Rupert Everett thinks he's "too shy" for an actor

He explained: "I’ve realised too late that I’m too shy. I should never have done the job I’m doing. I’m not very good, and I kind of buckle under scrutiny."

Rupert also thinks that straight actors should be able to play gay characters in films and on TV shows.

The actor cited 2013's 'Behind the Candelabra' - which starred Matt Damon and Michael Douglas - as one successful example of straight actors playing gay protagonists .

Rupert told The Times newspaper: "My feeling has always been that I wouldn’t have missed the movie 'Behind the Candelabra' for anything.

"As a gay man I was touched by both of their performances. Because acting is acting, and it’s great for gay people to play straight roles too."

Rupert previously admitted to suffering "gay shame" during his younger years.

The 'Importance of Being Earnest' star explained: "I don’t look in the mirror. Not much. I’ve spent a long time looking in the mirror ... I had that gay shame when I was young.

"I wanted to be better looking all the time. I was always striving to look right."

Rupert thinks male stars used to have things much easier than their female counterparts.

But now, he believes attitudes are finally starting to change within the movie business.

He said: "You could be a man aged 73 and have a 22-year-old girlfriend. That’s all changed. The result for us is that we haven’t got roles going off into the grey distance."