Rupert Everett is looking back at how his friendship with Madonna was strained attributable to The Next Best Thing movie flop.
The My Best Friend’s Wedding actor recently appeared on the The best way to Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, where he reflected on the 2000 John Schlesinger-directed romantic comedy, which starred Everett, Madonna and Benjamin Bratt.
“It was not a failure as such really on the box office due to video sales in those days — Madonna sold plenty of videos — however the film itself didn’t work, despite the fact that for a very long time, it was the one film that handled this issue that was actually then happening and being born,” he explained.
The Next Best Thing follows Abbie (Madonna) who has a one-night stand along with her gay friend Robert (Everett) they usually conform to raise the resulting baby together. But things get complicated when Abbie starts dating Ben (Bratt).
In line with Everett, “every thing went improper” on set while filming, which he said, “completely finished things for me in Hollywood.” Nonetheless, he still praises Madonna for her performance within the movie, despite the constant pressure she faced on the time.
“I believe it’s very difficult for her to be in movies because everyone has such a preconception,” he said.
“I don’t know the way she could ever be adequate to make people say, ‘Oh God, that’s really good.’”
The Blissful Prince actor continued, “I believe it was great having her within the film. I believe she was touching within the film, too, myself. I haven’t seen it for ages, though. I mean, each time that comes on, I type of look the opposite way.”
As there have been plenty of expectations for the movie to succeed, when it ultimately flopped, that’s when Everett said it put a “strain” on his relationship with the “Material Girl” singer. He added, “Friendships and failure in Hollywood are very difficult things to maintain going.”
