very good match for me, work wise, 430 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,600 and I thought being, you know, gay in the movie business 431 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:00,280 is a tough journey 432 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,480 because everyone in the movies has to do what people want them to do, 433 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,920 and so if you're a gay actor in the movies, 434 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:11,120 you really have to just knuckle down and do gayish things, and I thought, 435 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,920 well, Oscar Wilde actually would be the central role for me to play, 436 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,440 particularly since all the films that are made about Oscar Wilde 437 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,800 always end at the moment where I think he finally becomes interesting. 438 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,000 This is the bathroom. 439 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,880 Cleopatra's bathroom. 440 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:31,200 Oh, God. You'd want to just stay there, wouldn't you? Basically. 441 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:33,600 It's quite amazing, isn't it? 442 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,400 You realise, after a bit, you are only what other people think about 443 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,280 you, and at some point, people are absolutely hanging breathless on 444 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,760 every story you're telling, and the next moment, they're looking over your shoulder as 445 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,160 you're telling, you know, an even more brilliant story, 446 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:48,840 and they're completely not interested. 447 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,680 So I think that it's a great discipline 448 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,000 to be a success and a failure. 449 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,520 Do you brush your tongue? Never. 450 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,640 No? No, why would you brush your tongue? 451 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,960 Because I don't know where it's been. 452 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,600 The main thing in show business is there's only one lesson - 453 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,480 it's keep moving. You have to be a shark. As long as you keep moving, something happens. 454 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,120 Well, on that note, Rupert, it's been wonderful talking to you. 455 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:25,920 Thanks a lot. Thank you all very much. Rupert Everett, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much. 456 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,080 With my plunge pool. 457 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,280 So down to business, then. 458 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,880 I feel like my whole career has meant nothing, in one sense. 459 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:39,560 Do you think that's very unreasonable? 460 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,440 I've worked all of my life in this business 461 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,040 and I've come up with a script that everybody thought, 462 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:45,960 a lot of people thought, was good. 463 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,320 I'm a first-time director 464 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:51,640 and right from the beginning with the BFI, they never returned my 465 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,000 phone calls when I tried to get in touch with them, 466 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,000 and then to be turned down, I just feel... 467 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,760 gutted. I feel... 468 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,280 We can't leave it at that. No, I can't leave it at that. 469 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:02,480 I can't leave it at that. I think it's really unfair. 470 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,760 Can't you call the BFI and, "Please, daddy?" 471 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:09,480 Funnily enough, I'm just doing that. "Please daddy?" 472 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:13,920 I'm sitting with Rupert Everett in a very dilapidated, 473 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,680 ramshackle place in Marrakech and he's very depressed. 474 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,360 He's crying because he's been rejected by the BFI. 475 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:22,800 So will you give me a ring back? 476 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,040 Thanks. 477 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,920 Listen, Alan, it's just not worth going on, if I can't get money from 478 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,440 the BFI after 20 years in this business, well, 479 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,560 I might as well just throw myself down off my riad. 480 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,200 Ahh! Oh, my God! 481 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,200 Agh! PHONE RINGS 482 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,520 It's the BFI. Hi, hi. 483 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:48,440 PHONE: Is now an OK time? 484 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:51,880 Well, it's not too good because Rupert Everett just threw himself 485 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,920 off the balcony and I think he's killed himself. 486 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,120 Oh, dear. 487 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,360 Please, give me the money. 488 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,600 When I had, you know, quite a major Hollywood career for a few years, 489 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:26,240 and so much opportunity, I was unable to exploit it, really. 490 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,920 Every single Hollywood studio wanted to give me a development deal for 491 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:35,160 something, and I had many development deals and fucked them all, 492 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:38,000 didn't fuck them all up, but just when they started going wrong, 493 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,240 just let them go. And it's ironic that I would only discover a kind 494 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:44,520 of tenacity when it was too late 495 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,800 and, you know, ironic and, I suppose, typical. 496 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:54,480 # Dearest, dearest, one thing I know 497 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:58,680 # Everything I feel for you 498 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,720 # Started many ages ago 499 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,680 # Long before I knew you 500 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,480 # Long before I met you 501 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,200 # I was sure I'd find you 502 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,160 # Someday, somehow 503 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:25,120 # I pictured someone who'd walk and talk, and smile as you do. # 504 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,880 I've come to hear another perspective on Rupert 505 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:32,000 from his dear friend, that great character, man about town and 506 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,360 celebrated interior designer, Nicky Haslam. 