Alan Cumming on 'The biggest crime in acting'

CF Blog | May 1

"I really hate the word 'process.' I will say I'm not a cheese; I have no process." --Alan Cumming

You might remember Alan Cumming as the eccentric evil villain and children's show impresario in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids trilogy; or maybe you recognize him as the volatile Eli Gold on the CBS television series The Good Wife; or perhaps you recall his scathingly cheeky performance opposite Tom Cruise in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Regardless of your particular reference point, Alan Cumming has been working consistently in film, television, as well as theater for close to thirty years. And he's done so in a seemingly effortless fashion. Alan's secret? "Mostly, when it comes down to it, I just pretend to be someone else and mean it…and that's not that difficult." Alan believes that actors, particularly American actors, overthink the process and muddle the craft. In fact, he goes as far as to say, "Overthinking is the biggest crime in acting."

And a good deal of Alan's success has been achieved in America where he's been the go-to guy when you need a nebbish or clown or prankster or villain--or any number of outrageous characters. But the eloquent Scot is not necessarily a fan of American-born acting. "Especially in America, this over-mythologizing of acting has really made people very selfish sometimes in their performances. And they've forgotten that it's a collaborative thing--it's not just about you," he asserts.

Conversely, Cumming is a fan of the dynamics of play when it comes to the craft. He considers acting to be "very much like kids playing." He continues, "I always go back to the idea of play. Actors used to become players. It just means you play. You look at kids when they're making up characters and if they pretend to be a dinosaur and you go, 'Oh gosh, yes, your breath is so fiery.'" According to Alan, "That's all you need to do."

The Roles That Burt Reynolds Let Get Away

CF Blog | April 27

Burt Reynolds, legendary actor and notorious bad boy, is still working in Hollywood at the age of 81. Presently, he is promoting his new film Dog Years which details the trials and travails of an aging movie star. In a far-ranging interview with Katie Couric, Burt lets forth about his tumultuous love life, his love of football and teaching, his many regrets including screwing it up with Sally Field and marrying Loni Anderson, and the roles that got away.

According to IMDb, Reynolds' numerous achievements have been recognized by his having been named America's Favorite All-Around Motion Picture Actor (People's Choice Award) for a record six consecutive years; the Most Popular Star for five years running; Star of the Year (National Association of Theatre Owners); and #1 Box Office Star for five years in a row--still an unmatched record. He was honored with the 2007 Taurus World Stunt Award for Lifetime Achievement for an Action Movie Star and received this special citation from the Republican Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.

You would think with a resume like that a star of Burt's caliber would be happy and satisfied with his legacy, but that's apparently not the case. Reynolds laments turning down the role of the randy astronaut Garrett Breedlove in the award-winning drama Terms of Endearment. Jack Nicholson went on to win the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role and the film itself won five Academy awards along with numerous film festival awards. Burt also turned down the role of the wise-cracking, fearless yippie ki-yay John McClane in the blockbuster action film Die Hard. The role, of course, went to Bruce Willis--and the rest is history! It's hard to imagine a better player for the iconic role, but if anyone could outBruce Bruce Willis, it would be ole Burt Reynolds.

However, the role of James Bond is another story altogether. Burt deeply regrets his decision to turn down the iconic role in 1970 and believes it's one of the biggest mistakes of his career. Remember, this is a guy who said yes to three Smokey and the Bandit movies, two Cannonball Runs, and the inimitable Stroker Ace, but he couldn't say yes to Bond…James Bond? And the reason he gives for his disappointment concerning the missed opportunity? "I would have done a good job."