'90s Heartthrob Rupert Everett Says Pursuit of the Perfect Hollywood Body Left Him 'Almost Crippled'

Rupert Everett's career was at an all-time high in the late 1990's, especially being known for the Julia Roberts film, My Best Friend's Wedding. Looking back on his life, Everett admits he "ruined" himself to get the perfect look during his Hollywood golden years.

Many fans know Everett for appearing in several films, such as Another Country, The Importance of Being Ernest, and The Happy Prince. The 67-year-old actor was known for his sharp cheekbones and allure, but admits that the buff physique he flaunted almost cost him.

"I ruined myself," he told the Guardian. "Now I'm almost crippled as a result."

While working hard in the gym to define his muscles, Everett says that he didn't do it the right way. He could "never be bothered" to do things like stretching and warming up the body that he knew was "necessary" for lifting weights. Everett found it tedious and "boring."

"I didn't do any of that. So now my demise will be musculoskeletal, I think," he said.

While joking about his weight during the interview, and being told that maybe he was too skinny back then. He wholeheartedly disagreed. Looking back, Everett felt those years were his best, but short-lived.

"I was wonderful-looking at one point. I had muscles. Everything," he said. "It was quite short-lived. I call it my Hollywood year."

My Best Friend's Wedding was undoubtedly Everett's big Hollywood comeback after the 1984 success of Another Country, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. The 1997 romantic comedy solidified Everett as the leading lady's gay best friend, and he would play that same type of character in Madonna's The Next Best Thing in 2000. Fans would also know him for his role in Disney's Inspector Gadget.

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Everett was a Hollywood heartthrob during that time, but even he admits that he wasn't so secure in his looks. The actor felt that there was always a feeling of not being good-looking enough.

"Even work was about cruising, really. Trying to be attractive. Which obviously came from the feeling of not being attractive enough," he said. "My vanity for me wasn't about ‘mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?'. Vanity is often a feeling of deep insecurity rather than feeling how fabulous I am."

The 67-year-old is now taking life easier, and the only exercise he gets is walking his dog. He's still active on screen, having had a guest role on Emily in Paris and playing Abraham in Mel Gibson's The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One and its sequel.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:57 AM.