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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

I love a film where I get squished by two dumpsters or I fly through the air.
ALAN CUMMING

Air Dumpster Get Love Squish
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 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 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 have no regrets in my life even the crazy things I’ve been in. It all made me the I am today and I wouldn’t change anything. I’m happy with who I am!
ALAN CUMMING

Been Change Everything Life Crazy Made Regret Today
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
Sometimes people get really sniffy about the films you choose if you’ve done more dramatic projects or you’re classically trained.
ALAN CUMMING

Choose Film People Really Sniffy Sometimes
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
I think people deny themselves by putting themselves into categories.
ALAN CUMMING

Category Into People Put Themselves Think
Sometimes people do you a favour when they drop out of your life.
ALAN CUMMING

Drop Favor Life Out People Sometimes
For 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 CUMMING

Country Example Good Reluctant Rubbish Seen Take Think Writer
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
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
You should *have* an experience; it shouldn’t just *be* an experience.
ALAN CUMMING

Experience Have Should
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
Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
ALAN CUMMING

Anything Eyes Know Most Own People Two
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
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 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
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
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
Performing a one-man Macbeth feels like the greatest challenge.
ALAN CUMMING

Cinema Film Home People Television Temple Theatre
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’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
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
Pantomime is a big thing in the cultural calendar of my country, you know. So subtlety’s not my forte.
ALAN CUMMING

Big Calender Country Culture Forte Know Pantomime Subtitety Thing
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 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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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