FASHION & CULTURE
StylING
CYNTHIA ALTORISO
PhotoS
DANIEL MURTAGH
A familiar and beloved face of stage and screen, Alan’s impressive career includes numerous accomplishments as an actor, writer, comedian, producer, director and photographer. A recipient of a plethora of awards and nominations, Alan works tirelessly as a performer, activist and humanitarian. Scottish born, he resides in New York City with his husband, Grant Shaffer, and their darling dogs, Jerry and Lala. At this writing, Alan is performing in London’s venerable theatre, The Old Vic. He appears alongside actor, Daniel Radcliffe, in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame, which previewed on January 27 and runs through March 28, 2020.
Cynthia Altoriso __ Greetings, Alan. We congratulate you and send best wishes as we find you in rehearsal at London’s Venerable theatre, The Old Vic, for your role in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame. You take the role of Hamm, alongside actor, Daniel Radcliffe’s role as Clov. Regarded as one of Beckett’s best pieces, Endgame is described as a ‘macabre comedy’. For those of us not familiar with the work of Beckett, is this play ‘ha ha’ comedic, or is it darker fare?
Alan Cumming __ Endgame is hopefully funny. It’s not an obvious comedy. It’s about death, and in the end, it’s about despair. It’s a double act, two double acts actually. I would say it is like a double act in hell. It is not an easy play to do or watch, but none of Beckett is. I am finding it very fascinating and challenging.
Cynthia Altoriso __ How do you prepare to portray the odd character that is Hamm?
Alan Cumming __ To prepare for something like this is a very difficult thing to describe or even countenance. I just saw and read the play and I talked to the director over a period of months and worked up a backstory that would give us some sort of basis. A play like this is so different to any other play that I have ever found myself in and none of the normal rules apply. There is not a real story and there aren’t character interactions that further a plot. It’s really a sort of collage. To prepare, I had to hunker down to not see people, not go out, not do the usual fun things of my life and just take a deep dive into the psyche of someone who’s in a really dark place. I think it’s funny because I am a kind of light person and I look at the work I do and the theatre I do and it’s bleak. The last play I did was Daddy by Jeremy O. Harris, which was not a bundle of laughs, but very serious with kind of awful issues. And then, for example, Macbeth, Bent, and Cabaret are not exactly frothy things. I think it is because when I do something in theatre it is such a big commitment of my life that I really want to make sure it is something that will challenge me or I grapple with and it won’t be easy. I think when you are doing film or television and you only have to do that scene one time, it’s easier to do something that you think will be fun that you think will be a good laugh, but you know....doing something fun after a couple of times can get a little monotonous. It’s good to do things that completely encompass you and challenge you, so that’s why this character is such an amazing role. I have always been attracted to Beckett. I feel it’s something I was destined to do. I think there’s not that many young Beckett roles, it’s mostly for older people and I am an older person so I am embracing my Beckettness. I am grappling with the monster.
Suit and shirt PAISLEY & GRAY, hat ALBERTUS SWANEPOEL.
Cynthia Altoriso __ You recently posted on Instagram, a picture of you in what appears to be a prosthetic bottom. Please tell us about the wardrobe challenges of Hamm’s character.
Alan Cumming __ It is not a prosthetic bottom. Rather, I have prosthetic spindly, diseased legs that are attached to me. I sit inside a chair that is kind of like those Swedish stools where your legs go back. It’s good for your posture and good for your core. One of the good things about this part is my stomach muscles are getting stronger and so my bottom is perfectly fine as it is.
Shirt DAVID HART
Cynthia Altoriso __ Your co-star in Endgame is actor, Daniel Radcliffe. Do you care to share any highlights, whether serious or funny, of working alongside him on this production?
Alan Cumming __ I really love Daniel. I’ve become so fond of him. I’m so full of admiration for him. He works incredibly hard and is such a great actor. He completely has my back. There have been several times when I had been day- dreaming or I lost it on stage because I’m on stage the entire time and he came on and saved me and got me back on track. We are there for each other. I admire how he is all over this play. I also much admire the way he uses his power in times of being this big Harry Potter star. And then he goes into other areas of work that really excite him and interest him. It’s certainly good to have a brotherly friend knowing he would find something as hilarious as you do.
Cynthia Altoriso __ After Endgame wraps, what else is in store for you in 2020?
