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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

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
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’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
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
I think people deny themselves by putting themselves into categories.
ALAN CUMMING

Category Into People Put Themselves Think
Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
ALAN CUMMING

Anything Eyes Know Most Own People Two
If the president of the country is not actually saying something, allowing equality to happen, how could you expect to counsel kids not to bully other kids?
ALAN CUMMING

Actual Allow Bully Country Equally Happen Kid President Say Something
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’d been depressed before, of course. But I’m talking about really depressed. Not just feeling a bit down or sad, a depression that has something to do with biorhythms. I’m talking about the kind of depressed that floats in upon you like a fog.
ALAN CUMMING

Biorhythms Before Course Depress Down Feel Just Really Sad Something Take
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
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
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
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 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
I’m not a fan of Twitter.
ALAN CUMMING

Fan Twitter
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
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
There are some days when you don’t feel like being Alan Cumming.
ALAN CUMMING

Bring Cuming Feel Same Day
Sometimes people do you a favour when they drop out of your life.
ALAN CUMMING

Drop Favor Life Out People Sometimes
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 like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they’re so universal.
ALAN CUMMING

Comedy Like More Tragedy Universal
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
Be who you like as long as you mean it.
ALAN CUMMING

Be Live Long Mean
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
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
It is actually important to do songs they’re familiar with. Also, I love those songs. In a way, I think I’ve changed people’s perceptions of what a cabaret show like this could be.
ALAN CUMMING

Actually Change Familiar Important Perception Snow Song Way
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

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.

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Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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