What Alan Cummg's role as a gay lead means for mastream TV | Alan Cummg | The Guardian

Contents:

• ALAN CUMMG ON NEW SERI "INSTCT" AND WHY 'S A "BIG STEP" FOR GAY CHARACTERS
• WHAT ALAN CUMMG'S ROLE AS A GAY LEAD MEANS FOR MASTREAM TV
• ALAN CUMMG: THE TTH ABOUT MY FATHERGENE THERAPYIN 2010, THE ‘GOOD WIFE’ STAR RECEIVED SHOCKG NEWS ABOUT HIS PATERNY. HE TALKS NDIDLY ABOUT THE SAGA, NON-MONOGAMY, ASSISTED SUICI, AND WHY HE’S ‘BORED’ OF THE GAY ACTOR BATE.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:42PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 14, 2014 5:50AM EDT KEV GARCIAJOURNALISTS GENERALLY SHOULDN’T BE PART OF THE STORI THEY VER. BUT TODAY, STG WH ALAN CUMMG THE UNN SQUARE VEGAN RTRANT PEACEFOOD CAFé, ’S UNAVOIDABLE. I AM PART OF THE STORY, A KEY ONE, TURNS OUT; WHEN I REACHED PAGE 31 OF THE GOOD WIFE STAR’S MEMOIR, NOT MY FATHER’S SON, THE LOR DRAED OM MY FACE WHEN I DISVERED WHY. “ISN’T FUNNY? YOU’RE ACTUALLY TEGRAL TO THIS BOOK,” CUMMG SAYS, TAKG OFF HIS LOVELY, FTED CHECKERED AT AND SRF AND LIBERATG A CURTA OF DARK FLOPPY HAIR OM UNR A JNTY HAT. “IF HADN’T BEEN FOR MEETG AND DOG THAT TERVIEW MY DAD WOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD ME—AT THAT TIME ANYWAY…AND MAYBE NOT EVER.”IN 2010, I TERVIEWED CUMMG FOR THE LONDON TIM, AN TERVIEW THAT WAS, S FAL PRTED VERSN, BOILED DOWN TO A SERI OF QUOT, CLUDG THAT CUMMG’S LIFE WAS BETTER WHOUT HIS FATHER ALEX ; THAT HIS FATHER HAD NCER; AND THAT THE NEXT TIME HE SAW HIM HE’D BE ILL OR DYG, “AND I MAY NOT SEE HIM.”TABLOID JOURNALISTS SAW THE QUOT AND NTACTED BOTH CUMMG’S MOTHER, MARY DARLG, AND HIS FATHER STLAND. ALEX THEN TOLD CUMMG’S BROTHER, TOM, THAT ALAN WAS NOT HIS SON, BUT RATHER THE PRODUCT OF AN AFFAIR CUMMG’S MOTHER HAD. THAT WAS SHOCKG ENOUGH; THEN CUMMG TOOK A DNA TT, AND DISVERED HIS FATHER WAS HIS FATHER AFTER ALL, AND THAT HIS MOTHER HAD NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR. FOR 45 YEARS, HIS FATHER HAD CREATED A FICTN HIS HEAD—ALL THIS ON TOP OF BEG A “MONSTER,” AS CUMMG LLS HIM, ABIVE AND TERRIFYG. “MY DAD EAKED OUT WHEN THE TABLOID REPORTER TURNED UP,” CUMMG SAYS, HIS LILTG STTISH BROGUE. “HE LLED MY BROTHER. HE THOUGHT THEY HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT ME NOT BEG HIS SON, AND THAT I WOULD FD OUT ABOUT VIA THE PRS.”CUMMG’S EY FLICK UP. “PLEASE DON’T DO THAT,” HE SAYS TO A LADY STG AT A NEIGHBORG TABLE. SHE IS SURREPTLY TAKG A PICTURE OF HIM EATG.“WOULD YOU LETE THAT?” CUMMG SAYS, NOT A REQUT, MORE AN STCTN—AND THE BT DON’T-FUCK-WH-ME TONE OF HIS GOOD WIFE CHARACTER, ELI GOLD.“IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, WELE TO MY WORLD,” HE SAYS, ROLLG HIS EY. HE LOOKS GREAT: LEAN, A YOUNGER THAN HIS 49 YEARS. VEGANISM HELPS, HE SAYS, AS WELL AS HIGH-KICKG HIS WAY THROUGH EIGHT PERFORMANC A WEEK OF CABARET ON BROADWAY, WHICH HE PLAYS THE EMCEE “ALONGSI A ST OF GIRLS HALF MY AGE” (MICHELLE WILLIAMS PLAYS SALLY BOWL). HE LIV THE EAST VILLAGE WH HIS MUCH-LOVED HBAND GRANT SHAFFER. HE IS QUICK, TELLIGENT, FUNNY, AND VERY DIRECT. TOM BROKE THE NEWS TO CUMMG THAT HE WASN’T HIS FATHER’S SON—THE RRECT NEWS, AS TURNED OUT—ON A LONDON ROOFTOP, JT AS CUMMG WAS ABOUT TO FILM AN EPISO OF THE BBC CELEBRY GENEALOGY SHOW, WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE?, WHICH WOULD FOC ON HIS MOTHER’S FATHER, TOMMY DARLG. TOMMY’S WARTIME STORY, BOTH HEROIC AND TRAGIC, FORMS ANOTHER STORYLE OF THE MEMOIR. AS CUMMG WAS FILMG A SHOW ABOUT HIS FAY’S PAST, HE WAS LIVG A VERY H, AWFUL PRENT OFF MERA.“IT’S BEE OF YOUR ARTICLE THAT THGS HAPPENED THE WAY THEY DID. IT PRECIPATED THGS,” CUMMG SAYS. “AS I WAS WRG ABOUT I THOUGHT ABOUT NTACTG YOU.” THE ACTOR THOUGHT I HAD ASKED TO TERVIEW HIM BEE I HAD READ THE BOOK AND SEEN MYSELF ON THE PAGE. BUT I HADN’T. I READ THE BOOK AFTER I HAD ARRANGED THE TERVIEW. “I'M GLAD WE'RE DOG THIS,” CUMMG SAYS. “I WANTED TO SAY THERE ARE NO HARD FEELGS. I'M GLAD I HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT .”