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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

Usually, there’s a story I’ve told that leads up to why I’m singing the song. The whole concept of the show was about being authentic and connecting with these songs. The best way to do that was in a room with an audience and for people to listen to that.
ALAN CUMMING

Lead Sing Song Story Told Usually
When there’s an adult person who’s scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.
ALAN CUMMING

Adult Grow Person Pretty Quickly Scare
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
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
So the experts think we could have an AIDS-free generation in Africa by 2015, even if the mothers are positive.
ALAN CUMMING

Aids Country Expert Free Generation Mother Positive Think Yera
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
Working with good people is always good.
ALAN CUMMING

Always Good People With Working
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
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
A sweaty Macbeth with blood on his arms coming in fresh from the battle doesn’t interest me.
ALAN CUMMING

Arm Battle Blood Come Form Fresh Interest People Sweet
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
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
I like working on things that are very different and that involve different disguises.
ALAN CUMMING

Different Disguise Involve Thing Work
Sometimes people do you a favour when they drop out of your life.
ALAN CUMMING

Drop Favor Life Out People Sometimes
He … knew, in that instant, that his life would not be an easy one-he was different, he looked different, he thought differently.
ALAN CUMMING

Different Difficult Easy Instant Know Look Through
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
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
I don’t avoid anyone but I always think some people hate me.
ALAN CUMMING

Always Anyone Avoid Hate People Some
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
I like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they’re so universal.
ALAN CUMMING

Comedy Like More Tragedy Universal
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
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 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
In my first year at drama school, I did this kids’ show called ‘Let’s See.
ALAN CUMMING

Call Drama First Kid Let School See Show Year
I think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare.
ALAN CUMMING

Author Country Intimidate More Much Think
I love a film where I get squished by two dumpsters or I fly through the air.
ALAN CUMMING

Air Dumpster Get Love Squish
It’s actually quite a good ethos for life: go into the unknown with truth, commitment, and openness and mostly you’ll be okay.
ALAN CUMMING

Actual Commitment Ethos Good Mostly Okay Openness Quite Truth Unknown

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.

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Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Alan Cumming Quotes