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Alan Cumming Quotes

Powerful Alan Cumming for Daily Growth

I'm Scottish first, and it's odd to hear that I'm a Scottish-American.

- Alan Cumming

Hear, First, Odd, Scottish

When there's an adult person who's scaring you, you grow up pretty quickly.

- Alan Cumming

Grow, Person, Pretty, Scaring

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

Play, Think, Romeo, Displaying

I was horrified when Richard Chamberlain and Rupert Everett said gay actors should stay in the closet. They were saying to people that they should live a lie and not be liberated, to live in fear of being found out.

- Alan Cumming

Lie, Closet, Richard, Chamberlain

Kids are more genuine. When they come up and want to talk to you, they don't have an agenda. It's more endearing and less piercing to your aura.

- Alan Cumming

Want, More, Piercing, Aura

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

People, Feel, Really, Compulsive

I think directing in a team is a really good idea because it stops the cult of the director as God straight away, and also you're discussing things on set so it opens it out to everyone and it becomes a totally collaborative thing. And you have someone who supports you when you're feeling a bit insecure.

- Alan Cumming

Away, Idea, I Think, Supports

It's about how you exist as a person in the world, and the idea that your work is more important than you as a person is a horrible, horrible message. 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

My Life, Idea, Arkansas, Lesbian

Performing a one-man Macbeth feels like the greatest challenge.

- Alan Cumming

Like, Performing, Feels, Macbeth

'Macbeth' was the first play I ever read. In fact, I remember my brother Tom, who is six years older than me, coming home from school and telling me about it. He was the one that really got me going.

- Alan Cumming

Play, I Remember, Telling, Macbeth

Macbeth was the first play I ever read.

- Alan Cumming

Play, Ever, Read, Macbeth

A sweaty Macbeth with blood on his arms coming in fresh from the battle doesn't interest me.

- Alan Cumming

Battle, Interest, His, Macbeth

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

Thought, Play, His, Macbeth

Once in a while it's good to challenge yourself in a way that's really daunting.

- Alan Cumming

Challenge, Yourself, Once, Daunting

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

Work, Level, Sustaining, Struggle

There are some days when you don't feel like being Alan Cumming.

- Alan Cumming

Days, Some, Like, Alan

You'll see Dame Judi Dench in a Bond film, in Shakespeare and then starring in her own sitcom. You never see that here with Meryl Streep.

- Alan Cumming

Here, Dench, Meryl, Dame

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

Play, Going, Hamlet, Scared

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

Go, Very, TV, Temple

It is not hard to feel like an outsider. I think we have all felt like that at one time or another.

- Alan Cumming

Think, Like, I Think, Outsider

I like the tragedies way more than the comedies because they're so universal.

- Alan Cumming

More, Like, Tragedies, Comedies

Sometimes with people I know, they're playing the hunky action guy and there's resistance to them coming out because it's so connected to straight masculinity. There's a plastic kind of movie star who has a very short shelf with very small kind of ambition. I see that but I still don't agree with it.

- Alan Cumming

Small, Movie, Very, Shelf

It's really rare for film directors to be that interested in things other than themselves.

- Alan Cumming

Other, Rare, Directors, Film Directors

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

Think, Here, Which, Missing

So the experts think we could have an AIDS-free generation in Africa by 2015, even if the mothers are positive.

- Alan Cumming

Generation, Think, Africa, Experts

With 'Urban Secrets,' I just really liked the idea of wandering around chatting to people.

- Alan Cumming

Idea, Just, Urban, Secrets

I think American actors are much more intimidated by Shakespeare.

- Alan Cumming

Think, More, I Think, Shakespeare

My feeling about work is it's much more about the experience of doing it than the end product. Sometimes things that are really great and make lots of money are miserable to make, and vice versa.

- Alan Cumming

Doing, Sometimes, About, Vice Versa

Pantomime is a big thing in the cultural calendar of my country, you know. So subtlety's not my forte.

- Alan Cumming

Calendar, Big, Country, Big Thing

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

Feel, Part, Homeland, Scotland

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