*****CUMMG AND TOM GREW UP RAL STLAND, ON THE TATE ANG WHERE HIS FATHER WAS HEAD FORTER. THE CHILDHOOD CUMMG SKETCH THIS PELLGLY WRTEN MEMOIR WAS ONE EIGHTED WH FEAR, THE TWO BOYS NEVER SURE HOW OR WHEN THEIR FATHER’S RAGE WOULD FLARE. TYPILLY, CUMMG SAYS, THE BOYS WOULD BE SET AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, OR ONE WHOSE PLETN WOULD NEVER SATISFY THEIR FATHER. THEN HE WOULD LOSE HIS TEMPER AND STRIKE OUT. ON ONE OCSN, ASKED TO SORT GOOD AND BAD SAPLGS, HIS FATHER SPECTED CUMMG’S WORK AND WHOUT WARNG, “HE BACKHAND ME ACROSS THE FACE. I FLEW THROUGH THE AIR AND LAND A HEAP AGAST THE STONE WALL OF THE SHED.” HIS FATHER SMASHED HIM THE FACE, THEN THREW HIM TO A PILE OF SAPLGS WHOSE SPIKY ENDS JUTTED TO HIS EY, THEN KICKED HIM THE BACK FOR GOOD MEASURE.“THE THG THAT GOT TO ME THE MOST WAS BEG TOLD TO DO SOMETHG WHICH WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR WHATEVER REASON. I WAS LIKE, ‘I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS,’ THEN HE WOULD MAKE ME. STARTG A TASK KNOWG YOU’RE GOG TO FAIL AT , AND KNOWG YOU’RE GOG FAIL AT MEANG YOU’RE GOG TO GET H, IS SO MISERABLE AND SO CEL. EVEN WHEN I SAID, ‘I N’T DO THIS,’ I HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS DANCE AND EVABLY BE WHACKED.” ALEX WOULD H CUMMG ACROSS THE HEAD, OR KICK HIS BUTTOCKS OR THE BACKS OF HIS LEGS. “YOU KNEW WAS G. YOU ULD SEE THE BUILD-UP. YOU CLOSED DOWN AND WAED FOR .”THE MENACE AND ABE WAS NSTANT; READS AS A HOEHOLD UNR SIEGE. WHEN FATHER AND SON DID SOMETHG NICE—SUCH AS GOG SWIMMG— WAS UALLY AN OPPORTUNY FOR HIS FATHER TO SEE ANOTHER WOMAN ON THE SI, WHICH CUMMG WOULD WNS. CUMMG'S FATHER CHEATED ON CUMMG’S MOTHER NSTANTLY, A “PANMIC OF FILY,” AS CUMMG LLS . AT A UNTRY SHOW HIS FATHER LIBERATELY LOST HIM TO PURSUE ANOTHER ILLIC AFFAIR. AS TIME WENT ON, ALEX AND MARY LIVED SEPARATE LIV. SHE GOT A JOB—“SHE WAS FDG HERSELF AGA”—BUT, JT AS SHE VOLIZ THE IA OF LEAVG THE TYRANNIL ALEX TO ALAN AND TOM, THE R SKIDS ON SOME ICE EN ROUTE TO A SCREENG OF JAWS. SHE DIDN’T LEAVE ALEX—NOT THEN ANYWAY. “MUM WAS LIVG FEAR AS WELL WE WERE TRAPPED,” CUMMG TELLS ME. WHEN THE ACTOR HAD A NERVO BREAKDOWN HIS 20S, HE WONRED, “WHY DIDN’T SHE STOP ?” BUT, HE SAYS TODAY, “SHE WAS TERRIFIED, SHE WAS FANCIALLY TRAPPED BY HIM. IT WAS A FDAL SOCIETY. IT WAS LIKE LIVG THE 1940S, A WOMAN LEAVG A MAN WAS UNHEARD OF. SHE DID THE BT SHE ULD DO.”MARY FALLY LEFT ALEX WHEN CUMMG WAS 19 AND GLASGOW HIS FAL YEAR AT DRAMA SCHOOL. IN HIS LATE 20S, CUMMG NONTED HIS FATHER ABOUT HIS ABE; RPONSE, HIS FATHER SISTED, “I AM NOT A PSYCHOPATH.” CUMMG NEVER HEARD OM HIS FATHER AGA, UNTIL THE “I’M NOT YOUR FATHER BOMBSHELL” NEARLY TWENTY YEARS LATER.WHEN CUMMG IALLY HEARD HE WAS NOT HIS FATHER’S SON, HE TELLS ME, “I WAS UTTERLY, UTTERLY SHOCKED, PLETELY SHOCKED—HOW ALL HAPPENED, THE SPEED OF . I WAS VASTATED. I THOUGHT I’D HAVE A HEART ATTACK. I REMEMBER HOLDG MY CHT. I THOUGHT MY HEART WOULD LEAP OUT OF MY CHT, WAS SO OVERWHELMG. THEN I WAS FUR WH HIM. IT WAS SUCH A MAELSTROM. MOSTLY, QUICKLY, I WAS VERY HAPPY TO NOT BE HIS SON.”IT ALSO MEANT, SADLY, HE WASN’T HIS BROTHER’S BROTHER. “IT WAS LIKE I WAS WALKG OUT OF THE FORT TO THE SUNSHE, AND TOM WAS STILL THE FORT AND I WANTED TO PULL HIM OUT. IT WAS LIKE I’D GOTTEN AWAY. TALK ABOUT A MDFUCK.”“YOU’RE LUCKY,” TOM TOLD ALAN WHEN THEY THOUGHT ALEX HAD TOLD THEM THE TTH. “OF URSE, I HAD ALL THIS POTENTIALLY NEW FAY AS WELL,” SAYS CUMMG. HE KNEW THE MAN HIS FATHER NAMED AS HIS FATHER. “I DIDN’T NAME HIM THE BOOK. I FELT WOULD BRG UNDUE ATTENTN ON HIM. HE KNEW NOTHG ABOUT THIS, AND, OF URSE, WAS ALL MY FATHER’S IMAGATN.”HIS FATHER’S STORY WAS SO ELABORATE AND TAILED—HE RELLED SEEG HIS WIFE AT THE PARTY WHERE SHE SUPPOSEDLY WENT OFF WH THE OTHER MAN—THAT MA SENSE TO CUMMG. “BUT I ULDN’T TST HIM. I WANTED TO DO A DNA TT. THAT’S WHY I DIDN’T WANT TO SPEAK TO MY MUM BEFORE I KNEW.”BUT HE WAS SO CLOSE TO HIS MOTHER, WHY DIDN’T HE JT ASK HER DIRECTLY IF SHE’D HAD THE AFFAIR? SHE HADN’T, AND ULD HAVE REFUTED HIS FATHER’S BAROQUE MISAPPREHENSN IMMEDIATELY.“I KNOW, DO SEEM WEIRD DON’T ?” CUMMG SAYS. “I JT DIDN’T WANT TO UPSET HER ANY MORE, OR BRG HER UNDUE STRS. I WANTED TO GO TO HER AND SAY, ‘IT’S OK.’ I WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD IF WAS TE. IF WASN’T TE AND MY FATHER WAS FUCKG WH MY HEAD I DIDN’T WANT TO BRG HER TO . YOU HAVE TO UNRSTAND, MY FATHER SUDNLY G BACK TO MY LIFE WAS SO SHOCKG.”