Rupert Everett has revealed that his quest for the perfect physique in the 1990s has left him “almost crippled”. The 67-year-old actor, known for roles in My Best Friend’s Wedding and currently starring in Disney+ series Rivals, said he frequently lifted weights without proper technique or stretching, leading to long-term damage.
Speaking to The Guardian, Everett said: “I ruined myself. Now I’m almost crippled as a result.” He explained that he found stretching “boring” and skipped it, causing his tendons to tighten. “I could never be bothered to do all those things, like stretching, which were necessary for lifting weights, because your tendons get tighter and tighter. I didn’t do any of that. So now my demise will be musculoskeletal, I think.”
The actor also disclosed that he used to wear “false” muscular bodysuits on camera because he felt uneasy about his physique as a child. He claimed directors were unaware of the ruse, as he would attend costume fittings already wearing the suits.
Everett first rose to fame in the 1980s with the play and film adaptation of Another Country. He later starred alongside Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1994) and appeared in St Trinian’s and the Shrek franchise in the 2000s.
In a separate matter, Everett clarified in August 2025 that he was not fired from Netflix’s Emily in Paris. After comments made at an Italian festival were misinterpreted, he issued a statement: “I would like to confirm that I was never fired from the show. I was talking to a group of acting students — in my shaky Italian — at a festival in the south of Italy, and it all got a little lost in translation!”
