Alan Cumming has never followed a straight line, creatively or otherwise.
“I just do what I like. I really do,” Cumming said in a recent interview with Variety. “I think the biggest thing a success like The Traitors has taught me is to give things a go.”
That philosophy has carried Cumming across film, television, theater and music, often defying expectations about what kind of career someone “should” have. “I’m willing to step outside my comfort zone or the career trajectory other people would think should be mine,” he said. “If you look at my CV, you will see it is pretty nuts and eclectic, but that really reflects my curiosity and willingness to give things a go.”
That willingness will be celebrated Jan. 8, when Cumming received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an honor he admits still feels surreal.
“It’s actually insane,” he said. “It’s something so out of my expected career path or even my mental periphery. I am so grateful and kind of shocked by it.”
For Cumming, the ceremony is less about personal achievement and more about community. He plans to invite people from every chapter of his life, including “friends I first stayed with when I came here to seek work, my first agent and friends I have made over the years.”
As a proudly out queer artist, Cumming often reflects on how his background shaped his success. “I owe so much to being Scottish in terms of my training and the opportunities I was given,” he said. “Then coming to America and having this incredible new range of opportunities has allowed me to live in a way I never thought was possible.”
His love of performance began early. As a child in Scotland, Cumming watched a theater company perform a play during his school lunch break. “It completely changed my life,” he said. “I was mesmerized. I knew that whatever magic they were weaving, I wanted to be able to do it too.”
Cumming made his television debut in 1984, appeared onstage by 1987 and landed his first film role in 1992. Along the way, he grew to appreciate both the artistic and business sides of his work, particularly the chance to collaborate closely with artists he admires.
Despite his success, Cumming rejects the idea of traditional role models. “I think it’s dangerous to want to emulate people too closely,” he said. “So I suppose my biggest role model is myself.”
His résumé reflects that independence. In addition to acting, Cumming is a writer, producer, singer and host. He is set to host the BAFTA Film Awards in February and was recently named artistic director of Scotland’s Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Some roles remain especially etched in his memory, including Cabaret on Broadway, Bent in London’s West End and a physically demanding production of Macbeth in which he played every character. Yet he also cites pop culture roles like Fegan Floop in Spy Kids and Billie Blaikie on The L Word as deeply meaningful.
“They stayed with people,” Cumming said. “That’s the power of movies and TV — its reach and its potential to educate and transform.”
That impact is perhaps most visible in The Traitors, which Cumming hosts and produces. The Emmy-winning series has become a cultural phenomenon, embraced for its heightened drama, camp sensibility and unapologetically queer aesthetic.
“We are living in a very scary and oppressive time,” Cumming said. “So the fact that people have embraced a show that so completely embraces a queer aesthetic is very gratifying.”
For Cumming, the lesson remains simple: take risks, follow curiosity and embrace the adventure.