*****CUMMG “FELT BLOWN AWAY” BY THE REVELATN THAT HIS FATHER WASN’T HIS FATHER. “I WANTED TO BATTEN DOWN THE HATCH FOR A MUTE AND THK. HE MA MY LIFE CHAOS. HE WAS SUCH A NEGATIVE AND DIVISIVE PERSON MY LIFE I WAS TRYG TO FIGURE OUT THE MIMUM AMOUNT OF PA THAT ULD BE ED HERE.”THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT ME THROUGH ON JUNE 4, 2010. HIS ASSISTANT WROTE TO CUMMG: “Y, YOUR DNA AND TOM’S DNA ABSOLUTELY MATCH. HE IS YOUR FATHER. I’M SO SORRY.” CUMMG SAID TO HIS BROTHER: “YOU KNOW, I WAS SO HAPPY NOT TO BE HIS SON. BUT AT LEAST NOW I KNOW I’M YOUR FULL BROTHER.”THEN HE LLED HIS FATHER, WHO SAID ON HEARG THE NEWS THAT HE WAS CUMMG’S FATHER (HAVG TOLD HIM HE WAS NOT), “WELL, I’M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.” CUMMG TOLD HIM: “IT NEVER HAPPENED, DAD. YOU IMAGED ALL. MUM NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR. NONE OF EVER HAPPENED.”CUMMG TELLS ME HE WAS “NSCENT WH RAGE, LIKE I’VE NEVER FELT SUCH RAGE” AFTER HE DISVERED HE WAS HIS FATHER’S SON. “FURY. BEE I DID BELIEVE , AND HE’D FUCKED WH MY HEAD YET AGA. HE’D MA UP THE ENTIRE STORY. I FELT MUCH MORE EMPOWERED AND NTROL TO BE ABLE TO SAY, ‘LISTEN, I’VE HAD 45 YEARS-WORTH OF THIS MAN MSG WH ME, MSG WH MY HEAD.’ THE VERY LAST THG HE DO IS TO SAY TO ME: ‘YOU’RE EE OM ME, I’M NOT YOUR FATHER,’ BUT HE WAS. I WAS SO ANGRY.”AFTER RECEIVG THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT, CUMMG FALLY SPOKE TO HIS MOTHER, WHO REMEMBERED THE NIGHT HIS FATHER HAD THOUGHT HE HAD SEEN HER GO OFF WH THE OTHER MAN. IN FACT, THE MAN HAD JT WANTED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT HIS DRKG PROBLEM—THAT’S ALL THAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.“BEG ABLE TO TELL YOUR FATHER WHAT HE HAS BELIEVED FOR HOWEVER MANY S—THAT YOU ARE NOT HIS SON AND THE REASON WHY—ARE BOTH UNTE IS QUE AN CREDIBLE THG TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO,” CUMMG SAYS. “I THK I ALT WH THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY AND MIMIZED THE PA.” IN A PHONE LL ON SATURDAY JUNE 5, 2010, HIS FATHER TOLD CUMMG, “I DIDN’T DO THIS TO HURT YOU.” CUMMG, FUR, SAID HIS FATHER HAD “BASED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ON A FALSE ASSUMPTN AND YOU MA ALL OUR LIV HELL.” CUMMG TOLD HIM HE WOULD NEVER SPEAK TO HIM AGA. “AYE,” HIS FATHER SAID—THE LAST THG HE WOULD EVER SAY TO HIM. ALEX CUMMG DIED ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2010. DO CUMMG THK HIS FATHER’S MISUNRSTANDG RMED THE ABE? “I DO, BUT I DON’T THK WAS THE ROOT OF . I THK MAYBE WAS THE JTIFITN HE ED FOR THAT AND HOW HE TREATED MY MUM FOR HAVG WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN AFFAIR. WHEN YOU’RE ALG WH SOMEONE WHO IS MENTALLY ILL, TRYG TO RATNALIZE SOMETHG WHICH IS NOT RATNAL IS POTLS.”CUMMG ADDS, “HIS PSYCHE WAS NOT THE PSYCHE OF A WELL MAN. HE ULD NOT PROCS THE TTH. HE WAS A MONSTER. I THK HE WAS MENTALLY ILL, I’M NOT SURE WH EXACTLY WHAT. ASI OM HIS VLENCE AND IRRATNAL RAGE, THERE WAS HIS UTTER ABILY FOR EMPATHY OR TO UNRSTAND ANYONE’S FEELGS, THE BRAZENNS OF HIS BEHAVR, THE FACT THAT HE ULDN’T PUTE THAT ANYONE WAS AFFECTED OR OFFEND OR UPSET BY HIM. THAT’S A PERSONALY DISORR. THAT’S NOT SOMEBODY WHO IS FUNCTNG PROPERLY THE WORLD.” TOM RECEIVED THE SAME AMOUNT OF ABE AS ALAN; AND ALEX THOUGHT TOM WAS HIS BLOGIL SON, SO THKG ALAN WAS NOT DON’T SEEM TO HAVE MA MUCH A DIFFERENCE HIS TREATMENT OF EHER BOY. I ASK CUMMG IF HE THKS ANY OF THE ABE WAS HOMOPHOBIC. “I DON’T THK WAS A MAJOR FACTOR. I WAS LTLE, SLIGHT, A LATE VELOPER. TOM WAS A SPORTY, MACHO MAN, AND [HE] GOT THE SAME THG.”