James Dreyfus is set to star in a movie about Kenny Everett.

James Dreyfus

James Dreyfus

The 'Thin Blue Line' and 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' actor took to Twitter to reveal that he has a role in the movie about the late comedian, radio DJ, and television entertainer, who died in 1995 at the age of 50.

James told his followers on the micro-blogging site: "Doing a film next year playing Kenny Everett, so hold on to your bile just for now. Bitches. X (sic)."

However, he did not give any other details about the project.

Kenny - whose real name was Maurice James Christopher Cole - was part of the starting line up on Radio 1 in 1967.

He married the singer and psychic Audrey Lee Middleton at Kensington Register Office in 1969 but they separated 10 years later.

Kenny came out as gay in 1985 and admitted that he had attempted suicide twice as he struggled to come to terms with his sexuality.

He was close friends with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury - who died in 1991 - and the pair would reportedly often meet their pal Jim Davidson in nightclubs in London for massive drug binges.

Speaking about his previous love of cocaine, Jim claimed in 2015: "When I sniffed a line, it gave me a huge buzz ... but as soon as that started wearing off, I wanted more. I would be back in the toilets with Freddie and Kenny, taking line after line. Drugs were everywhere in showbiz in the Nineties. We would all congregate in nightclubs like Stringfellows ... and just get on it."

Kenny and Freddie were never lovers and their friendship came to an end by 1985 over a disagreement about drugs.

Kenny was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1989 and broke the news to the public in 1993.

He said: "I see death in my own philosophical way. I can't imagine I was nowhere before this. I'd like to come back living in Italy or Spain or somewhere. As long as I don't come back bald or in Bosnia, I don't mind."


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