julian_craster

Actor Rupert Everett 'sorry' for Army remarks
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Everett 'sorry' for Army remarks


Everett said he felt "a terrible anguish" about dead and injured soldiers

Actor Rupert Everett has apologised for branding soldiers "wimps" and saying they were "always whining about the dangers of being killed".

"It's pathetic," the star of My Best Friend's Wedding had told the Sunday Telegraph. "The whole point of being in the Army is wanting to get killed."

But now he insists he did not mean to question the "bravery" of troops.

Everett, whose father is a retired Army major, also said he was sorry for talking "flippantly" about torture.

The British star's statement was intended for the "many in this country - and hundreds and thousands of others across the world - who have lost their brothers and sisters, their fathers and mothers to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and all the countless others".

He said he was trying to make the point that "we still go to war, but actually we haven't the stomach for it".

My flippant and irresponsible behaviour arises from a deep frustration at the fact that we seem to be continually making war
Rupert Everett

"It seems to me that embracing war means accepting its underbelly as well, torture and the unspeakable violence that spirals from the battlefield to its surroundings.

"You cannot be politically correct in a war," the 49-year-old added.

"My flippant and irresponsible behaviour arises from a deep frustration at the fact that we seem to be continually making war, dreaming up new ones, instead of doing everything we can to avoid them."

Everett's remarks came as part of an interview to promote Monday night's Channel 4 documentary The Victorian Sex Explorer, about Army officer and adventurer Sir Richard Burton.

They were published on the day when three British soldiers from 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan.

Their deaths took the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 100.

m35541

So said the man who walked out of (or rather disappeared from) the Comic Relief celebrity version of The Apprentice when it all got a weeny bit strenuous for him.

EHV_Emmetts

Mr. Everett does have a track record of making stupid comments. I recall that when he was a guest on Wossy's radio show he, for some unknown reason, started swearing! Even Wossy was shocked and had to play a track whilst he told him about the BBC rules on bad language.

DB7

Very silly comments, but I can't help liking him. I did wonder if his comments were just designed to grab a few column inches and publicize his programme on CH4 last night.

Jackdaw

Another example of crass behaviour by Mr Everett..........................in front of the lovely Susanna as well.

YouTube - BBC Breakfast - Rupert Everett talks about fingering.

Steve Crook

Shame that the programme wasn't really worth publicizing

Steve

Freddy

It fell into the trap of the presenter talking as much about himself as the subject.

Freddy

"What I owe you Colonel Lawrence, is beyond evaluation."

alan gowdy

It struck me that they were the sort of remarks that someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs might have unwisely and rashly made within earshot of an unprincipled hack. But I'm sure none of this applies to Mr Everett.

"Don't forget... one of petrol, two of meths"

homeguard

That's "Greek Gods" justifying their sexuality for you. My wife looked at my slumped, out-of-condition form, then back at him picking a rose to pieces and murmured, "What a waste". I thought, what a t**t!
I'm now on a diet.
Regards,
HG

Steve Crook

It was about where he was picking the rose to pieces that I gave up. I fast forwarded to the last 5 minutes where he was talking about Burton again. That was quite interesting

Steve

homeguard

Agreed. I wonder if he picked up that job in Bollywood?
Regards,
HG