Alan Cumming is the moment yet again. Them has just dropped its third Pride Month cover story of 2025, and this time, it’s the ever-iconic Alan Cumming gracing the spotlight. Known for everything from Cabaret to The Traitors, the Emmy-winning actor, producer, and style renegade proves that queerness, eccentricity, and aging fabulously are not mutually exclusive.
In a wide-ranging chat with Them’s James Factora, Cumming opens up about his career, fashion as performance art, and what being a proudly authentic queer person means to him, all while reminding us that life post-60 can be as bold, vibrant, and jockstrap-filled as ever.
The Traitor We Trust
Cumming is best known to younger fans as the host of Peacock’s The Traitors, a reality competition series made instantly iconic by his high-camp, high-fashion ensembles. But it’s more than just fun and games for Cumming, it’s also a platform.
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“Especially now, when we’re being vilified and persecuted,” he says, “there’s all the more reason to have our presence and representation.” Even in a reality show setting, Cumming believes there’s power in visibility and power in simply existing. “You can do great things just by exposing people to ideas they haven’t seen before.”
Queer Authenticity, No Uniform Required
The Scottish-born actor has never been one to follow the rules, and that rebelliousness is part of what bonds him to the broader LGBTQ+ community. “I’m really fascinated by the idea of feeling like a freak because you’re being authentic,” he explains. “I relate to trans people and anyone not conforming to what society tells us we should be doing.”
That ethos spills over into his personal style, too. “I kind of don’t like being made to wear a uniform in any way,” he says — which might explain why he’s spent part of his career trying to “normalize jockstraps.”
Fashion as Storytelling
For Cumming, clothes aren’t just costumes, they’re collaborators. On The Traitors, his outfits are more than fabric and flair. “The clothes have become such a part of the DNA of the show,” he says. “I act the clothes in a way.”
It’s this kind of playful, performative elegance that’s helped solidify Cumming as one of the most joyfully unclassifiable figures in queer entertainment.
Defying Definition
Cumming’s career has zigzagged across genres, formats, and expectations. “I do sometimes do things that are a little unusual and surprising,” he says, pointing to his shift from classical theater to reality TV. “But I’ve always done things like that. I hate the idea of being defined.”
This refusal to fit into a neat category has made him a beacon of queer creativity: never predictable, always refreshing.
Sixty, Sexy, and Self-Assured
Turning 60 hasn’t slowed Alan Cumming down, it’s just given him a sharper lens. “I wish we would see beauty in aging,” he muses. “Youth is beautiful, but you know what? It’s not all that.”
And he’s not just saying it, he’s living it. “Everything’s still working,” he laughs. “I don’t feel impeded by my age in any way. But at the same time, I have wisdom, and I have something to say.”
And say it, he does… in style.
Pride, Continued
Cumming’s cover is part of Them’s ongoing Pride celebration, which has already spotlighted The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey, Severance’s Tramell Tillman, and a special WorldPride DC event featuring drag superstar Sasha Colby. More features are expected to drop throughout the month, but Alan’s whimsical, thought-provoking reflections are already a standout.