507 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,840 Together they've been getting up to all sorts of mischief for decades. 508 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,520 I like it when you cry, though. 509 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,200 BUZZER RINGS 510 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,440 Hello Alan, darling. Hello. 511 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:49,520 A cup of tea or something? 512 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,320 It's all you're going to get. I've got nothing, well, I've got drink, 513 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:53,760 I've got strong drink. 514 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,200 No, I'll have a cup of tea. All right. 515 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,640 So we're making this film about Rupert. 516 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,760 Oh, wonderful. He's a genius, Rupert. 517 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,920 I think he's one of the four most brilliant people 518 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,000 I've ever met in my life. 519 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,320 He's up with Gore Vidal for me. 520 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,560 Seriously? Yes. I think he's extraordinary. 521 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,640 There's nobody like him left. 522 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,800 I don't really want to go back to it 523 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:24,840 because it's so expensive. 524 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,920 When I smoked it was £20 a day. 525 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:29,560 You can afford that, Nicky, can't you? 526 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:34,600 I can't afford it. I'd rather spend it on coke. 527 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,760 "I first met Nicky when I was 17 and worshipped him immediately." 528 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,760 I'm glad to hear that. "In those days, he was quite conventionally 529 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,560 "turned out, with only a feather cut silver bouffant and a slightly 530 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,240 "clipped Noel Coward delivery that set him apart, 531 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,680 "unless, of course, you bumped into him off the beaten social track. 532 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,880 "Late one night, as I once did, at The Coleham pub in Earls Court. 533 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,200 I love the way he says "once" - he was in there night after night. 534 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,680 "The main thing was, that even though he was already ancient..." 535 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,720 And his's talking about you here. "In our cruel teenage eyes, 536 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,680 "he was completely unlike the other men we knew. 537 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:17,080 "He looked at life with a fascinating mixture of childlike enthusiasm and 538 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:22,120 "savage queenery. Unfortunately, this type of queer is largely extinct now, 539 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,200 "but in the '70s, there were still quite a few left, 540 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,400 "and it was in their drawing rooms that one still heard the nuance and 541 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,240 "timbre of Wilde." 542 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:34,520 That's true. I mean, Wilde was a sort of bad word. 543 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:38,800 People would say, "Oscar Wilde, you like Oscar Wilde?" 544 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,960 People sort of said that when I was young. 545 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,080 He was still a big memory. 546 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,120 Because my parents were the age to remember it, you know. 547 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,200 They remembered the scandals and everything. 548 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,800 Tell me about Rupert's obsessive interest with Oscar Wilde. 549 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,040 I don't think he identifies with Wilde in any sort of sexual way, 550 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:57,360 but I think it's more... 551 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,280 ..his, Wilde's mind is very like Rupert's, 552 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,120 and that's where he connects, I think. 553 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:23,640 Reading Gaol. Oscar Wilde, sent down for gross indecency in 1895, 554 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,520 endured two years of hard labour here. 555 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:33,400 Today Rupert has been invited to read Wilde's most famous poem 556 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:35,160 in the place that inspired it. 557 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,880 In Reading Gaol by Reading town, There is a pit of shame 558 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:46,600 And in it lies a wretched man, Eaten by teeth of flame 559 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:52,440 In a burning winding-sheet he lies, And his grave has got no name 560 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,960 And there, till Christ call forth the dead, 561 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,240 In silence let him lie: 562 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:04,080 No need to waste a foolish tear Or heave the windy sigh. 563 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,600 A man had killed the thing he loved So he had to die. 564 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:14,120 And all men kill the thing they love By all let this be heard, 565 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,720 Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a flattering word. 566 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:24,000 The coward does it with a kiss, The brave man with a sword. 567 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,240 I think the ballad of Reading Gaol is one of his best works, 568 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,240 actually, and this notion... 569 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,480 ..of each man killing the thing they love... 570 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,400 ..is you know, him at his most brilliant and fascinating 571 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,440 and even if you don't quite know 572 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,320 what it means, it really is one of those examples of poetry that really 573 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,800 makes you, when you hear it, think, "Oh, what is that?" 574 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:02,760 Your whole brain starts working. 