Alan Cumming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alan Cumming FRSE
Cumming in 2013
Born	(1965-01-27) 27 January 1965 (age 60) Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States (since 2008)
Education	Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actor writer presenter
Years active	1980–present
Notable work	Full list
Spouse(s)	Grant Shaffer ​ (m. 2007)​
Awards	Full list

Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor, writer, and presenter. He is famous for his many roles in movies, TV shows, and plays. He has won several important awards, including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award.

He won an Olivier Award for his funny performance in the play Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1991). He also won a Tony Award for playing the Emcee in the musical Cabaret on Broadway in 1998.

Alan Cumming has been in many movies, such as GoldenEye (1995), Emma (1996), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). He is also well-known for playing Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids movies (2001–2003), Nightcrawler in X2 (2003), and Loki in Son of the Mask (2005).

On television, Cumming is known for his role in the series The Good Wife (2010–2016). He also starred in Instinct (2018–2019) and Schmigadoon! (2021–2023). He hosts the reality game show The Traitors. Cumming has written a novel and two books about his life.

Early Life and Education

Alan Cumming was born on 27 January 1965 in Aberfeldy, Scotland. His mother, Mary Darling, worked for an insurance company. His father, Alex Cumming, was a head forester. Alan grew up on the Panmure Estate near Carnoustie, Scotland.

He has an older brother named Tom. Alan went to Monikie Primary School and Carnoustie High School. In his book, Not My Father's Son, Cumming shared that his childhood was challenging. He learned to act by controlling his feelings when he was young. He loved reading as a child, especially the The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton.

Career Highlights

Early Acting Roles

In 1984, Alan Cumming started his TV career in Travelling Man. He later appeared in Scottish TV shows like Take the High Road and Taggart. His first movie role was in the short film Passing Glory in 1986.

A big TV role for him was Bernard Bottle in the 1991 BBC comedy Bernard and the Genie. He also appeared in a funny sketch for Comic Relief in 1993. In 1995, he starred in the BBC2 sitcom The High Life, which he also helped write.

Cumming in the gallery art work "Sliphost"

His first full-length movie was Prague in 1992. This film earned him an award for Best Actor at the Atlantic Film Festival. American audiences first saw him in the Irish film Circle of Friends in 1995. That same year, he played Boris Ivanovich Grishenko in the James Bond movie GoldenEye. He also played Mr. Elton in Emma in 1996.

Stage Success and More Films

Cumming started his theatre career in Scotland. He performed with several theatre companies, including the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for his role in Conquest of the South Pole in 1988. In 1991, he won an Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in Accidental Death of an Anarchist. He also won an award for playing the main role in Hamlet in 1993.

He became very well-known for playing The Master of Ceremonies in the 1993 London revival of Cabaret. He later played this role on Broadway in 1998, winning a Tony Award for his performance. He had a small role in Stanley Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999). His first American movie was Romy and Michele's High School Reunion in 1997.

Writing and Television

In 2001, Cumming co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the movie The Anniversary Party. He also performed in other plays on Broadway, like Design for Living and The Threepenny Opera. His novel, Tommy's Tale, was published in 2002.

He has written articles for magazines like Marie Claire and Newsweek. He also wrote introductions for various books. In 2006, he returned to London's West End in the play Bent. In 2007, he starred in The Bacchae, which won him the Herald Archangel award. From 2008, Cumming introduced Masterpiece Mystery! for PBS.

He played Eli Gold on the CBS TV show The Good Wife starting in 2010. In 2009, he released his first music album, I Bought a Blue Car Today. In 2011, he starred in the Sky series The Runaway. He also made documentaries, including Who Do You Think You Are? in 2010, where he learned about his grandfather's life.

Recent Projects

In 2012, he played all the roles in a production of Macbeth with the National Theatre of Scotland. This show came to New York in 2012 and Broadway in 2013. He also narrated the audiobook Macbeth: A Novel in 2012.

In 2012, he started his photography career with an exhibition called Alan Cumming Snaps. He also hosted Urban Secrets on Sky Atlantic, exploring hidden parts of cities. In 2014, he published his autobiography, Not My Father's Son. That same year, he returned to Broadway in Cabaret.

On 7 June 2015, Cumming co-hosted the 69th Tony Awards. In 2016, he released his second album, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Live at the Cafe Carlyle, and toured with a live show. In 2016, he was featured in an episode of NBC's 1st Look about Scotland, which won an Emmy.

Alan Cumming starred as the main character in the CBS series Instinct in 2018. He played King James in the eleventh series of Doctor Who. In September 2017, Cumming co-opened a bar in New York City called Club Cumming.

He has continued to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival, including Alan Cumming is not Acting his Age in 2021 and Burn in 2022, a dance show about Scottish poet Robert Burns. In 2020, he performed in Endgame at The Old Vic. Since 2022, he has starred with Miriam Margolyes in the TV series Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland, where they travel around Scotland. He also appeared in the documentary My Old School in 2022.

In June 2021, Cumming was the artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Later that year, he played Mayor Aloysius Menlove in the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!. Since 2023, Cumming hosts the American version of The Traitors. In 2025, he hosted an episode of CNN's My Happy Place about the Scottish Highlands. He also starred in the short film Sleazy Tiger in 2025. Alan Cumming is set to reprise his role as Nightcrawler in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Doomsday (2026).

Activism and Support

Alan Cumming supports equal rights for all people. He has hosted and attended events for groups like the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). He also supports several charities that help people with AIDS. In 2005, he released a fragrance called "Cumming," and in 2011, "Second (Alan) Cumming," with all money going to charity.

He supports the Scottish National Party and Scottish independence. He supported the 'Yes' campaign for Scotland's independence in 2014. In October 2014, Cumming and the Broadway cast of Cabaret raised money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He also supported Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 US presidential election. In October 2023, he signed a letter asking for peace in Gaza.

In 2009, Cumming was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his work in film, theatre, and for equal rights. On his 58th birthday in 2023, he announced that he had decided to return his OBE. He explained that he had "misgivings" about being connected to the history of the British Empire.

He has also been honored for his activism by organizations like the Trevor Project and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. In 2022, he received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop. In 2025, the University of St Andrews gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his contributions to the arts.

Personal Life

Alan Cumming is married to illustrator Grant Shaffer. They became civil partners in London in 2007 and legally married in New York in 2012.

On 7 November 2008, Alan Cumming became a citizen of the United States, in addition to being a citizen of the United Kingdom. Since 2012, he has followed a vegan lifestyle. PETA gave him their Humanitarian Award in 2017. Alan Cumming is an atheist.

Acting Credits

Selected film credits:

Awards and Recognition

In March 2005, Alan Cumming received the Vito Russo Award for his great work in helping to stop unfair treatment against people. In July of the same year, he received the HRC's Humanitarian Award for his public support of equal rights.

In November 2006, Cumming received an honorary degree from the University of Abertay Dundee. In 2015, he received another honorary degree from the Open University. He also supports the Scottish Youth Theatre, which is a national theatre for young people in Scotland.

Images for kids

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  Cumming performing at a benefit concert in 2010

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  Cumming at the Highline Ballroom in 2009

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  Cumming with Dick Leitsch

See also

In Spanish: Alan Cumming para niños