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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

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
I like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they’re so universal.
ALAN CUMMING

Comedy Like More Tragedy Universal
The thing with film and theater is that you always know the story so you can play certain cues in each scene with the knowledge that you know where the story’s going to end and how it’s going to go. But on television nobody knows what’s going to happen, even the writers.
ALAN CUMMING

Always Certain End Film Go Know Knowledge Play Story Theatre Thing
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
It’s really rare for film directors to be that interested in things other than themselves.
ALAN CUMMING

Director Film Interest Other Rare Really Themselves Thing
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
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
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
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
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
Macbeth was the first play I ever read.
ALAN CUMMING

Book Ever First Macbeth Play Raed
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
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’ve actually found – especially doing my cabaret show – I’m connecting with people in a way I haven’t connected with them. I’ve found that when you’re open and honest, people respond to that, whatever you’re being open and honest about.
ALAN CUMMING

Actual Cabaret Connect Done Especial Found People Show Way
Be who you like as long as you mean it.
ALAN CUMMING

Be Live Long Mean
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 actually find in America, there’s a slight snobbery about actors who go back and forth between big heavy dramas and popcorn fare. That always intrigues me, because that doesn’t exist in the same way in Britain. And I imagine it would be worse.
ALAN CUMMING

Actor Actual Back Big Country Drama Fare Forth heavy Popcorn Slight Snobbery
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
You should *have* an experience; it shouldn’t just *be* an experience.
ALAN CUMMING

Experience Have Should
I like working on things that are very different and that involve different disguises.
ALAN CUMMING

Different Disguise Involve Thing Work
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
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
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
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
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
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

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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