Rupert Everett says he wasn't surprised Michael Jackson died at the young age of 50. He adds that the King of Pop is probably better off dead.
"He was a freak," Everett, 50, tells U.K.'s The Mirror. "He looked like a character from Shrek. He was a black to white minstrel. He was crucified by that court case when he was accused of child molestation – that killed him."
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Jackson "personified the pain and anxiety of a black man in a slave country," Everett continues. "We all watched as he changed from black to white. He was living performance art. I think it was fortuitous that he died."
Of Jackson's 50 London comeback performances, Everett says, "It wouldn't have mattered how good or bad he was. He wouldn't have managed to do all of them and the press would have destroyed him."
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In light of Jackson's death, Everett says, "We're living in very strange times."
"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," he explains. "It's absolutely fascinating to watch."
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Everett's shocking remarks don't end there. He says he "fell out of love with America after 9/11."
"Straight afterwards, this cruel and nasty city was hit with a sudden wave of compassion," he explains. "Everyone looked out for everyone. I thought that could be the beginning of something amazing."
"It felt like it was a new beginning but then the rain started and President Bush came in and began the war," he continues. "The whole country just changed and became completely alien to me. We came to America as kids because England was stuffy and constipated. The U.S. used to be a breath of fresh air but Bush changed all that."
America "is a weird place now," Everett says, adding that "cartoons are more realistic than real-life. Family Guy, The Simpsons and Shrek are much more believable than action films. People react to cartoons rather than life. That is a tragedy."
Everett, a one-time pal of Madonna, also pulls out the cat claws on Gwyneth Paltrow.
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"If I had the choice of being on a desert island with [cheesy British reality star] Jordan or Gwyneth Paltrow, I would choose Jordan," he says. "With Jordan you get the truth. She's treated like a quasi-hooker, whereas Gwyneth is seen as the patron saint of good living," he adds. "Which one has more integrity? I would much rather have Jordan any day."