Alan Cumming __ After Endgame, I immediately go to Scotland for a couple of days work on a friend’s documentary that I will appear in. It’s a really exciting project that I’ve had connections with over 20 years. I can’t talk about it right now but it is so funny how life goes with projects and people and stories coming back into your life. So I’m doing a couple of days on that and then I go back to America to start doing more concerts with Ari Shapiro, the host of NPR’s All Things Considered. We are a funny couple, telling stories and singing songs. Ari is a great singer who sings a lot with Pink Martini. After that there are a couple of projects floating around for which we are waiting for dates to finalize. In August I plan to return to Edinburgh to do a sort of Club Cumming party at the International Festival. Also, I’m working on another book which is a memoir. It’s going to be a lot about being Scottish in London and how I feel connected to my Scottishness. I understand a lot about it after having gone away from Scotland that I think will greatly infuse the book. The person I have become is completely due to the place I came from. I realize that for a long time in my life I was told I would have to change to be successful and I’m just coming back to that notion in trying to understand why that was so important and why we allowed that to happen. So it all ties up to my desire for Scottish independence. There’s a lot going on in this book that I’m circling right now.
Cynthia Altoriso __ Two of your ‘dog books’ were written with your husband, Grant Shaffer, who provided the charming illustrations. Can we look forward to more adventures with Jerry and Lala, forthcoming?
Alan Cumming __ In terms of the Honey and Leon books, we don’t plan on writing more but there is a possibility of an animated TV series in the offing. A company bought the rights and have some really lovely ideas and have adapted my partner Grant’s illustrations beautifully. So we look forward to something coming out from that this year.
Cynthia Altoriso __ Our dogs are our children. Who gets to name your kids...you or Grant?
Alan Cumming __ Our dogs are definitely our children. Lala is with me right now in London sitting across from me on the sofa, though Jerry is not with me at this moment. When we got Jerry his name was already given. I named Lala as she was coming from Costa Rica. She was a street dog who was given a funny name because she had gotten a litter of puppies and was taken in by a vet and then brought to a shelter. We adopted her from America. Grant and I looked up 20 popular Spanish girl’s names and Lala was one of them which I thought was perfect.
Cynthia Altoriso __ I would like to take this opportunity to salute you for your devotion to your dogs and all living things. Let it be known that PETA recognized Alan with its annual humanitarian award in 2017.
Alan Cumming __ In terms of PETA, it’s very gratifying that I can use my platform to tell people about things I think important and hope to make things change. There are certain projects I do specifically with them but I support them in all their work. It is a very interesting time that we are living in. I was walking to work the other day and saw that a KFC was offering a vegan burger. We are living in a time where people are really recognizing how important it is to move away from the meat and dairy industry for a variety of reasons. That is just a small part of work PETA has done over the decade.
Cynthia Altoriso __ I would further like to salute you for your outstanding contribution towards eliminating homophobia. What accomplishments or developments might you be able to bring us up to date on in this world arena?
Alan Cumming __ When it comes to LGBT rights, I think we’re living in a very scary time. In America the Supreme Court is mulling over a case that would make it legal to fire people if they are LBGTQ. That can happen in many states. In regards to transgender people in the military and transgender rights in particular, these are topics this administration seems really to freak out about. I feel it is an ongoing crusade against anyone who is different and that includes me. I feel it’s very important to get rid of Donald Trump and try to bring compassion and understanding back into the culture of America. ‘It’s not a good place to be gay now in America.
Shirt DAVID HART
Hate crimes against LGBTQ people have gone up hugely but also hate crimes of all kinds have gone up. I have seen homophobic things happening in downtown NYC that I have never seen in all the time I have lived there. I think the rise of populism around the world is also enabling homophobia and trans phobia and, in general, bigotry. So we live in a very scary time. In India a couple of years ago there was an old colonial law which was repealed for LGBT to be free to express their sexual orientation without fear of legal blow-back so that is exciting. There is still a long way to go. We have to teach our citizens that you don’t have to be scared of LGBT people and that is not happening now in America.
Cynthia Altoriso __ Despite your demanding life’s schedule, you manage a healthy relationship with Instagram. How has social media impacted on your life and ‘voice’ ?
“When it comes to LGBT rights, I think we’re living in a very scary time.”