575 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:10,520 "Dear Bosie. After long and fruitless waiting, 576 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,720 "I have determined to write to you myself, 577 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:15,360 "as much for your sake as for mine, 578 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,360 "as I would not like to think I had passed through two long years of 579 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,840 "imprisonment without ever having received a single line from you, 580 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,320 "or any news or message, even, 581 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:27,080 "except such as gave me pain. 582 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,520 "Our ill-fated and most lamentable friendship has ended in ruin and 583 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,920 "public infamy for me. 584 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,680 "Yet the memory of our ancient affection is often with me. 585 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,040 "And the thought that loathing, bitterness and contempt should 586 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,840 "forever take that place in my heart once held by love... 587 00:34:45,240 --> 00:34:46,560 "..is very sad to me." 588 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,760 The amazing thing is, here we are, in this room where... 589 00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:59,640 ..maybe not at this table, but at a table just like it, 590 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,480 De Profundis was written. 591 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:04,000 Tell me the story behind De Profundis. 592 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:09,040 De Profundis is his reckoning with Alfred Douglas. 593 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:14,120 A very long letter describing their relationship and his life in prison. 594 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:16,280 It's an extraordinary letter. 595 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:22,560 And you can see in the original where it's tear-stained and... 596 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:27,880 ..it's a great piece of writing from his point of view because he cuts 597 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:29,440 away at all the kind of... 598 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,960 ..brocade that he's known for. 599 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:38,440 And it's beautifully, beautifully written. 600 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,760 Why is it you've been so, I don't know if I'd say obsessed or 601 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,040 preoccupied with Oscar Wilde for so long? 602 00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:48,440 I don't think it's a thing of identity, I think it's the thing of... 603 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:53,080 I find the story very romantic and I find that whole notion of 604 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,440 19th-century morality compared to our own one, 605 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:58,960 our own changing moral sense now, 606 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,840 because we're becoming puritanical again, in a way. 607 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,840 He's still a very vibrant figure to me, 608 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:13,040 particularly since homosexuality is still a capital offence 609 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,400 in some parts of the world and is... 610 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,600 It's not, it's not a done and dusted... 611 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:23,720 ..thing. 612 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:39,000 Rupert's film focuses on Wilde's short life after prison. 613 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:44,800 When Oscar was released, London became an unbearable hell for him. 614 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,680 And so he set sail for northern France, 615 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,680 where Rupert has now come to look for locations. 616 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:53,960 Wait, wait, wait! You've gone too far. 617 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,120 I'm paying oneself for everything, you see. 618 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,360 My investment has already been ginormous. 619 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:05,200 The budget still isn't sorted. 620 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,360 And there's no sign of that happening. 621 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,080 But Rupert's recce-ing anyway. 622 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,160 Perhaps by retracing Wilde's footsteps, 623 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,720 he can get deeper inside the mind of his hero. 624 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,960 I'm trying to think of atmosphere at the moment 625 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,200 and imagining someone like Oscar Wilde who'd been in the Cafe Royal 626 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:33,760 every day up until prison. 627 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:38,480 He got out of prison at six in the morning. 628 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,000 And took the packet ship over to Dieppe, 629 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,600 arriving in Dieppe at about 4.30 in the morning. 630 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,080 He arrives alone. 631 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,920 He wants to stop being gay, he considers being gay a vice now. 632 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,040 But as he says right at the beginning of my film, 633 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:02,720 which is a quote from him, 634 00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:05,680 he says he is obsessed by ruin and destruction. 635 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,160 He can't stop himself from running towards it. 636 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,120 I was excited when I found this because I knew it was it when I came 637 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,280 down the road and then I came up, and then I saw the thing that said 638 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,640 "Saint Oscar Wilde," so it must be it. 639 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,080 It's sad, isn't it? 640 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,800 It's such a weird place, it's like a kind of junkie paradise. 641 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:39,240 But imagine how lost and out of the way he must've been. 642 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:43,120 When you're sitting here on a June evening and remembering, like, 643 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:47,360 the first lights and everything of your old life, and this valley, 644 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,640 completely empty, really. 645 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,760 And the glittering life he had and the children, 646 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,360 the wife and everyone loving him and wanting to hear more from him, 647 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,920 and then just ending up in this tiny little hotel, hidden away because he 648 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:01,800 couldn't stay in Dieppe because there were too many English people 649 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,280 spitting on him and stuff. 650 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:07,280 Just here, I think it's very, very tragic 651 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,280 and this place is still quite tragic. 652 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:35,080 He made terrible mistakes, really catastrophic mistakes, 653 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:36,920 and the payment was just intense. 654 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,120 And so the fall is just very, very touching. 655 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,080 He's a real punctuation point between the two centuries. 656 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:51,120 And the patron saint of many things, 657 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:54,800 the patron saint of the fallen celebrity, the patron saint of homosexuals, 658 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:56,280 homosexuality, really. 659 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:58,880 The gay movement started with him, really. 660 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:01,680 Or around that time. 661 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,200 So it's an important story, it feels important to me. 662 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:25,720 The funding that HAS been secured is from Belgium and Germany, 663 00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:29,560 and the cash is given on condition that shooting takes place in those 664 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:32,680 countries. We're still ahead of schedule. Ice cream and then back? 665 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:39,040 However, here we are in France, and all because Rupert is determined to 666 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,560 shoot in the places Oscar actually visited... 667 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:46,800 ..no matter the cost. 668 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,600 It's bigger than I remember it. 669 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:56,440 "And when you feel the dreadful bite of all your failures... 670 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:03,200 "..and hear the taunting of unachievable, uncaring God... 671 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,320 "..I will whisper my name, 672 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:13,560 "Antonio Salieri, patron saint of mediocrity. 673 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:21,640 "And in the depths of your downcastness, you can pray to me 674 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:23,400 "and I will forgive you." 675 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,080 After this and before making the film, 676 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:38,400 I'm taking part in a play in Chichester of Amadeus. 677 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:40,640 And I'm playing Salieri. 678 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,840 Hopefully you'll be there filming on the first night, 679 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,280 the warm hand on my opening. 680 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,800 HE CHUCKLES 681 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,680 TANNOY: May I please ask you to ensure that all mobile telephones 682 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:54,200 are switched off before entering the auditorium. 683 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:08,440 Have you ever done that before, taken all your hair off? 684 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,120 Yes, I used to go to these gay skinhead conventions in Leipzig, 685 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,480 in Germany. Really, what were they like? Fabulous. 686 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:17,600 What would happen there? Sex. 687 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,440 The lucky thing for me is it's been a great success, which I wasn't expecting. 688 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:29,800 It's had amazing reviews. 689 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:31,040 Great reviews. 690 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,280 I think they gave me the benefit of the doubt, the critics, which is very, 691 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:38,320 very nice of them because if they'd reviewed me badly after my 692 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:41,040 spectacular success as Oscar Wilde, 693 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:43,840 I think it would have committed me to a kind of oddity 694 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:47,880 dinosaur-slash-graveyard kind of existence. 695 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:50,320 But, as it happened, 696 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:54,800 even the most hardened critics gave me some nice reviews and I'm really, 697 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:56,960 really grateful, actually. 698 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:00,680 Because it's exactly what I needed to keep going. 699 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:05,320 And now, generous ladies, obliging gentlemen, 700 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,200 I present to you for one performance only, 701 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:13,480 my last composition, entitled The Death Of Mozart. 702 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:16,480 Or, Did I Do It? 703 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,280 LAUGHTER 704 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:23,400 Dedicated to posterity on this, the last hour of my life. 705 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,960 Ladies and gentlemen, this is your quarter hour call, 706 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:29,920 quarter of an hour, please. Thank you. 707 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:40,760 The film is going pretty good. 708 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,280 Is the money in place? 709 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:47,000 The money is in place, yeah. We're pretty much set up for next March, 710 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:51,800 starting to shoot. And I feel really good about it all. 711 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:55,400 HE SHOUTS 712 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:09,360 One of the things you've got to understand about showbusiness 713 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:12,760 in general is that it's, a lot of it's about enthusiasm 714 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:18,040 and what you want to happen. And between the enthusiasm and what you 715 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,160 want to happen and reality is, 716 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:26,400 you know, often where, you know, the crack through which people tumble. 717 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:31,000 Back in March 2015, 718 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,320 Rupert's film got a green light and began production in a German film 719 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:39,160 studio, but after just one day, it fell through. 720 00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:44,880 Now the light is gone from green to red. 721 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,080 The precariously balanced cast has fallen apart. 722 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:52,160 And Rupert has been battling pneumonia. 723 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:54,640 I was in my office in the studio, 724 00:44:54,640 --> 00:44:57,680 feeling like Cecil B DeMille for one afternoon 725 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:01,200 and then, as usual, the whole thing went wrong. 726 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,960 First of all, the German producers had not really been... 727 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,040 ..clear with us about how much the budget for the film was. 728 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:12,320 And I brought on... 729 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:17,600 ..what's called a line producer to go through it. 730 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:20,240 And we realised that the budget had gone up to, 731 00:45:20,240 --> 00:45:25,200 the film I wanted to make was about 14 million euros and a half. 732 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:27,520 Which was nothing like what we had. 733 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:28,920 To cut a long story short, 734 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:32,600 we managed to get the budget down to ten and a half million euros. 735 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,880 And then the German producers kind of admitted that they only really 736 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:40,080 had eight and a half anyway. 737 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:43,160 Then I realised that... 738 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:47,800 ..there were so many production costs on top of the budget, 739 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:52,160 part of the budget was these huge costs that they'd put in for 740 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,160 development of the film and all these things they hadn't really done, 741 00:45:55,160 --> 00:45:56,800 then I pulled the plug. 742 00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,600 I don't know whether we can have any of this in the documentary because 743 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:02,080 if the film gets made, they'll all be on the podium with me 744 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,600 receiving the Raspberry Award or whatever it is. 745 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:19,520 Very discreet. 746 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:24,800 PHONE MESSAGE: I have to say this has been a very tough year for me. 747 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:27,480 Because it's just been setback after setback. 748 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:31,200 As soon as I got one bit of finance confirmed, another bit would fall through. 749 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:34,520 Whatever he feels, yes, yes. Otherwise, yeah, I'd love to meet him. 750 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:39,440 PHONE MESSAGE: And then have cast members going off on other jobs, 751 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:42,280 agents trying to cancel on me. 752 00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:45,640 The whole thing has just been one disaster after another. 753 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,320 Oui. Ca va. 754 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,280 But, you know, these are the things that one has to develop a vagina of 755 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,160 steel so that one doesn't get, you know, 756 00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:59,240 fucked so much that one can't walk any more. 757 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:03,040 Interview, TV Monde. 758 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:08,120 Now, finally, I must have done something saintly in a former life 759 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:12,400 because suddenly just a few weeks ago, everything started falling into place for me and, finally, 760 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:15,000 just yesterday, we got confirmation that the last bit of the 761 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:18,240 budget is in place, so it's on, we are go. 762 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:21,480 And then we're going on Monday to wherever it is, Brussels. 763 00:47:24,320 --> 00:47:25,280 Of course... 764 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:28,760 ..the whole film might turn out to be completely shit. 765 00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:43,560 Finally, Rupert Everett has caught the dream he's been chasing 766 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:46,880 for ten years. The Happy Prince is in production. 767 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:53,120 The shoot has begun, and he's a first-time movie director, aged 58. 768 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,560 Not forgetting the screenwriter and the star. 769 00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,880 He's up against it with a very tight, ambitious schedule. 770 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:06,520 42 packed filming days across four countries. 771 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:09,840 He's back in the fat suit. 772 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:11,000 Can someone zip me up? 773 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:17,200 And, amazingly, he's managed to hold on to his stellar cast. 774 00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:21,400 Emily Watson and Colin Firth, alongside Tom Wilkinson, 775 00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,240 Miranda Richardson and John Standing. 776 00:48:24,240 --> 00:48:26,520 It's all coming together. 777 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:31,720 It is absolutely marvellous to do it, because it's a stunning script. 778 00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:33,320 So... It is. 779 00:48:33,320 --> 00:48:35,920 Here we are. Here we are. Two old queens. Two old queens, 780 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:37,600 sitting on the wall. 781 00:48:38,840 --> 00:48:41,720 I don't even care now if it's a terrible film. 782 00:48:41,720 --> 00:48:42,920 Really? No. 783 00:48:44,160 --> 00:48:47,400 Because the thing is most films are terrible in the end, 784 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:51,080 and a lot of that is about the compromise that you're forced, 785 00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:54,240 again and again, there's just one compromise after another and, 786 00:48:54,240 --> 00:48:58,200 you know, you say you wanted to have a ball for 500 people, 787 00:48:58,200 --> 00:48:59,960 it ends up being a party for 20. 788 00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:03,280 And, you know, these things 789 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:05,280 that I feel very sympathetic about now. 790 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:07,720 And now I look at films that are bad 791 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:10,600 that I would have looked at before and gone, "This is crap, 792 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,840 "I want my money back," and I kind of sit there going, "Oh, how sweet! 