*****WAS CUMMG'S FATHER EVER WARM OR LOVG? “Y HE ULD BE,” THE ACTOR SAYS. "HE WAS CHARMG, VERY CHARISMATIC. AND HE WAS SEXY.” EVEN AFTER HIS ATH, HIS FATHER WASN’T DONE WH THE “MD-FUCKG,” AS CUMMG PUTS . HE LEFT HIS SONS OUT OF HIS WILL, THOUGH HE KNEW, UNR STTISH LAW AND THE WAY HE HAD LEFT HIS TATE, THAT WOULD REVERT TO THEM. THEY HAD TO CI WHAT TO DO, IF ANYTHG, WH HIS MONEY. CUMMG SHAK HIS HEAD. IN THEIR LAST NVERSATN, HIS FATHER DIDN’T SAY SORRY FOR ANYTHG. “HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY PREHENSN OF ANYTHG—JT TOTAL SELF-ABSORPTN.”THE ONLY SIGN OF NTRN ON HIS FATHER’S PART ME, SAYS CUMMG, WHEN HE NONTED HIM HIS LATE 20S. AS HE AND TOM WERE DRIVG AWAY, CUMMG SAYS HE SAW TEARS HIS FATHER’S EY. “SHORTLY AFTER THAT, MY FATHER'S PARTNER SPOKE TO MY BROTHER AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, BEE MY FATHER WAS LOOKG AT PHOTOGRAPHS OF AS LTLE BOYS. I THK HE WAS TRYG TO FD THE HAPPY TIM, TO SHOW HE WASN’T ALL BAD. KNOWG HE DID THAT, THAT HE WAS MOVED BY , GAVE ME HOPE HE WAS GOG TO BE TOUCH…THEN HE NEVER DID.” CUMMG PS, S EFULLY. “HE REELED YOU AND LET YOU GO.”ALL CUMMG WANTED TO HEAR HIS FATHER SAY WAS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF WHAT HE HAD THOUGHT ALL THOSE YEARS WAS WRONG. “I KNEW I WASN’T GOG TO GET THAT. I KNEW HE WAS AN IRRATNAL MAN NOT ABLE TO SAY SORRY.” NOW CUMMG ONLY WISH HE’D ASKED HIS FATHER WHEN THE FIRST MOMENT OF THE MISAPPREHENSN TAKG SEED WAS, HOW OLD WAS THE YOUNG CUMMG AT THAT MOMENT, WHY DID HE WANT TO BELIEVE ALAN WASN’T HIS SON?MAYBE ALEX ED HIS WIFE’S IMAGED ADULTERY AS AN NER JTIFITN FOR HIS OWN FILI, I SAY. CUMMG AGRE, “LIKE THE THIEF WHO STEALS MONEY WHO THKS OTHERS ARE STEALG OM HIM. HE HAD SOME SORT OF MENTAL NDN THAT PRECLUD HIM OM ACTG RATNALLY AND WH EMPATHY AND RPECT.”WRG THE BOOK HAS GIVEN CUMMG “SOME SENSE OF CLOSURE,” A STATEMENT OF A “MORE HOLISTIC VERSN OF ME.” WHILE TALKG ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THE PAST “CHURNS THGS UP, IF ANYTHG HAS REERATED FOR ME NONE OF THIS WAS ABOUT ME. WHATEVER THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT, EVEN BEFORE THAT, I DIDN’T THK I WAS MY FATHER’S SON. I MARVEL AT THE FACT I AM RELATED TO THIS PERSON.”I ASK IF THERE IS ANYTHG OF HIS FATHER CUMMG. “A VORAC SEXUAL APPETE FELY. AND I’M A CHARMER. WHEN I WAS YOUNG I SAW A MAN WHO ULDN’T NTROL HIS URG, WHO ULDN’T NTROL HIMSELF AND DIDN’T. IT’S NOT LIKE HE ULDN’T HELP HIMSELF. EVEN AS A BOY, I UNRSTOOD LT I THK. I ULD SEE, ‘THAT’S WRONG, HIM DOG THAT.’ OBVLY HAVG AFFAIRS THE WAY HE DID—NORMALLY PEOPLE HI THAT, WHY DIDN’T HE? I ULD SEE HE DIDN’T HAVE NTROL OVER THAT.”SO, IF HIS FATHER WAS LIKE THAT, AND CUMMG SHAR HIS VORAC SEXUAL APPETE, HOW DO HE BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY? “MY ATTU TO ALL OF THAT IS, ‘WE ARE ANIMALS AND WE HAVE NEEDS AND WHY SHOULD WE PRETEND THAT’S NOT THE SE—AND LET’S BE KD.’ I’M KD: THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE. I LIKE SEX. I UNRSTAND MYSELF AND I’M KD.”CUMMG WAS ONCE MARRIED TO ACTRS HILARY LYON, AND HE ALSO HAD A RELATNSHIP WH ACTRS SAFON BURROWS. HE AND SHAFFER, WHO HE MARRIED NEW YORK 2012 FIVE YEARS AFTER HAVG A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP CEREMONY LONDON, DON’T HAVE AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, CUMMG CLARIFI. “I DON’T THK MONOGAMY IS A NATURAL STATE. IF SOMETHG DID HAPPEN THAT WOULDN’T BE THE WORST WAY I ULD BETRAY GRANT AND HE KNOWS THAT AND I FEEL THE SAME WAY. ANYTHG WE DO WE DO WH THE UTMOST KDNS AND RPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT ’S NOT LIKE WE GO ROUND SHAGGG. WE DON’T GO OUT LIKE PEOPLE DO AND E HOME WH A DIFFERENT PERSON, ABSOLUTELY NOT.”*****CUMMG, WHO ACHIEVED FILM MEGA-STARDOM THE X-MEN MOVI, IS HAVG “GOOD FUN” SHOOTG THE GOOD WIFE, AND HAPPILY SURPRISED TO BE S SIXTH SEASON. IT MEANS LIVG AND WORKG NEW YORK, NOT FLYG ALL OVER THE PLACE ON LOTN FOR MOVI. HE AND JULIANNA MARGULI’S ALICIA “B EACH OTHER A B. SHE’S A B LIKE A DOMATRIX WH ME. JULIANA AND ME ARE MUCKERS, WE GET ON REALLY WELL.”SHE HAS THE MOST GEO HBAND TOO (KEH LIEBERTHAL), I SAY. “YEAH, AND SHE KNOWS ,” CUMMG LGHS. “SHE LOV TAKG HIM TO [SHOW TUNE BAR] MARIE’S CRISIS. LAST WEEK HE WENT TO THE OPERA, AND NAMED HIM BT-DRSED MAN OF THE WEEK, WHICH SHE LOVED.” THE GOOD WIFE IS HIS DAY JOB, CABARET HIS NIGHT JOB, CUMMG SAYS, AND HE ENJOYS THE BOOZY PARTI WH GOSSIP AND DANCG HE HAS HIS DRSG ROOM AFTERWARDS FOR FELLOW ST AND VISG CELEBRI AND IENDS. CUMMG IS ONE OF TV AND FILM’S BIGGT OUT-GAY STARS. WHAT DO HE THK OF THE LEVEL OF OUT-NS OF ACTORS? “TO BE HONT I DON’T REALLY RE. WHEN I HEAR SOMEONE ME OUT I THK, ‘THAT’S GOOD, THAT’S HEALTHY, THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE BLAH BLAH. I FEEL SAD IF I HEAR SOMEONE FEELS THEY N’T. BUT I’M A B BORED WH ALL. I’M A B BORED WH BEG A STORY. YOU WANT TO GET TO THE POT WHERE DON’T MATTER. I FEEL IF WE KEEP TALKG ABOUT SLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE DOWN.”NEXT YEAR CUMMG TURNS 50, WHICH HE FEELS “REALLY GOOD” ABOUT. HIS BELOVED LLIE-SHEPHERD HONEY DIED OF NCER THIS SUMMER, WHICH MA CUMMG THK ABOUT HIS OWN MORTALY. “SHE WAS SICK FOR A LONG TIME. THE CHEMO WAS SO AWFUL WE TOOK HER OFF . IT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW I THK PEOPLE SHOULD DIE IF THEY CHOOSE TO, STEAD OF THE NSTANT ‘KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE AT ANY ST.’ SHE WASN’T HERSELF, SHE WAS REALLY UNHAPPY. MORE CHEMO WOULD HAVE EXTEND HER LIFE A UPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WE FELT WASN’T WORTH .” HONEY HAD “A LOVELY LAST WEEKEND” AT THE UPLE’S CATSKILLS HOME, THEN WAS PUT DOWN. “I ULDN’T AL WH WHEN THEY GAVE ME A LAMATED RD AND ASKED ME WHICH URN I WANTED.”CUMMG WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE THE MOMENT HE DI, IF FACED WH A SIAR SUATN. “I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPTN FELY IF I’M GREAT PA, PECIALLY AMERI, WHERE THE DG DTRY IS SO POWERFUL—TAKE A PILL FOR THIS, YOU TAKE A PILL FOR THAT.”HE WORRI ABOUT HIS AGG MOTHER, BUT SHE’S CHIPPER AND HEADSTRONG: “IF SHE WANTS SOMETHG TO HAPPEN, WATCH OUT.” THE BOOK WAS WRTEN WH HER AND TOM’S BLSG. ALL THREE AGREE THAT THERE’S NOTHG SHAMEFUL BEG OPEN, SAYS CUMMG. MARY AND TOM ARE NCERNED FOR CUMMG, TOO, “AS THE PAST THERE HAS BEEN DIFFICULTY.” DO HE MEAN WHEN HE HAD HIS NERVO BREAKDOWN? DO HE EVER WORRY ABOUT HAVG ANOTHER? “I DON’T. THIS WEEK HAS FELY FELT A B EMOTNAL. BUT NO. I’M MUCH MORE NSC OF NOW. WHEN I PERFORMED MACBETH, WHICH WAS REALLY DISTURBG, MY MUM ME TO SEE AND SAID AFTERWARDS, ‘YOU’RE NOT GOG TO HAVE ANOTHER NERVO BREAKDOWN ARE YOU?’ I SAID, ‘NO, I’M FE. I’M JT PLAYG SOMEONE WHO IS.’”IS THERAPY HELPFUL? “I DON’T HAVE THERAPY TO STOP HAVG A NERVO BREAKDOWN, BUT I UNRSTAND THE VALUE OF THERAPY. I CHECK WH MYSELF AND SEE WHAT’S GOG ON.” WHEN CUMMG PERFORMED THE SEARG GAY NCENTRATN MP DRAMA BENT HE UNRSTOOD HE HAD TO LEAVE THE ROLE AT THE THEATER, HE SAYS; THE SAME WH MACBETH. “I’M A MORE SORTED OUT PERSON THAN I ED TO BE.” SHAFFER IS A VAL, CHERISHED AND CHERISHG GROUNDG FLUENCE. “HE IS A REALLY AMAZG PERSON, ’S HARD TO EXPLA THAT A BOOK WHOUT SOUNDG SACCHARE, BUT HE IS.”IT’S TIME TO LEAVE. DO CUMMG FEEL LIKE WE’VE SQUARED OUR CUR CIRCLE, I ASK. HE LGHS, SGS A FEW BARS OF ‘CIRCLE OF LIFE’ OM THE LN KG, AND THEN—WH HIS SWEET, FLIRTY BEAM ON FULL BLAST—SAYS SOFTLY, “BYE SIMBA.” TIM TEEMAN

ALAN CUMMG ON NEW SERI "INSTCT" AND WHY 'S A "BIG STEP" FOR GAY CHARACTERS

” He scrib the scent as “earthy” has jt taken over the pop star Will Young’s role as the -host, alongsi Chris Sweeney, of the Homo Sapiens podst – which queer people talk about queer life – which means he n cross off podster, albe reluctantly.

I’ve never had shame about sex general or homosexualy. ”Alan Cummg wh Chris Sweeney, his -host on the Homo Sapiens podst Photograph: Yemisi BrookCummg lghs dismissively when asked if his globe-trottg reer has gone the way he thought would when he was startg out as a young actor on the Sttish theatre scene the late 80s. In 2018, he land the starrg role Instct, the first work drama on US televisn to feature a gay leadg somethg of a Hollywood veteran (his vast filmography rang om Golneye and Emma to Spice World and Spy Kids), he has exprsed solidary wh the victims of Harvey Weste.

”Cummg has wnsed phenomenal social change sce he started his reer, when homophobia was stutnal and potent.

WHAT ALAN CUMMG'S ROLE AS A GAY LEAD MEANS FOR MASTREAM TV

I don’t thk people Basgstoke or Idaho are not gog to go and see a movie bee someone is gay. ”The new seri of Homo Sapiens starts 30 April and is available on all podstg platforms. 2007 and then aga New York a man who was once married to a woman myself but now intifi as gay, Cummg's experience has always stuck wh me.

There are gay people who don't have sex. Now Cummg has got me qutng my homosexualy -- and thkg about Salma Hayek some lears the bisexual movement fe , beg bisexual means beg attracted to your own genr and other genrs.

