Oh my God, all the hits!
Alan Cumming says, letting out a laugh.
Though, in all honesty, his resume is pretty much all hits.
Alan Cumming on ‘The Traitors’.Euan Cherry/PEACOCK
Here, the 59-year-old who recently graced EWs LGBTQ+ Pride cover reflects on four decades on screen.
I didn’t quite understand why they wanted me to do it.
Once I understood that, I was really on board.
David Fahm, Steven O’Donnell, and Alan Cumming in ‘Spice World.’.
And then, of course,getting to work with costume designer Sam Spector.
When I have a costume on, I really understand what to do.
“Havingthe freedom to push the boundarieswe’ve been doing, that’s made it really exciting.
Alan Cumming in ‘X2: X-Men United’.20th Century Fox
And here I am doing this show that I really enjoy and have such a laugh doing.”
Spice World(1997)
“I loved makingSpice World.
And it was just right at the cusp of their greatest time.
Alan Cumming (front) with Missi Pyle, Paulo Costanzo, Rosario Dawson, Rachael Leigh Cook, and Tara Reid in ‘Josie and the Pussycats.'.Shane Harvey/Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
So I just pretended that I didn’t take it off, but I did take it off.
Its a fun little drinking game.”
It’s got a queer director, lots of queer actors in it.
Alan Cumming and the Broadway revival cast of ‘Cabaret.'.Jeff Christensen/Getty Images
I love the fact that something so mainstream and so in the comic book world is so queer.
Queer people understand what that’s all about."
I just think they didn’t quite know how to sell it.
Alan Cumming and Daniel Sea on ‘The L Word.'.Liane Hentscher/Showtime
They sold it as a kind of kids film, and it really is quite adult and also hilarious.
And I was actually in that film doing an impersonation ofRichard E. GrantinSpice World.
I just copied him."
Fred Armisen and Alan Cumming in ‘Schmigadoon!’ season 1.
I’d never done a musical before, and I was a little snobby about it.
And they just go, ‘Hmm.’
Because that’s what happened to me, which is something of a TV first.
Alan Cumming in ‘GoldenEye.'.MGM/UA
Yes, it was a lot.
That was a lot.
When you do something like that with someone, you take many leaps in your friendship.
Lisa Kudrow, Alan Cumming, and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.'.Buena Vista/courtesy Everett Collection
But yeah, that was great.
It’s girls only.
And I was like, ‘Oh.’
And they went, ‘Oh!
You are an honorary lesbian.
it’s possible for you to come in.’
So I liked the fact that I got my lesbian chops, as it were."
(2021-23)
“It was such a great idea.
And playing the repressed gay mayor, Mayor Menlove that was hilarious.
I really loved making that.
And thenthe next one, I got to be all butch andSweeney Toddy.
I was sad whenSchmigadoon!was canceledbecause I was really looking forward to the [third season].”
Maybe it has to do withthe video game, which is iconic.
Its great to have a catchphrase.
I’m activated!’
It was so hilarious.
I suppose that’s what I think about most of that film: what a goofball Pierce is."
It was just so clever and witty.
It’s one of these films that some people are obsessed with.
There was a screening of it in Atlanta recently, and it was feverish.
It was almost culty.
It’s great to be a part of something like that, that people are so passionate about.
So I’m excited.
I’m excited to go back to it."
Watch our fullcover story interview with Cummingbelow:
