‘I think there is a connection between Drag Race and Oscar Wilde’: Rupert Everett on Oscar Wilde’s legacy
The actor is playing the iconic British author in the new movie The Happy Prince
By Steve Brown
Ahead of the release of The Happy Prince – written, directed and starring Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde – the British actor shares his admiration and appreciation of Wilde’s enduring legacy.
In a brand new interview with Attitude, Rupert compares the life of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ author to RuPaul’s Drag Race but said that drag queens have taken over the “tongue-in-cheek” attitude and claims the rest of the LGBT community aren’t allowed it anymore.
He said: “I think there is a connection between Drag Race and Oscar Wilde.
“That performance level and that irony towards your own kind, which is what Wilde was about.
“That tongue-in-cheek thing, which drag queens still have but the rest of us aren’t allowed any more.”
The actor also goes on to talk about the relevance Wilde has on today’s society and claimed the author was the start of the “gay liberation movement”.
“There couldn’t be anyone like Wilde now because there wasn’t such a thing as gay people when Wilde was around, which is why he’s so important to us,” he added.
“The gay liberation movement really starts with Oscar Wilde. In one sense, he’s the centre of what we’re living now.”
The Happy Prince is slated for release on June 15. Watch the trailer below:
Discover the story of Oscar Wilde’s lost years. Witness Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and Colin Morgan in the brand new trailer for #TheHappyPrince. In cinemas June 15. pic.twitter.com/sJsu0l47ut
— Lionsgate UK (@LionsgateUK) April 19, 2018
Read Rupert’s full interview in Attitude’s new July issue, which comes with two covers featuring Sense8 star Miguel Angel Silvestre and Adam Lambert. Buy now and take advantage of our best-ever subscription offers: 3 issues for £3 in print, 13 issues for £19.99 to download to any device.
