Alan Cumming as Glitch, who has lost his brain in Azkadellia’s torture chamber, on Sci Fi Channel's Tin Man.

Born on January 27, 1965 in Aberfeldy, Scotland, Alan Cumming is a Scottish film and stage actor. He studied at Monikie Primary School and Carnoustie High School, set on becoming a veterinarian. Because of a personality clash with his biology teacher, he reconsidered his career and turned to acting. He appeared in a number of school productions, joining the Carnoustie Theatre Club and Carnoustie Musical Society. Upon graduating, he spent more than a year as an editor for the Scottish pop magazine TOPS. He subsequently entered the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. There, he graduated with awards for verse speaking and direction.

In 1998, Alan Cumming performed as the impish Emcee in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret. He was highly acclaimed, even winning a Tony Award. He had previously played the role at the London’s famed Donmar Warehouse theatre, which earned him an Olivier Award nomination. His career in film began by small appearances on television. He was in 1990s TV movies like The Last Romantics and Bernard and the Genie. Cumming won an Olivier Award for his performance in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo. In 1995, he was given one of his best-known roles, as Boris Grisheko in the James Bond film GoldenEye. He also starred in 1997’s Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion and 1999’s Titus. He hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2000, before starring in the 2001 Broadway production of Noel Coward’s Design for Living. He was also the multi award-winning play La Bete by David Hirson.

Cumming had several film roles in the 2000s. He was in the family adventure film Spy Kids, the comedy Josie and the Pussycats and was in an episode of the series Sex and the City. In 2003, he made a cameo appearance in the highly successful series Frasier. That year, he also landed another famous role of his, as Kurt Wagner or The Nightcrawler in the superhero film X2: X-Men United, the second film in the X-Men movies. Cumming has continued to perform in a number of stage productions, including the lead in the West End production of Bent. In 2007, he was cast as Glitch/Ambrose in the TV miniseries Tin Man. He was also in the acclaimed film Gray Matters as well as providing the voice for a paralyzed gay man in Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in the World. Cumming also released his first novel, Tommy’s Tale, in 2002.




(Photos courtesy of Sci Fi and art.com)