793 00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:16,760 "Look at this party for 20, it was probably, you know, an amazing, 794 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:19,560 "you know, ball in the royal palace at Saint Petersburg originally, 795 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:21,480 "and now it ended up being a pub scene." 796 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:30,160 OK, where's the fake spittle? 797 00:49:32,720 --> 00:49:36,400 Could Olivier, special effects, join us, please? 798 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:39,280 Your spit. Now? 799 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:40,680 Yeah, now is the spit moment. 800 00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:42,320 OK. 801 00:49:42,320 --> 00:49:45,480 Once? No, four or five, just go on doing it. 802 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:48,880 OK, stand by. Action. 803 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:53,000 Clapping and clapping and yeah... 804 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:55,000 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 805 00:49:57,760 --> 00:50:00,800 The scene today is the scene at Clapham Junction station, 806 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:05,640 where Oscar Wilde was taken, handcuffed to a warden, from prison, 807 00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:10,840 to hear his bankruptcy case, after he'd been convicted of gross indecency. 808 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:17,600 In reality, a crowd gathered round him and, in reality, 809 00:50:17,600 --> 00:50:21,480 a kind of drunk started shouting abuse at him. 810 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:24,160 Fucking pervert! 811 00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:27,200 I beg your pardon, madam. The things he's saying are actually very much 812 00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,600 what people, how people talk now, in a way, about other things, you know, 813 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:32,640 "our children, our kiddies, our women." 814 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:35,280 I think there's some kind of parallel between then and now 815 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:37,600 in many areas of the film. 816 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:40,760 Now, the thing is here, also, the men, everyone's got to join in with this 817 00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:42,160 and be, kind of, more involved. 818 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:46,920 You're all looking dead. You've all got to, you all agree with this man, 819 00:50:46,920 --> 00:50:50,760 you all think he's saying exactly the right thing, and the men, 820 00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:53,560 they've got to kind of support him and go with him when he says all this, 821 00:50:53,560 --> 00:50:56,400 because that's what's going to make it work. So a bit of noise, yeah... 822 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,960 I'll have a fucking go, I'll have a fucking go! 823 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:01,480 We're all waiting for the fucking train... 824 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:03,720 No, OK, sir, when he says, "Oscar Wilde," 825 00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:05,520 you must look at me as Oscar Wilde... Oh... 826 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:08,200 That's what's happening, we're doing le moment ou il dit, 827 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:10,560 "C'est Oscar Wilde". Vous regardez Oscar Wilde. 828 00:51:10,560 --> 00:51:13,040 Keep rolling. Roger? 829 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:14,480 Roger? Thank you. 830 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:16,120 I've been vile to everybody. 831 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:18,120 I'm like a terrible despot 832 00:51:18,120 --> 00:51:21,160 that's been on the rampage. 833 00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:22,920 Toby, Patrick was too early. 834 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:25,520 Who's cueing him? OK. He didn't take his cue, I've told him to wait. 835 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:27,400 OK, good, OK. 836 00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:29,280 But, at the same time... 837 00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:34,200 ..well, that's how it is, you know? 838 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:37,080 It's very difficult to act and direct together. 839 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:41,480 I find. 840 00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:44,120 Without losing it about eight times a day. 841 00:51:45,160 --> 00:51:47,280 Pas trop, mais non, c'est trop. 842 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:49,320 Non, mais non, c'est trop. 843 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:52,440 Regardez, voila le camera, 844 00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:54,400 et voila les personnes principaux. 845 00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:01,200 Vous, monsieur, beaucoup vous allez a votre... Oui. 846 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:02,800 Et - oui. Oui, oui. 847 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:13,400 OK, ready. 848 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:15,080 Ready? 849 00:52:15,080 --> 00:52:17,640 'Ello, 'ello, 'ello. 850 00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:20,080 What have we here? 851 00:52:20,080 --> 00:52:21,480 Poor bugger! 852 00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:23,720 What you in for? 853 00:52:24,920 --> 00:52:27,000 What's he done, then? 854 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:29,200 None of your fucking business, now piss off. 855 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:34,360 Hello, hello... I've seen him somewhere. 856 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:38,720 Don't tell me, let me guess, it's Oscar bleedin' Wilde! 857 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:41,560 What's he doing out? 858 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:44,320 There are women here, and kiddies! 859 00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:48,080 We're all waiting for the fucking train, and we've got to wait with that! 860 00:52:48,080 --> 00:52:50,560 Fucking pervert! CROWD MURMURS IN AGREEMENT 861 00:52:50,560 --> 00:52:52,800 Sorry, madam. 862 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:55,800 Backs to the wall, boys! LAUGHTER 863 00:52:57,920 --> 00:53:01,640 People like you need castrating. 864 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:06,760 Cutting it right off and stuffing it right back down your own fucking throat! 865 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:09,680 ALL: Yeah, yeah. 866 00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:11,680 Disgusting! 867 00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:14,120 HE GAGS 868 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:15,920 HE SPITS 869 00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:19,400 Cut, great! 870 00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:20,800 OK, good. 871 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:32,800 INAUDIBLE CHATTING 872 00:53:32,800 --> 00:53:35,640 You're a vision in blue. 873 00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:37,160 There you are, Oscar. 