Rupert Everett on the late Michael Jackson: “He was a freak. He looked like a character from Shrek…”

Rupert Everett has always spoken his mind – even if it is politically incorrect and downright outrageous.

The openly gay atar of stage (Blithe Spirit) and screen (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Another Country) told the UK’s Daily Mirror: ‘I think it was fortuitous that he died.”

“He was a freak. He looked like a character from Shrek. He was a black to white minstrel,’ Everett said. “‘He was crucified by that court case when he was accused of child molestation – that killed him.

‘He personified the pain and anxiety of a black man in a slave country. We all watched as he changed from black to white. He was living performance art.’

He predicts that Jackson’s death could spell the end of modern day celebrity: “You cannot divide the music from the person. I think his life – and death – is a great lesson. I think we are going to see the end of celebrity as we know it. Showbusiness is not an honest profession.’

‘We’re living in very strange times,” he added. “We have Michael Jackson, a black man who has gone white, and we have President Barack Obama, who is a half white man gone black. It’s absolutely fascinating to watch.’