ALAN CUMMG: THE TTH ABOUT MY FATHERGENE THERAPYIN 2010, THE ‘GOOD WIFE’ STAR RECEIVED SHOCKG NEWS ABOUT HIS PATERNY. HE TALKS NDIDLY ABOUT THE SAGA, NON-MONOGAMY, ASSISTED SUICI, AND WHY HE’S ‘BORED’ OF THE GAY ACTOR BATE.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 6:42PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 14, 2014 5:50AM EDT KEV GARCIAJOURNALISTS GENERALLY SHOULDN’T BE PART OF THE STORI THEY VER. BUT TODAY, STG WH ALAN CUMMG THE UNN SQUARE VEGAN RTRANT PEACEFOOD CAFé, ’S UNAVOIDABLE. I AM PART OF THE STORY, A KEY ONE, TURNS OUT; WHEN I REACHED PAGE 31 OF THE GOOD WIFE STAR’S MEMOIR, NOT MY FATHER’S SON, THE LOR DRAED OM MY FACE WHEN I DISVERED WHY. “ISN’T FUNNY? YOU’RE ACTUALLY TEGRAL TO THIS BOOK,” CUMMG SAYS, TAKG OFF HIS LOVELY, FTED CHECKERED AT AND SRF AND LIBERATG A CURTA OF DARK FLOPPY HAIR OM UNR A JNTY HAT. “IF HADN’T BEEN FOR MEETG AND DOG THAT TERVIEW MY DAD WOULD NEVER HAVE TOLD ME—AT THAT TIME ANYWAY…AND MAYBE NOT EVER.”IN 2010, I TERVIEWED CUMMG FOR THE LONDON TIM, AN TERVIEW THAT WAS, S FAL PRTED VERSN, BOILED DOWN TO A SERI OF QUOT, CLUDG THAT CUMMG’S LIFE WAS BETTER WHOUT HIS FATHER ALEX ; THAT HIS FATHER HAD NCER; AND THAT THE NEXT TIME HE SAW HIM HE’D BE ILL OR DYG, “AND I MAY NOT SEE HIM.”TABLOID JOURNALISTS SAW THE QUOT AND NTACTED BOTH CUMMG’S MOTHER, MARY DARLG, AND HIS FATHER STLAND. ALEX THEN TOLD CUMMG’S BROTHER, TOM, THAT ALAN WAS NOT HIS SON, BUT RATHER THE PRODUCT OF AN AFFAIR CUMMG’S MOTHER HAD. THAT WAS SHOCKG ENOUGH; THEN CUMMG TOOK A DNA TT, AND DISVERED HIS FATHER WAS HIS FATHER AFTER ALL, AND THAT HIS MOTHER HAD NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR. FOR 45 YEARS, HIS FATHER HAD CREATED A FICTN HIS HEAD—ALL THIS ON TOP OF BEG A “MONSTER,” AS CUMMG LLS HIM, ABIVE AND TERRIFYG. “MY DAD EAKED OUT WHEN THE TABLOID REPORTER TURNED UP,” CUMMG SAYS, HIS LILTG STTISH BROGUE. “HE LLED MY BROTHER. HE THOUGHT THEY HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT ME NOT BEG HIS SON, AND THAT I WOULD FD OUT ABOUT VIA THE PRS.”CUMMG’S EY FLICK UP. “PLEASE DON’T DO THAT,” HE SAYS TO A LADY STG AT A NEIGHBORG TABLE. SHE IS SURREPTLY TAKG A PICTURE OF HIM EATG.“WOULD YOU LETE THAT?” CUMMG SAYS, NOT A REQUT, MORE AN STCTN—AND THE BT DON’T-FUCK-WH-ME TONE OF HIS GOOD WIFE CHARACTER, ELI GOLD.“IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, WELE TO MY WORLD,” HE SAYS, ROLLG HIS EY. HE LOOKS GREAT: LEAN, A YOUNGER THAN HIS 49 YEARS. VEGANISM HELPS, HE SAYS, AS WELL AS HIGH-KICKG HIS WAY THROUGH EIGHT PERFORMANC A WEEK OF CABARET ON BROADWAY, WHICH HE PLAYS THE EMCEE “ALONGSI A ST OF GIRLS HALF MY AGE” (MICHELLE WILLIAMS PLAYS SALLY BOWL). HE LIV THE EAST VILLAGE WH HIS MUCH-LOVED HBAND GRANT SHAFFER. HE IS QUICK, TELLIGENT, FUNNY, AND VERY DIRECT. TOM BROKE THE NEWS TO CUMMG THAT HE WASN’T HIS FATHER’S SON—THE RRECT NEWS, AS TURNED OUT—ON A LONDON ROOFTOP, JT AS CUMMG WAS ABOUT TO FILM AN EPISO OF THE BBC CELEBRY GENEALOGY SHOW, WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE?, WHICH WOULD FOC ON HIS MOTHER’S FATHER, TOMMY DARLG. TOMMY’S WARTIME STORY, BOTH HEROIC AND TRAGIC, FORMS ANOTHER STORYLE OF THE MEMOIR. AS CUMMG WAS FILMG A SHOW ABOUT HIS FAY’S PAST, HE WAS LIVG A VERY H, AWFUL PRENT OFF MERA.“IT’S BEE OF YOUR ARTICLE THAT THGS HAPPENED THE WAY THEY DID. IT PRECIPATED THGS,” CUMMG SAYS. “AS I WAS WRG ABOUT I THOUGHT ABOUT NTACTG YOU.” THE ACTOR THOUGHT I HAD ASKED TO TERVIEW HIM BEE I HAD READ THE BOOK AND SEEN MYSELF ON THE PAGE. BUT I HADN’T. I READ THE BOOK AFTER I HAD ARRANGED THE TERVIEW. “I'M GLAD WE'RE DOG THIS,” CUMMG SAYS. “I WANTED TO SAY THERE ARE NO HARD FEELGS. I'M GLAD I HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT .”*****CUMMG AND TOM GREW UP RAL STLAND, ON THE TATE ANG WHERE HIS FATHER WAS HEAD FORTER. THE CHILDHOOD CUMMG SKETCH THIS PELLGLY WRTEN MEMOIR WAS ONE EIGHTED WH FEAR, THE TWO BOYS NEVER SURE HOW OR WHEN THEIR FATHER’S RAGE WOULD FLARE. TYPILLY, CUMMG SAYS, THE BOYS WOULD BE SET AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, OR ONE WHOSE PLETN WOULD NEVER SATISFY THEIR FATHER. THEN HE WOULD LOSE HIS TEMPER AND STRIKE OUT. ON ONE OCSN, ASKED TO SORT GOOD AND BAD SAPLGS, HIS FATHER SPECTED CUMMG’S WORK AND WHOUT WARNG, “HE BACKHAND ME ACROSS THE FACE. I FLEW THROUGH THE AIR AND LAND A HEAP AGAST THE STONE WALL OF THE SHED.” HIS FATHER SMASHED HIM THE FACE, THEN THREW HIM TO A PILE OF SAPLGS WHOSE SPIKY ENDS JUTTED TO HIS EY, THEN KICKED HIM THE BACK FOR GOOD MEASURE.