STYLING
CYNTHIA ALTORISO
PHOTOGRAPHY
GIAN ANDREA DI STEFANO
The eclectic Scottish-American actor has amassed an enviable list of achievements in his 40-year-long career. From winning several awards for his theater performances on Broadway and the UK’s West End to countless Hollywood movies and TV shows, Alan Cumming has done it all. He has won a Tony for his portrayal of the master of ceremonies in Cabaret and earned a stellar reputation for playing unique and unforgettable character roles on stage and the big screen, such as Eli Gold in The Good Wife and Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United. This year he will be back in the role of Eli in The Good Fight, the Paramount spinoff of The Good Wife, and appears in Rare Objects, a film directed and produced by Katie Holmes. The busy actor also has quite a knack for penmanship, having published six books, of which Not My Father’s Son is a #1 New York Times bestseller. Alan calls NYC his home, where he lives in Manhattan with his husband, illustrator Grant Shaffer, and their two dogs, Lala and Jerry. During the day, Alan can be seen walking his beloved pups around Washington Square Park, and at night he drops in to DJ or bartend at his cabaret club, a Club Cumming in the East Village.
At Vestal, we admire his long list of accomplishments and wanted to learn what the future holds for the distinguished gentleman.
Shirt FRIED RICE, trousers PAISLEY & GRAY, shoes LES HOMMES.
Follow Alan @alancummingsnaps
( below ) Scarf PASCHA BRUNELLO.
Vestal Magazine __ You are acting in season 6 of The Good Fight reprising the role of Eli Gold. What can you tell us about it?
Alan Cumming __ It is pretty weird to go back to a character I am so associated with yet haven't played for six years. But it felt easy to be back playing Eli Gold. I always enjoyed sparring with Sarah Steele, who plays Eli's daughter, and the goddess that is Christine Baranski, who can do no wrong. I thought Eli's character was in my past, but it was a lesson in never saying never.
VM __ You also starred in Apple TV+ critically acclaimed musical comedy series Schmigadoon. Can you tell us what it was like filming it?
AC __ Schmigadoon was a fantastic show because it is a big musical with loads of dancers and big set numbers. The production was shot during the pre-vaccination stage of the pandemic, so the protocols were insane, but we didn’t miss a single day’s filming. I loved playing Mayor Menlove, and in this second season, I get to parody a very well-known musical character from the 70s. And, of course, I get to play again with some of my favorite girls like Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron and Ariana Debose, among others.
VM __ Neil Jordan's film Marlowe is slated for release next year. Is there anything you can tell us about the movie and what it was like being directed by Neil Jordan and acting alongside Liam Neeson?
AC __ It is my first time collaborating with Neil. I had always wanted to work with him, but it never worked out. So I was happy when this time it did. Marlowe is based on the stories of Philip Marlowe, a jaded LA private eye of the thirties. I am a southern gangster with a lot of attitude and many rings [laugh]. We shot in Barcelona, pretending to be in LA, and in Dublin for the studio scenes. Diane Kruger and Jessica Lange are also in it.
VM __ Another anticipated movie, Rare Objects, is set to release this winter. Katie Holmes is directing the film, and you are also acting alongside each other. It must have been nice to work with her right in New York. Tell us about your character.
AC __ I enjoyed making this film and getting to know Katie better. We had been acquaintances for years, but this was a charming way to develop a friendship. I play an antique shop owner who employs the heroine of the story played by Julia Mayorga. We shot it on Lafayette Street in NYC. As I live nearby, I could walk home from work every night. How often does that happen?
VM __ The documentary My Old School will be out in July this year. What can you tell us about the film?
AC __ I lip-synch the leading character of the documentary, Brandon Lee, since he gave an interview but didn't want to be seen. The director, my friend Jono McLeod, asked me to play him but lip-synch the audio he had recorded. It was a surreal way to approach a character. Fun fact, I was going to play Brandon Lee in a narrative movie in the 90s, but it never came off. It's about a thirty-year-old man who went back to high school and pretended to be sixteen to retake his exams and get into medical school. It was a sensational story in Scotland, and it feels great for this story to be told by the people who were there when it happened - his classmates and teachers.
VM __ I understand you own a club in the East Village of Manhattan called Club Cumming where you occasionally DJ and hold weekly comedy and cabaret events.
AC __ Yes, we have lots of different activities
at a Club Cumming—dancing, crafts, life drawing—anything could happen! It’s a fun and exciting community. You will laugh and have the best time of your life there.
VM __ When can we catch you on stage?
AC __ You can catch Och and Oy! with Ari Shapiro, and Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age; both are cabarets. Details about these ongoing shows are on alancumming.com/events.
Jacket, pants & shoes PAISLEY AND GRAY, top TOP SHELF.
Suit PAISLEY AND GRAY, shoes ROBERTO CAVALLI, scarf PASCHA BRUNELLO, bracelet CYNTHIA ALTORISO.
Sweater AKNVAS
Shirt FRIED RICE, pants PAISLEY AND GRAY, shoes LES HOMMES.
Photography Gian Andrea di Stefano, Styling & production Cynthia Altoriso, Hair & makeup Michelle Coursey, Backdrop set Charles Broderson, Talent Alan Cumming.