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I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it’s a struggle sustaining that, because there’s such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.

Alan Cumming

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
In terms of the sort of class, and the sort of snobby, slightly on the back-foot thing Britain has. But it’s much more prevalent in America.
ALAN CUMMING

Back Class Country Foot More Prevalent Snobby Sort Term Think
Performing a one-man Macbeth feels like the greatest challenge.
ALAN CUMMING

Cinema Film Home People Television Temple Theatre
Nowadays people don’t know how to handle it if all the ends aren’t tied up and they’re not told what to think in films. And if they’re challenged, they think it’s something wrong with the film.
ALAN CUMMING

Challenge Feel Greatest Like Man One Perform
I’m Scottish first, and it’s odd to hear that I’m a Scottish-American.
ALAN CUMMING

Country Hear Odd State
When there’s an adult person who’s scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.
ALAN CUMMING

Adult Grow Person Pretty Quickly Scare
Some things are just really difficult to do. That’s what I find hard. I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it’s a struggle sustaining that, because there’s such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.
ALAN CUMMING

Character Difficult Hard Just Make Real Really Something Usually Way Work
When you’re on TV, you come into people’s homes. In theater and film, they go to you – to the temple of the cinema or theater. And it’s very different.
ALAN CUMMING

Aim Barrier Film Intrigued Month Six Writer Year
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
Be who you like as long as you mean it.
ALAN CUMMING

Be Live Long Mean
You could then, when you lay that as the groundwork, say, “Here I am. This is what I think. I come in peace.” Then you’re able to push out, to be able to talk about more things. And that’s been a really heartening thing about my life, actually.
ALAN CUMMING

Able Groundwork Peace Push Really Talk Think
Sometimes people do you a favour when they drop out of your life.
ALAN CUMMING

Drop Favor Life Out People Sometimes
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
It’s interesting, for me sappy means sentimental and something that gets you in your heart, gets you emotional. That’s what I mean. Also, of course, it means that I’m slightly setting up the audience that there’s a bit of fun involved, as well.
ALAN CUMMING

Emotional Get Heart Interest Mean Sappy Sentimental Something
I think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare. I actually want to do this Shakespeare play in New York, but I think it’s interesting that there’s this gaping hole in the repertoire in the American theater, which is Shakespeare.
ALAN CUMMING

Actor Country Intimidate More Much Think
So if I’m swirling around on some wires, talking to Fred Flintstone, I make it the funnest I can. I also want to be good at it. I don’t want to be a crap cartoon character. I want to be proud I’m a vitamin!
ALAN CUMMING

Cartoon Crap Flinstone Funny Good Make Proud Swirl Talk Want
It’s exciting to be with really, really good people. Some people make you feel like you’ve got to up your game.
ALAN CUMMING

Excite Feel Game Good Like People Really Some
Actors aren’t stupid, mostly, and if there’s a sensibility and an aesthetic that a director’s going for, if you’re aware of that too, you can do things to help that.
ALAN CUMMING

Actor Aesthetic Director Gone Mostly Sensible Stupid
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
I think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare.
ALAN CUMMING

Author Country Intimidate More Much Think
Macbeth was the first play I ever read.
ALAN CUMMING

Book Ever First Macbeth Play Raed
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’m quite good, though I say it myself, at making strangers feel at ease.
ALAN CUMMING

Feel Ease Good Make Myself Quite Say Stranger
It’s about how you exist as a person in the world, and the idea that your work is more important than you as a person is a horrible, horrible message.
ALAN CUMMING

Exist Horrible Idea Important Message Person Work World
I like working on things that are very different and that involve different disguises.
ALAN CUMMING

Different Disguise Involve Thing Work
I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it’s a struggle sustaining that, because there’s such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.
ALAN CUMMING

Character Distrautness Emotion Involve Level Make Physical Real Sometimes Struggle Usually Way Work
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

I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it’s a struggle sustaining that, because there’s such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.

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I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it’s a struggle sustaining that, because there’s such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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