874 00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:40,720 We're late. 875 00:53:40,720 --> 00:53:41,960 They're waiting for us. 876 00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:46,440 Which are the bits you've enjoyed? 877 00:53:48,600 --> 00:53:50,480 Enjoyment's not really my thing, Alan. 878 00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:54,560 I've never enjoyed anything since puberty, really, much 879 00:53:54,560 --> 00:53:56,720 because I'm basically a whiner. 880 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:03,720 My stomach is a mess, my chest is a mess, my shoulders are a mess, 881 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:05,440 I'm just, literally... 882 00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:09,440 ..half dead. Let's follow them. 883 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:11,600 But for me, it's the only film I'm ever going to make, 884 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:15,640 so I'm just not prepared to compromise. 885 00:54:15,640 --> 00:54:18,080 Great, very good, very good. Let's move on. 886 00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:21,600 Good. 887 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:26,080 Well, the fact that you've got a very significant budget for a first-time director. Mm. 888 00:54:26,080 --> 00:54:30,080 And you've managed to get not just one producer... 889 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:31,920 And an actor on the skids, me. 890 00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:35,160 Yeah. Yeah, so no, all that was very lucky but, I mean, that's, 891 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:39,360 I've also got to thank my actors, and in particular Colin, 892 00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:44,480 because Colin signed up to take part in the film eight years ago 893 00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:47,600 when he wasn't quite as successful as he is now, 894 00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:51,440 and I would be waving this piece of paper at him as, you know, 895 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:55,280 he went from Oscar nomination to Oscar recipient, 896 00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:58,680 and he has, amazingly... 897 00:55:00,160 --> 00:55:04,440 ..stuck by me and, really, the whole thing is down to him. 898 00:55:07,240 --> 00:55:12,320 Rupert's naughty streak saw him gleefully stoke up rumours of a feud 899 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:15,280 between him and Colin in his memoirs. 900 00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:16,520 This is intolerable! 901 00:55:18,040 --> 00:55:21,160 But Colin, or Collywobbles, as Rupert calls him, 902 00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:23,080 is having none of it. 903 00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:27,400 I'm very happy for people to... I love the idea of a feud. 904 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:28,800 I don't think I've ever had one. 905 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:31,240 Well, he's used it in his books, as well, though, hasn't he... 906 00:55:31,240 --> 00:55:32,520 Has he said there was a feud? 907 00:55:32,520 --> 00:55:35,280 No, he's quite mean about me in, well, or is he? 908 00:55:35,280 --> 00:55:36,520 I don't know, I don't know... 909 00:55:36,520 --> 00:55:38,960 He's made stuff up, though, about all the guitarist... 910 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:42,440 Oh, it's outrageous. No, no, yes, he described me as a ghastly, 911 00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:45,840 guitar-strumming, red-brick socialist. 912 00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:48,960 He's... Which is, I think, quite fair in spirit. 913 00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:55,240 But, nevertheless, he came up with this extraordinary script 914 00:55:55,240 --> 00:56:00,440 and I thought it was one of the best scripts I had ever read. 915 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:06,560 And that view was shared by quite a lot of people. 916 00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:10,000 Get out! And then, basically, you sheepishly... 917 00:56:11,040 --> 00:56:12,920 I don't know how he's managing this. 918 00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:15,880 To write it, be in it and direct it, there are very, 919 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:17,840 very few people who have done all three. 920 00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:20,160 You know, there are a few people out there who are doing it, 921 00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:22,720 but it's an exhausting and lonely process, I think. 922 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:34,440 What's the hurry, Oscar? 923 00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:38,280 What more do you want?! What more do you want?! 924 00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:42,200 You've taken everything, you little shits, everything! 925 00:56:42,200 --> 00:56:44,720 My family, my home, my freedom, everything! 926 00:56:44,720 --> 00:56:45,960 There's nothing else to take! 927 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:51,200 Go back to England, that's the land of the hypocrite, go back there! 928 00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:58,360 I didn't know you had it in you. 929 00:56:58,360 --> 00:57:00,400 I don't. 930 00:57:00,400 --> 00:57:01,720 I have nothing in me. 931 00:57:04,080 --> 00:57:05,360 Not even fear. 932 00:57:13,160 --> 00:57:15,400 HE SIGHS 933 00:57:20,960 --> 00:57:24,560 I can't go on, I feel like a chicken that has been pecked to death. 934 00:57:24,560 --> 00:57:28,040 I've been working now since seven o'clock this morning, 935 00:57:28,040 --> 00:57:31,080 and it's now seven o'clock at night, and just people asking me questions, 936 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:33,240 nonstop, trying to act, trying to remember my lines, 937 00:57:33,240 --> 00:57:35,760 trying to direct the actors, trying to organise everything, 938 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:38,880 and I can't now go into really talking about things, I just can't. 939 00:57:38,880 --> 00:57:40,040 I've got nothing to say. 940 00:57:41,840 --> 00:57:43,760 I just can't. 941 00:57:43,760 --> 00:57:45,480 I just can't, I just can't. 942 00:58:12,320 --> 00:58:14,080 It's the last day today. 943 00:58:14,080 --> 00:58:15,320 Thank God. 944 00:58:23,720 --> 00:58:26,360 It might be a load of shit. 945 00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:29,160 No, it won't. Well, you never know with a film. It could be... 946 00:58:30,320 --> 00:58:34,040 ..ponderous, it could be up itself, it could be all these things. 947 00:58:34,040 --> 00:58:36,880 And then, of course, it could be fabulous, but you never really know, 948 00:58:36,880 --> 00:58:39,720 I don't think, until it's all put together. 949 00:58:39,720 --> 00:58:41,720 OK. 950 00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:43,480 There we are. Thank you. Thank you very much. 951 00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:50,240 God, I'm sick of all this! 952 00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:53,960 Wilde's most famous relationship is the tempestuous, 953 00:58:53,960 --> 00:58:59,120 destructive love affair he had with Lord Alfred Douglas, or Bosie, 954 00:58:59,240 --> 00:59:00,600 played by Colin Morgan. 955 00:59:02,680 --> 00:59:04,200 Oscar! 956 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:05,720 But by the end of his life, 957 00:59:05,720 --> 00:59:10,400 the person Oscar wanted beside him was faithful, devoted, 958 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:12,240 generous Robbie Ross. 959 00:59:15,040 --> 00:59:16,560 Robbie! 