The Scottish-born Hollywood and Broadway star Alan Cumming has revealed he wants to scale back his work commitments and live a more anonymous life.
Cumming suggested he planning to “do less” and strike a better work-life "balance" after taking over as artistic director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and buying a new home in the Highlands.
The Perthshire-born actor, who has lived between Scotland and New York in recent years, has admitted he became ill last year after travelling too much between the UK and America.
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Cumming, who turned 61 last month, said he was constantly having to look after himself and be aware of when "things are too much".
Cumming was speaking at the Winter Words book festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, where he appeared in a number of events and also hosted a club night.
He described the prospect of making new theatre productions there as “the perfect thing” because of the lack of distractions and “glare” in the Perthshire town.
Cumming, the host of the US version of The Traitors, which is filmed in the Highlands, also opened up about “really awful” and “really difficult” aspects of his fame, including intrusions into his private life.
However the actor, who has been a long-time campaigner on politics, civil rights and social justice issues, described the “platform” had as a celebrity as “a huge gift”.
Cumming, who is overseeing his first full season of shows at Pitlochry this year, was interviewed about his life and career at Winter Words by the poet and author Michael Pedersen, who has now taken over the programming of the event for its next edition.
After the book festival ended on Sunday night, Cumming is now in rehearsals for The High Life, the new National Theatre of Scotland musical based on the 1990s BBC sitcom set in a fictional airline.
The actor, who has just launched a new series of The Traitors, will be starring opposite Brian Cox in a forthcoming feature film focusing on two estranged brothers from the Highlands. Last year he filmed a new Channel 4 thriller Tip Toe, by writer Russell T Davies, and the superhero film Avengers: Doomsday.
As well as The High Life, which will be touring Scotland after launching at Dundee Rep next month, is also starring in or directing a number of shows in his inaugural season as PFT’s artistic director.
Cumming, who will present the BAFTA Film Awards this weekend, was asked by an audience member how he managed to balance the number of work commitments he had in different time zones.
He said: “I like what I do, so that helps. I have a lot of people to help me. I have two assistants since the end of last year, one here and one in America.
“I have a good constitution, I keep fit and I also look at my mum. She is this powerhouse little lady who goes how walking every day. I look at her energy and outlook on life. I have got that same drive and zest for life.
“I am actually here now for months and months. But last year, when I was filming Tip Toe in Manchester, on the first two weekends I was there I had to go to Los Angeles and back.
“I would not recommend that. It was too much. I got a bit sick because I was run-down at the time.
“It’s about constantly having to look after yourself. But I am also realising when things are too much.
“It is in my plan to do less. We have a house near Inverness that is being renovated. I have this vision of me baking gluten free scones and warming my bum on my Aga. I want to manifest the chance to do that.
“It is so exciting to do lots of things, but it is about balance as well.”
Speaking at Winter Words, Cumming recalled how had never been until he filmed part of an episode of the Channel 4 travel show All Aboard! Scotland’s Poshest Train at the theatre three years ago.
He was given a tour of its facilities by then artistic director Elizabeth Newman, who asked Cumming if he would ever be interested in running the venue, a few months before she announced her departure from the role.
Cumming said: “Elizabeth is like the puppet master of the whole thing.
“I had never been here for a variety of reasons, partly because I'd been away, living in America.
“Things have clearly changed since I left drama school, but 40 years ago they honestly said ‘don't bother auditioning for Pitlochry - they only employ English people.’ So I just didn't.
“When I was a baby actor, I would do tours around Scotland, but I never came here. it didn't feel to me to be that integral a part of the Scottish theatre scene.
“One of the things I want to make sure we do more often is bring in touring companies as well as have our own work.
“I was blown away by how beautiful the theatre is, the incredible facilities that are here and the fact that a new studio (theatre) was opened during Covid when most places were closing down.
“I had sort of thought about stuff in my head and made up all these ideas.
“When Elizabeth resigned all these people were asking if I was going to apply. I thought ‘oh, my God, I didn’t realise that I've already been telling all these people.’ She had really planted that seed.”
Cumming, who was unveiled as artistic director in September 2024, said that since taking on the role he had been “selling” the idea of “coming away to a beautiful place” to make new theatre work.
He said: “Mostly, when you try to make work, there's all these other distractions and glare.
“I feel that we've got the best of it here. We've got all the facilities, we can make great work and although I've obviously brought a bit more glare here, you have a chance to just truly focus on the work, give it to the people of Scotland and then take it on elsewhere. It's the perfect thing here.”
Cumming said he found it “hilarious” that millions of people around the world had become aware of Pitlochry since he took on the theatre role, which he discussed when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month.
He described his profile as the most important thing he could bring to the job in Pitlochry, but admitted there were downside to his fame.
He said: “Who I am as a person is absolutely identical to the personality that is projected around the world. With an awful lot of well-known people I know that is not the case. They have to sort of assume a different character.
“I have always just spoken about who I am. I think people listen to you, and sort of understand you are talking truthfully and authentically. I talk about Pitlochry all the time because it is my mind a lot.
“There are a lot of really great things about being famous, but there's a lot of really awful things about it as well. Your life has many constraints on it. There are things that people take for granted that you just can't do anymore.
““As an actor. It's so great to observe people, but I can't do that anymore. Everywhere I go, people are watching me. I really miss that anonymity. It’s hard.
“What it gives you, what it has given me and what I have embraced is this platform to talk about things that I feel are important.
“In America, people ask me when I became interested in politics, like is a sort of hobby. In this country, we talk much more about politics and just, we are more concerned about social issues, looking after other people and being concerned with what's going on in the world.
“If I wasn't who I am today, I would still have these opinions, but not as many people would hear them. That is the huge gift of being famous to me.
“I really enjoy my work, I have a great life and I am very in terms of things that it has brought me. But I hate that attitude when people say: ‘You are a celebrity. You signed up for this.’
“I don't remember signing up for some of the things that are really difficult to deal with, like invasions into your private life and space. You do not sign up for that.
“But it gives you an amazing way to amplify what you feel is right in the world and speak out for people less fortunate than you. That is a very Scottish trait.
“The phrase I remember hearing most in the school playground is ‘that’s not fair’. It's such a great thing to grow up with the ideas of fairness and justice. I think we've got them ingrained in us much more than we probably realise.”
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