Rupert Everett joins Musketeers series 3, explains that Americans don't want 'snaggle-toothed working class' British people on screen

'They want to see upper class people – that's what they want. That's why they love Downton Abbey.'

Rupert Everett has joined the campaign calling for a boycott of the Sochi Winter Olympics (PA)

Fans of BBC’s The Musketeers: you’re in luck. Rupert Everett, best known for his role in My Best Friend’s Wedding and voicing Prince Charming in the Shrek films, will be joining the shows third season.

The actor will play corrupt politician Philippe Achille, who also happens to be the illegitimate brother of King Louis XVIII. Also joining the cast of the swashbuckling drama will be an ambitious criminal played by The Mill star Mathew McNulty.

Everett said of the role: "I'm very excited to be joining the cast… I love the show and am really looking forward to working with the team."

In a separate interview The Importance of Being Earnest star waded into the ‘posh actor’ debate, telling Radio Times that Americans don’t want to see “snaggle-toothed working class" British people.

"Everyone's whining about that but the fact of the matter is, acting is like hooking. What people want to see is what people want to see,” he siad. “They want to see upper class people – that's what they want. That's why they love Downton Abbey.

"We can't force the Americans to change their minds but we could also just not be so envious and bitter about it and celebrate at the same time all the other people who do amazing work and are huge stars in our own country and then get to break out as well."

Everett, who left Ampleworth College, a private school, aged 16, went on to elaborate that, while recent stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston are global success stories, there is still a wealth of people “who aren’t upper class” breaking out.

"There's the Fassbenders – Daniel Craig isn't upper class… The danger of our world is it gets so furious and angry about something – it's suddenly 'where are the working class actors?' But they're all over the place and doing extremely well, I would say."

He then went on to praise British soaps including Coronation Street, Eastenders and Hollyoaks, describing them as " incredibly funny, incredibly humorous, incredibly exciting and they're on the whole much more satisfying than a lot of our tragic old films.”