Suit PAISLEY & GRAY, shirt H&M, shoes LES HOMMES courstesy of Rodolfo Zengarini USA.
Alan Cumming __ I really like Instagram. I like how I can keep in touch with my friends even if it is not people I know personally. I can find out about new things and new places. It is a really pleasant way to engage with the world-at-large while hav- ing some distance. I don’t feel an obligation to reply to people on Instagram though. I think that’s a good thing. I put stuff out there which is what I choose to put out there. I think it is a great place to share ideas that you believe in and to help people. In the past, before social media, if you were in a newspaper and misquoted or if it was something said about you that you did not agree with, it would be very difficult to have redress. You would probably have to do another interview to say you deny this thing and of course that’s another story. What is really an empowering thing for famous people is that you can say this is what actually happened, this is what I said and this is what I believe in. And that has made a change in the way I think celebrities are reported about because when you go on a TV talk show they can sort of reference your Instagram to go straight to the source. I think you also have to be careful what you put out there because you are going to be held to it.
Cynthia Altoriso __ Among the many hats you wear, there is that of proprietor of Club Cumming in downtown Manhattan. A bar and cabaret, featuring drag shows and knitting nights, what can we look forward to in 2020’s calendar?
Alan Cumming __ Club Cumming is so much. It’s so much more than drag entertainment. First of all, each night we have a different personality. Mondays we have a night where everyone can get up and sing. Tuesdays are just jazz & knitting. On Wednesdays we have cabaret such as Cabernet with Catherine Cohen who is becoming a huge star but still comes back to Club Cumming. We also have a lot of individual things. We have readings. Deborah Harry came to read a part of her memoir recently. We have all sorts of people dropping in and out. We had an erotic artist from Germany that read his poems while undressing a few weeks ago. On Thursday we have drag evening and we have amazing drag performers. On Saturdays we have Romy Michele’s high school disco which is so popular. It’s like 90s throwback where everyone comes and makes requests. It’s become a very artistic hub in New York City especially in the downtown performance scene. It’s giving a plat- form to so many young performers who did not have a place to perform before. I love when people say that coming to Club Cumming New York is like old school New York, and I know what they mean by that.
Cynthia Altoriso __ You are a dedicated vegan. Please share with us some typical challenges and favorite foods for this kind of culinary lifestyle.
Alan Cumming __ I don’t consider veganism a challenge. I really don’t. Everywhere has gotten vegan friendly. If that weren’t the case, I would bring things that I could eat. I mean there are always vegetables or salads. I am not that sort of person that looks at everything as a challenge. Actually, in my life I especially love being vegan. I find it easy. Sometimes you have to say, ‘Oh, could you do that without slathering it with cheese?’ There are just things you can do. Vegans know when to pack snacks with them just in case. I just love eating healthy and deliciously.
Cynthia Altoriso __ I’ve read that you have a production company. Does it have a name currently? What can you tell us about this company whether works-in-progress or future endeavors?
Alan Cumming __ Yes, I do have a production company. It’s called Club Cumming Productions. I started it with one of my partners who’s name is Daniel Nardicio. He’s a promoter and a producer and I’ve known him for so long. We are the brains behind Club Cumming and we decided this as a way to help some of the talents move on to other platforms. That was our original intention. In the course of the past year and a half it’s become more ‘people with the Club Cumming sensibility’. We are actually now doing more scripted drama as well as non-scripted which is what we thought would be initially. It’s been very exciting to expand this way. When I say ‘people with Club Cumming sensibility’, I mean people who are storytellers who are slightly out of the main stream who are telling stories that have not been told yet or areas of society that are not really focused on. We’ve got a project called Overtime that’s about a time in ‘96 when the HIV cocktail drugs kicked in and all these people thought they were going to die of AIDS and suddenly they didn’t so they had ‘overtime’. It’s a show written by this great novelist, Tim Murphy, about how positive things are great and also a great curse. We’re doing movies, and a podcast and we have a lot going on so there’s a lot of projects. We are working with Dina Martina and a selection of really interesting people. And I think that’s all. Thanks a lot. OK. Bye-bye
Photography Daniel Murtagh Style & Production Cynthia Altoriso Hair & Make-up Koko Bode Backdrop Broderson @ brodersonbackdrops