Rupert Everett is an actor who has taken on countless amazing and diversified roles – serious dramas, romantic comedies, fantasy films, animated projects, and even horror movies. His connection with Oscar Wilde certainly pre-dates the new movie THE HAPPY PRINCE, which Everett not only takes the lead in, but also writes and directs (his directorial debut). He’s played Wilde on stage, and starred in previous films based on Wilde’s material (such as THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST), but his portrayal of the famous Irish poet and playwright is one we haven’t seen before, at least a darker side of the man’s life. Wilde was at the height of his popularity in the late 1890s when his honesty and openness as a gay man landed him in prison. The previous movies that showed Wilde’s life focused on his life before that time, but Everett chose to show the less glamorous side of the author, and how things were as the approached the end of his life. And oddly enough, while being a reverent period piece, it’s ever so timely with today’s political climate and the persistent bigotry the LGBTQ community still faces. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rupert to discuss his work on the movie, and the importance of the material in a very candid and open interview. He’s always been one of my favorite actors, and it was an honor to discuss his first work in the director chair with him. My sincere thanks to Mr. Everett, and Andrew Conway for editing this piece together. Check local listing to see where THE HAPPY PRINCE is playing near you.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
