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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

You do get really exhausted doing films. You work such long hours, and after a while, things can get out of perspective, just like if anyone’s tired, things get on top of them.
ALAN CUMMING

After Can Do Exhaust Film Hour Long Perspective Really Thing While Work
Performing a one-man Macbeth feels like the greatest challenge.
ALAN CUMMING

Cinema Film Home People Television Temple Theatre
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 is not hard to feel like an outsider. I think we have all felt like that at one time or another.
ALAN CUMMING

Another Feel Felt Hard Like One Outsider Time
I love a film where I get squished by two dumpsters or I fly through the air.
ALAN CUMMING

Air Dumpster Get Love Squish
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
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
With Urban Secrets, I just really liked the idea of wandering around chatting to people.
ALAN CUMMING

Around Chat Idea Like People Really Street Urban Winder
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
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
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
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

Character Difficult Hard Just Make Real Really Something Usually Way Work
Be who you like as long as you mean it.
ALAN CUMMING

Be Live Long Mean
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
Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues it can begin to feel commonplace and eventually acceptable.
ALAN CUMMING

Abuse Acceptable Continue Finally Form Opinion Scare Shape
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
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’m quite good, though I say it myself, at making strangers feel at ease.
ALAN CUMMING

Feel Ease Good Make Myself Quite Say Stranger
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
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
Actually I like working kind of fast, because if you got it, why bother doing it over and over?
ALAN CUMMING

Actual Bother Do Fast Got Kind Over Work
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
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
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 think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare.
ALAN CUMMING

Author Country Intimidate More Much Think
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
I like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they’re so universal.
ALAN CUMMING

Comedy Like More Tragedy Universal

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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