I had posted on the old board that I read an interview with Rupert Everett a while back where he stated that he regretted his decision - from a professional standpoint (not a personal one). He said it effectively killed his chances for an leading man type film career in the States. It was sad. Sadder still that I think his assessment remains depressingly accurate.
This isn't the article I read, but here are some of Rupert Everett's thoughts on the issue (got this off of uk.gay.com - 2004) --
"Rupert Everett has spoken out against the "trophy" film industry, claiming his sexuality has held him back from being cast in major films.
The out star of My Best Friend's Wedding and Shrek 2 said in the interview with US site about.com that being gay has hampered his progress in the industry.
"I was never allowed to go on to the next step," he said of his post My Best Friend's Wedding career.
"Because, I think in a trophy business, you can maybe be black but you can't, definitely not yet, be gay."
He says the knock on effect of this is "ups and downs", which he admits drives him "furious furious".
"You could end up a basket case easily. I have a bike and I bicycle around a lot and I find myself just arguing, not just with myself, with studio heads, business managers, people about work. It can make you angry," he says.
He also said the rumours of him becoming a gay James Bond would come to nothing, saying he would rather "play it straight anyway".
"The next step would be to play a major leading straight role in a movie," he said of his career plans, but warned that "they would burn down MGM if they got a gay actor to play James Bond"."
