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You’ll see Dame Judi Dench in a Bond film, in Shakespeare and then starring in her own sitcom. You never see that here with Meryl Streep.

Alan Cumming

I think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare.
ALAN CUMMING

Author Country Intimidate More Much Think
I’m quite good, though I say it myself, at making strangers feel at ease.
ALAN CUMMING

Feel Ease Good Make Myself Quite Say Stranger
When there’s an adult person who’s scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.
ALAN CUMMING

Adult Grow Person Pretty Quickly Scare
I started to itch to do a play again and ‘Macbeth’ came to the surface in my mind. I never thought I would do it in a conventional way. A sweaty Macbeth with blood on his arms coming in fresh from the battle doesn’t interest me.
ALAN CUMMING

Again Came Itch Mind Start Surface
I had to be a grown-up when I should have been a little boy, and now that I’m a grown-up my little-boyness has exploded out of me. I’ve lived my life backwards.
ALAN CUMMING

Backward Boy Explode Grown Life Little Live Out Up
Romeo is the most misunderstood character in literature, I think. He’s hardcore to play because he’s displaying the characteristics of Hamlet at the beginning, and, well, then everything else happens.
ALAN CUMMING

Character Characteristic Everything Hamlet Happen Harcore Literature Lover Misunderstood Most Play Think
With all this stuff going on, with the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and things like that, we are second-class citizens, definitely.
ALAN CUMMING

Ask Clas Definitely Second Stuff
If they’re not seeing that their society sees gay people as equals, how could you tell them what they’re doing is wrong?
ALAN CUMMING

Equal Gay People See Society Wrong
There are some days when you don’t feel like being Alan Cumming.
ALAN CUMMING

Bring Cuming Feel Same Day
Often for me, if I hear a song I know, it clicks for me and I hear it in a different way and I think, “I could sing that song. I’ve got something to say about that song. Wanting to connect with an audience and wanting them to rethink songs.
ALAN CUMMING

Click Different Here Know Often Something Song Think
I come more to Scotland than I ever used to, so I feel more connected to it, more part of the zeitgeist. You know when you realize you have a choice and I’m choosing my homeland. It’s funny: when you get older these things creep up to you.
ALAN CUMMING

Come Connect Country Ever Feel More Used
I wouldn’t do my roles if I really hated it. I’ve done things I hated, but I didn’t go into them thinking I would hate them. I want to have fun. I don’t want to go to work and not enjoy it.
ALAN CUMMING

Done Fun Hate Really Role Thing Want
My mum always told me I was precious, while my dad always told me I was worthless. I think that’s a good grounding for a balanced life.
ALAN CUMMING

Always Dad Mom Precious Told Worthless
I was so scared of going back to the theatre after Hamlet. I didn’t know if I’d do a play again because I was afraid of the power of it.
ALAN CUMMING

Afraid Again Back Go Hamlet Know Power Scare Theatre
Pantomime is a big thing in the cultural calendar of my country, you know. So subtlety’s not my forte.
ALAN CUMMING

Big Calender Country Culture Forte Know Pantomime Subtitety Thing
I like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they’re so universal.
ALAN CUMMING

Comedy Like More Tragedy Universal
It’s hardly ever done, compared to how often it’s done in other companies, not just Britain. Someone from the Roundabout Theater Company – I said, “You never do Shakespeare.” And he said, “Yes, we’re not very good at it.” And I thought, “What a terrible thing to say.”.
ALAN CUMMING

Actor Actually Country Good Intimidate Though
You can feel it coming and you can see where it is going to take you but you are powerless, utterly powerless to stop it. I know now.
ALAN CUMMING

Come Feel Go Powerless Stop Take Utterly
Working with good people is always good.
ALAN CUMMING

Always Good People With Working
I don’t feel I’m a compulsive person. I multitask. I’m really well-organised, and I have lots of people to help me.
ALAN CUMMING

Compulsive Feel Multitask Person
My feeling about work is it’s much more about the experience of doing it than the end product. Sometimes things that are really great and make lots of money are miserable to make, and vice versa.
ALAN CUMMING

Do End Experience Feel Product Work
I love a film where I get squished by two dumpsters or I fly through the air.
ALAN CUMMING

Air Dumpster Get Love Squish
I like working on things that are very different and that involve different disguises.
ALAN CUMMING

Different Disguise Involve Thing Work
I always think about a little gay boy in Wisconsin or a little lesbian in Arkansas seeing someone like me, and if I cannot be open in my life, how on earth can they?
ALAN CUMMING

Always Earth Lesbian Life Little Gay Open
I was horrified when Richard Chamberlain and Rupert Everett said gay actors should stay in the closet. They were saying to people that they should live a lie and not be liberated, to live in fear of being found out.
ALAN CUMMING

Actor Closet Horrify People
Once in a while it’s good to challenge yourself in a way that’s really daunting.
ALAN CUMMING

Challenge Daunt Good Once Real While Yourself
If you are a cabaret artist and you are mostly singing other people’s songs, you’re asking them to rethink a song, listen to it in a different way. The most impact you can have while asking them to re-listen to a song is if it’s a song they know very well.
ALAN CUMMING

Ask Cabaret Different Listen Mostly People Rethink Sing Song

You’ll see Dame Judi Dench in a Bond film, in Shakespeare and then starring in her own sitcom. You never see that here with Meryl Streep.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

You’ll see Dame Judi Dench in a Bond film, in Shakespeare and then starring in her own sitcom. You never see that here with Meryl Streep.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Alan Cumming Quotes