When there’s an adult person who’s scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.
ALAN CUMMINGWhen there’s an adult person who’s scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.
ALAN CUMMINGYou 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 CUMMINGWith Urban Secrets, I just really liked the idea of wandering around chatting to people.
ALAN CUMMINGI 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 CUMMINGI’m quite good, though I say it myself, at making strangers feel at ease.
ALAN CUMMINGIt’s really rare for film directors to be that interested in things other than themselves.
ALAN CUMMINGI 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 CUMMINGFor example, Americans seem reluctant to take on Shakespeare because you don’t think you’re very good at it – which is rubbish. You’re missing out here.
ALAN CUMMINGMy 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 CUMMINGI love a film where I get squished by two dumpsters or I fly through the air.
ALAN CUMMINGYou 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 CUMMINGI 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 CUMMINGIn 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 CUMMINGI 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 CUMMINGIt’s exciting to be with really, really good people. Some people make you feel like you’ve got to up your game.
ALAN CUMMINGWorking with good people is always good.
ALAN CUMMING