960 00:59:16,560 --> 00:59:20,400 For Rupert, Robbie, played by Edwin Thomas, 961 00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:22,600 is the real romantic hero of the story. 962 00:59:24,040 --> 00:59:26,640 Oscar and Robbie are buried together. 963 00:59:29,480 --> 00:59:31,280 Good, very good. 964 00:59:31,280 --> 00:59:33,560 Thanks, guys. That's the end. 965 00:59:33,560 --> 00:59:34,840 OK, thank you. 966 00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:36,560 Thanks. 967 00:59:36,560 --> 00:59:38,240 Thank you very much, that's a wrap! 968 00:59:38,240 --> 00:59:40,240 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 969 00:59:41,360 --> 00:59:43,120 Thank fuck for that. 970 00:59:44,720 --> 00:59:47,160 Thank you. Well done. 971 00:59:47,160 --> 00:59:49,040 Well done. We did it. 972 01:00:16,880 --> 01:00:21,640 It's finally time for The Happy Prince to meet the public and the press. 973 01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:27,000 After four months in the darkness of the cutting room, Rupert emerges, 974 01:00:27,000 --> 01:00:29,440 somewhat dazed and exhausted, 975 01:00:29,440 --> 01:00:33,440 into the snow of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. 976 01:00:35,360 --> 01:00:39,000 He's accompanied by Colin Morgan, Edwin Thomas, 977 01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:41,400 a posse of producers and press officers 978 01:00:41,400 --> 01:00:44,040 and a copy of the finished film. 979 01:00:45,840 --> 01:00:47,400 I'm very excited for you. 980 01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:49,920 Thank you. And congratulations. 981 01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:52,200 Why? You haven't seen the film yet. It could be awful. 982 01:00:52,200 --> 01:00:56,480 Your first directorial debut. Oh, yeah. I'm very excited for you. I know, it's amazing. 983 01:00:56,480 --> 01:01:00,320 The industry spotlight shines hard on Sundance. 984 01:01:00,320 --> 01:01:04,760 Rupert's here to create a buzz and take every media opportunity that 985 01:01:04,760 --> 01:01:09,680 comes his way. Is it strange, directing yourself? 986 01:01:09,680 --> 01:01:12,120 No, very nice. I'm my favourite director. 987 01:01:16,040 --> 01:01:19,000 A whole decade after Everett wrote the script, 988 01:01:19,000 --> 01:01:23,240 and five years since we started to document his creative journey, 989 01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:27,080 The Happy Prince is about to have its first public screening. 990 01:01:29,520 --> 01:01:31,880 I must say, I feel quite pleased about it and... 991 01:01:33,320 --> 01:01:37,560 ..it was what I aimed at it to be, so that's something. 992 01:01:39,280 --> 01:01:41,160 Do you want to direct again? 993 01:01:41,160 --> 01:01:46,160 Erm... I've got lots of things I would like to do, but I would be... 994 01:01:46,160 --> 01:01:49,640 I'm quite philosophical because I think at this age, 995 01:01:49,640 --> 01:01:52,240 I'm already 68. 996 01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:55,080 No, not 68, 58 years old! 997 01:01:55,080 --> 01:01:58,160 And if it took me another ten years to get to first base, 998 01:01:58,160 --> 01:01:59,600 I'd be nearly 70. 999 01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:00,840 So that's not on. 1000 01:02:06,320 --> 01:02:07,640 It's time. 1001 01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:11,360 Rupert's going to make the final checks... 1002 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:13,760 ..before the public comes in. 1003 01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:24,400 And he worships a large crystal. "Swallow, swallow, little 1004 01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:27,640 "swallow," said the happy prince. 1005 01:02:27,640 --> 01:02:32,880 "You tell me of marvellous things that are more marvellous than this." 1006 01:02:34,560 --> 01:02:38,080 It's the suffering of men and women. 1007 01:02:39,880 --> 01:02:43,440 There is no mystery so great as suffering. 1008 01:02:46,160 --> 01:02:49,840 There's always, you know, there's always things that you just worry about 1009 01:02:49,840 --> 01:02:54,000 and wonder about. Particularly in an audience like here. 1010 01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:57,520 I don't know what the audience will be like, actually. 1011 01:02:57,520 --> 01:02:59,320 Hopefully, they'll be kind! 1012 01:03:01,680 --> 01:03:04,640 CHEERING AND APPLAUSE 1013 01:03:08,720 --> 01:03:10,240 Let's get a drink. 1014 01:03:12,160 --> 01:03:15,160 You did so well. Thank you very much. It's so good. It's really so stunning. 1015 01:03:16,800 --> 01:03:18,960 Really? You are sweet. Thank you very much. 1016 01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:21,880 It's such an honour to meet you. Oh, thank you very much. 1017 01:03:21,880 --> 01:03:25,120 I loved your film, every part. Thank you very much. 1018 01:03:25,120 --> 01:03:26,320 Well done, darling. 1019 01:03:31,400 --> 01:03:33,280 OK, this is a review from The Guardian. 1020 01:03:33,280 --> 01:03:36,520 All right. The headline is The Happy Prince review - 1021 01:03:36,520 --> 01:03:41,680 Rupert Everett is magnificent in dream role as dying Oscar Wilde. 1022 01:03:42,600 --> 01:03:44,840 Four stars. Directed and starring Everett, 1023 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:49,000 this poignant dramatization of Wilde's final years in exile 1024 01:03:49,000 --> 01:03:52,520 is a powerful parable of passion and redemption. 1025 01:03:52,520 --> 01:03:57,680 This film is a deeply felt, tremendously acted tribute to courage. 1026 01:03:58,440 --> 01:04:00,040 Ooh! Very good review. 1027 01:04:01,120 --> 01:04:03,480 Why's that only four stars, then? 1028 01:04:19,960 --> 01:04:21,120 Hang on a minute. 1029 01:04:21,120 --> 01:04:22,600 Hi, everyone. Here you are. 1030 01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:24,320 Rupert! 1031 01:04:24,320 --> 01:04:25,760 Hi, there. 1032 01:04:25,760 --> 01:04:27,760 Alan! Yes. 1033 01:04:27,760 --> 01:04:29,560 What are you doing here? He's got... 1034 01:04:29,560 --> 01:04:32,200 Are we reduced to filming the documentary on an iPhone now? 1035 01:04:32,200 --> 01:04:34,360 No, actually... Is that the state of the BBC? 1036 01:04:34,360 --> 01:04:38,080 Yes, actually, can I just say to you, I would like back my... 1037 01:04:39,880 --> 01:04:42,360 ..my camera, what's happened to the camera we gave you? 1038 01:04:42,360 --> 01:04:44,920 What camera? What do you mean what camera?! 1039 01:04:44,920 --> 01:04:46,480 I gave you a camera. 1040 01:04:46,480 --> 01:04:48,000 Oh, that one you gave me years ago? 1041 01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:50,480 Yes, years ago. 1042 01:04:50,480 --> 01:04:54,120 Oh, erm... Well, I think it's in my house. 1043 01:04:54,120 --> 01:04:56,600 And how much...? Have you used it? 1044 01:04:56,600 --> 01:05:01,120 Well, Alan, you know I'm not very good with machines and computers. 1045 01:05:01,120 --> 01:05:03,040 I can't even, um, 1046 01:05:03,040 --> 01:05:06,240 I can't even do that start-up TV thing where you stop the TV. 1047 01:05:06,240 --> 01:05:10,600 I can't... I know, but the whole idea was that you were going to 1048 01:05:10,600 --> 01:05:12,880 use it to film some sequences. 1049 01:05:12,880 --> 01:05:16,760 I know, but the thing was I tried to get my boyfriend interested... 1050 01:05:18,080 --> 01:05:20,320 I remember. And he just... 1051 01:05:20,320 --> 01:05:22,360 I don't know, I could never get him to do it. 1052 01:05:22,360 --> 01:05:23,920 I was going to do it, that's right. 1053 01:05:23,920 --> 01:05:27,200 I remember now, I was going to do a nightly video diary. 1054 01:05:27,200 --> 01:05:28,800 And did you? 1055 01:05:28,800 --> 01:05:30,120 Well, no.