Avengers Doomsday star Alan Cumming attributes Scots identity to ‘much of my success'

Daily Record

28-04-2025

It's no secret that us Scots are proud of Alan Cumming , who has broken into success far beyond his homeland. Hosting Traitors US and even appearing in the upcoming Avengers film, it's safe to say that the Aberfeldy-born actor has made a significant contribution to the world-wide showbiz scene. And the star has recently shared that his identity as being Scottish is the reason for 'much of my success'. The 60-year-old said growing up in Scotland gave him the opportunity to attend drama school for free, teaching him important values. He believed his free education was responsible for making the star value fairness and kindness, characteristics that he believes to be inherently Scottish. He told singer Lulu on her Turning Points podcast: 'I am an actor because the values I have are completely about Scotland, fairness, thinking there should be a safety net, the kindness that I have is because I was brought up with it. '(Thinking) that you should look after other people, you should be concerned. I went to drama school and Scotland, my mum and dad's taxes, paid for that, it was completely free, I got a grant and everything. 'Then I started off in subsidised theatres, you know, acting and things like that. So when you think about, if that was in America , I would never be an actor, my mum and dad would never be able to afford to send me. 'So I really think that so much of my success is to do with where I was from and both in those terms about education but also in the values that I have as a person, as an artist.' He said Scottish people were 'slightly persecuted', leading to them growing up with 'a little bit of an inferiority complex'. Cumming has starred in Marvel films as Nightcrawler, a role he will reprise in next year's Avengers Doomsday. The actor has also appeared in 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, 2000's Get Carter and 1999's Eyes Wide Shut. He was also a guest star in the first season of US drama The Good Wife, playing PR guru Eli Gold, before appearing in the series until it ended in 2015 with its seventh season. During his time on the programme, he was nominated for three Emmys and two Golden Globes. He has also served as host on The Traitors US, where he has consistently dazzled fans with his bold outfits that often pay homage to his homeland of Scotland. He is often seen sporting bright and bewildering outfits on the US program, wearing a kilt or tartan-printed suits. Fans have consistently applauded his exciting outfits as a staple element of the American TV show. Alan Cumming's full interview on Turning Points can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.