“THE THG THAT GOT TO ME THE MOST WAS BEG TOLD TO DO SOMETHG WHICH WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR WHATEVER REASON. I WAS LIKE, ‘I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS,’ THEN HE WOULD MAKE ME. STARTG A TASK KNOWG YOU’RE GOG TO FAIL AT , AND KNOWG YOU’RE GOG FAIL AT MEANG YOU’RE GOG TO GET H, IS SO MISERABLE AND SO CEL. EVEN WHEN I SAID, ‘I N’T DO THIS,’ I HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS DANCE AND EVABLY BE WHACKED.” ALEX WOULD H CUMMG ACROSS THE HEAD, OR KICK HIS BUTTOCKS OR THE BACKS OF HIS LEGS. “YOU KNEW WAS G. YOU ULD SEE THE BUILD-UP. YOU CLOSED DOWN AND WAED FOR .”THE MENACE AND ABE WAS NSTANT; READS AS A HOEHOLD UNR SIEGE. WHEN FATHER AND SON DID SOMETHG NICE—SUCH AS GOG SWIMMG— WAS UALLY AN OPPORTUNY FOR HIS FATHER TO SEE ANOTHER WOMAN ON THE SI, WHICH CUMMG WOULD WNS. CUMMG'S FATHER CHEATED ON CUMMG’S MOTHER NSTANTLY, A “PANMIC OF FILY,” AS CUMMG LLS . AT A UNTRY SHOW HIS FATHER LIBERATELY LOST HIM TO PURSUE ANOTHER ILLIC AFFAIR. AS TIME WENT ON, ALEX AND MARY LIVED SEPARATE LIV. SHE GOT A JOB—“SHE WAS FDG HERSELF AGA”—BUT, JT AS SHE VOLIZ THE IA OF LEAVG THE TYRANNIL ALEX TO ALAN AND TOM, THE R SKIDS ON SOME ICE EN ROUTE TO A SCREENG OF JAWS. SHE DIDN’T LEAVE ALEX—NOT THEN ANYWAY. “MUM WAS LIVG FEAR AS WELL WE WERE TRAPPED,” CUMMG TELLS ME. WHEN THE ACTOR HAD A NERVO BREAKDOWN HIS 20S, HE WONRED, “WHY DIDN’T SHE STOP ?” BUT, HE SAYS TODAY, “SHE WAS TERRIFIED, SHE WAS FANCIALLY TRAPPED BY HIM. IT WAS A FDAL SOCIETY. IT WAS LIKE LIVG THE 1940S, A WOMAN LEAVG A MAN WAS UNHEARD OF. SHE DID THE BT SHE ULD DO.”MARY FALLY LEFT ALEX WHEN CUMMG WAS 19 AND GLASGOW HIS FAL YEAR AT DRAMA SCHOOL. IN HIS LATE 20S, CUMMG NONTED HIS FATHER ABOUT HIS ABE; RPONSE, HIS FATHER SISTED, “I AM NOT A PSYCHOPATH.” CUMMG NEVER HEARD OM HIS FATHER AGA, UNTIL THE “I’M NOT YOUR FATHER BOMBSHELL” NEARLY TWENTY YEARS LATER.WHEN CUMMG IALLY HEARD HE WAS NOT HIS FATHER’S SON, HE TELLS ME, “I WAS UTTERLY, UTTERLY SHOCKED, PLETELY SHOCKED—HOW ALL HAPPENED, THE SPEED OF . I WAS VASTATED. I THOUGHT I’D HAVE A HEART ATTACK. I REMEMBER HOLDG MY CHT. I THOUGHT MY HEART WOULD LEAP OUT OF MY CHT, WAS SO OVERWHELMG. THEN I WAS FUR WH HIM. IT WAS SUCH A MAELSTROM. MOSTLY, QUICKLY, I WAS VERY HAPPY TO NOT BE HIS SON.”IT ALSO MEANT, SADLY, HE WASN’T HIS BROTHER’S BROTHER. “IT WAS LIKE I WAS WALKG OUT OF THE FORT TO THE SUNSHE, AND TOM WAS STILL THE FORT AND I WANTED TO PULL HIM OUT. IT WAS LIKE I’D GOTTEN AWAY. TALK ABOUT A MDFUCK.”“YOU’RE LUCKY,” TOM TOLD ALAN WHEN THEY THOUGHT ALEX HAD TOLD THEM THE TTH. “OF URSE, I HAD ALL THIS POTENTIALLY NEW FAY AS WELL,” SAYS CUMMG. HE KNEW THE MAN HIS FATHER NAMED AS HIS FATHER. “I DIDN’T NAME HIM THE BOOK. I FELT WOULD BRG UNDUE ATTENTN ON HIM. HE KNEW NOTHG ABOUT THIS, AND, OF URSE, WAS ALL MY FATHER’S IMAGATN.”HIS FATHER’S STORY WAS SO ELABORATE AND TAILED—HE RELLED SEEG HIS WIFE AT THE PARTY WHERE SHE SUPPOSEDLY WENT OFF WH THE OTHER MAN—THAT MA SENSE TO CUMMG. “BUT I ULDN’T TST HIM. I WANTED TO DO A DNA TT. THAT’S WHY I DIDN’T WANT TO SPEAK TO MY MUM BEFORE I KNEW.”BUT HE WAS SO CLOSE TO HIS MOTHER, WHY DIDN’T HE JT ASK HER DIRECTLY IF SHE’D HAD THE AFFAIR? SHE HADN’T, AND ULD HAVE REFUTED HIS FATHER’S BAROQUE MISAPPREHENSN IMMEDIATELY.“I KNOW, DO SEEM WEIRD DON’T ?” CUMMG SAYS. “I JT DIDN’T WANT TO UPSET HER ANY MORE, OR BRG HER UNDUE STRS. I WANTED TO GO TO HER AND SAY, ‘IT’S OK.’ I WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD IF WAS TE. IF WASN’T TE AND MY FATHER WAS FUCKG WH MY HEAD I DIDN’T WANT TO BRG HER TO . YOU HAVE TO UNRSTAND, MY FATHER SUDNLY G BACK TO MY LIFE WAS SO SHOCKG.”*****CUMMG “FELT BLOWN AWAY” BY THE REVELATN THAT HIS FATHER WASN’T HIS FATHER. “I WANTED TO BATTEN DOWN THE HATCH FOR A MUTE AND THK. HE MA MY LIFE CHAOS. HE WAS SUCH A NEGATIVE AND DIVISIVE PERSON MY LIFE I WAS TRYG TO FIGURE OUT THE MIMUM AMOUNT OF PA THAT ULD BE ED HERE.”THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT ME THROUGH ON JUNE 4, 2010. HIS ASSISTANT WROTE TO CUMMG: “Y, YOUR DNA AND TOM’S DNA ABSOLUTELY MATCH. HE IS YOUR FATHER. I’M SO SORRY.” CUMMG SAID TO HIS BROTHER: “YOU KNOW, I WAS SO HAPPY NOT TO BE HIS SON. BUT AT LEAST NOW I KNOW I’M YOUR FULL BROTHER.”THEN HE LLED HIS FATHER, WHO SAID ON HEARG THE NEWS THAT HE WAS CUMMG’S FATHER (HAVG TOLD HIM HE WAS NOT), “WELL, I’M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.” CUMMG TOLD HIM: “IT NEVER HAPPENED, DAD. YOU IMAGED ALL. MUM NEVER HAD AN AFFAIR. NONE OF EVER HAPPENED.”CUMMG TELLS ME HE WAS “NSCENT WH RAGE, LIKE I’VE NEVER FELT SUCH RAGE” AFTER HE DISVERED HE WAS HIS FATHER’S SON. “FURY. BEE I DID BELIEVE , AND HE’D FUCKED WH MY HEAD YET AGA. HE’D MA UP THE ENTIRE STORY. I FELT MUCH MORE EMPOWERED AND NTROL TO BE ABLE TO SAY, ‘LISTEN, I’VE HAD 45 YEARS-WORTH OF THIS MAN MSG WH ME, MSG WH MY HEAD.’ THE VERY LAST THG HE DO IS TO SAY TO ME: ‘YOU’RE EE OM ME, I’M NOT YOUR FATHER,’ BUT HE WAS. I WAS SO ANGRY.”AFTER RECEIVG THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT, CUMMG FALLY SPOKE TO HIS MOTHER, WHO REMEMBERED THE NIGHT HIS FATHER HAD THOUGHT HE HAD SEEN HER GO OFF WH THE OTHER MAN. IN FACT, THE MAN HAD JT WANTED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT HIS DRKG PROBLEM—THAT’S ALL THAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.“BEG ABLE TO TELL YOUR FATHER WHAT HE HAS BELIEVED FOR HOWEVER MANY S—THAT YOU ARE NOT HIS SON AND THE REASON WHY—ARE BOTH UNTE IS QUE AN CREDIBLE THG TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO,” CUMMG SAYS. “I THK I ALT WH THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY AND MIMIZED THE PA.” IN A PHONE LL ON SATURDAY JUNE 5, 2010, HIS FATHER TOLD CUMMG, “I DIDN’T DO THIS TO HURT YOU.” CUMMG, FUR, SAID HIS FATHER HAD “BASED YOUR ENTIRE LIFE ON A FALSE ASSUMPTN AND YOU MA ALL OUR LIV HELL.” CUMMG TOLD HIM HE WOULD NEVER SPEAK TO HIM AGA. “AYE,” HIS FATHER SAID—THE LAST THG HE WOULD EVER SAY TO HIM. ALEX CUMMG DIED ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2010. DO CUMMG THK HIS FATHER’S MISUNRSTANDG RMED THE ABE? “I DO, BUT I DON’T THK WAS THE ROOT OF . I THK MAYBE WAS THE JTIFITN HE ED FOR THAT AND HOW HE TREATED MY MUM FOR HAVG WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN AFFAIR. WHEN YOU’RE ALG WH SOMEONE WHO IS MENTALLY ILL, TRYG TO RATNALIZE SOMETHG WHICH IS NOT RATNAL IS POTLS.”CUMMG ADDS, “HIS PSYCHE WAS NOT THE PSYCHE OF A WELL MAN. HE ULD NOT PROCS THE TTH. HE WAS A MONSTER. I THK HE WAS MENTALLY ILL, I’M NOT SURE WH EXACTLY WHAT. ASI OM HIS VLENCE AND IRRATNAL RAGE, THERE WAS HIS UTTER ABILY FOR EMPATHY OR TO UNRSTAND ANYONE’S FEELGS, THE BRAZENNS OF HIS BEHAVR, THE FACT THAT HE ULDN’T PUTE THAT ANYONE WAS AFFECTED OR OFFEND OR UPSET BY HIM. THAT’S A PERSONALY DISORR. THAT’S NOT SOMEBODY WHO IS FUNCTNG PROPERLY THE WORLD.” TOM RECEIVED THE SAME AMOUNT OF ABE AS ALAN; AND ALEX THOUGHT TOM WAS HIS BLOGIL SON, SO THKG ALAN WAS NOT DON’T SEEM TO HAVE MA MUCH A DIFFERENCE HIS TREATMENT OF EHER BOY. I ASK CUMMG IF HE THKS ANY OF THE ABE WAS HOMOPHOBIC. “I DON’T THK WAS A MAJOR FACTOR. I WAS LTLE, SLIGHT, A LATE VELOPER. TOM WAS A SPORTY, MACHO MAN, AND [HE] GOT THE SAME THG.”*****WAS CUMMG'S FATHER EVER WARM OR LOVG? “Y HE ULD BE,” THE ACTOR SAYS. "HE WAS CHARMG, VERY CHARISMATIC. AND HE WAS SEXY.” EVEN AFTER HIS ATH, HIS FATHER WASN’T DONE WH THE “MD-FUCKG,” AS CUMMG PUTS . HE LEFT HIS SONS OUT OF HIS WILL, THOUGH HE KNEW, UNR STTISH LAW AND THE WAY HE HAD LEFT HIS TATE, THAT WOULD REVERT TO THEM. THEY HAD TO CI WHAT TO DO, IF ANYTHG, WH HIS MONEY. CUMMG SHAK HIS HEAD. IN THEIR LAST NVERSATN, HIS FATHER DIDN’T SAY SORRY FOR ANYTHG. “HE DIDN’T HAVE ANY PREHENSN OF ANYTHG—JT TOTAL SELF-ABSORPTN.”THE ONLY SIGN OF NTRN ON HIS FATHER’S PART ME, SAYS CUMMG, WHEN HE NONTED HIM HIS LATE 20S. AS HE AND TOM WERE DRIVG AWAY, CUMMG SAYS HE SAW TEARS HIS FATHER’S EY. “SHORTLY AFTER THAT, MY FATHER'S PARTNER SPOKE TO MY BROTHER AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, BEE MY FATHER WAS LOOKG AT PHOTOGRAPHS OF AS LTLE BOYS. I THK HE WAS TRYG TO FD THE HAPPY TIM, TO SHOW HE WASN’T ALL BAD. KNOWG HE DID THAT, THAT HE WAS MOVED BY , GAVE ME HOPE HE WAS GOG TO BE TOUCH…THEN HE NEVER DID.” CUMMG PS, S EFULLY. “HE REELED YOU AND LET YOU GO.”ALL CUMMG WANTED TO HEAR HIS FATHER SAY WAS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF WHAT HE HAD THOUGHT ALL THOSE YEARS WAS WRONG. “I KNEW I WASN’T GOG TO GET THAT. I KNEW HE WAS AN IRRATNAL MAN NOT ABLE TO SAY SORRY.” NOW CUMMG ONLY WISH HE’D ASKED HIS FATHER WHEN THE FIRST MOMENT OF THE MISAPPREHENSN TAKG SEED WAS, HOW OLD WAS THE YOUNG CUMMG AT THAT MOMENT, WHY DID HE WANT TO BELIEVE ALAN WASN’T HIS SON?MAYBE ALEX ED HIS WIFE’S IMAGED ADULTERY AS AN NER JTIFITN FOR HIS OWN FILI, I SAY. CUMMG AGRE, “LIKE THE THIEF WHO STEALS MONEY WHO THKS OTHERS ARE STEALG OM HIM. HE HAD SOME SORT OF MENTAL NDN THAT PRECLUD HIM OM ACTG RATNALLY AND WH EMPATHY AND RPECT.”WRG THE BOOK HAS GIVEN CUMMG “SOME SENSE OF CLOSURE,” A STATEMENT OF A “MORE HOLISTIC VERSN OF ME.” WHILE TALKG ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THE PAST “CHURNS THGS UP, IF ANYTHG HAS REERATED FOR ME NONE OF THIS WAS ABOUT ME. WHATEVER THE RULTS OF THE DNA TT, EVEN BEFORE THAT, I DIDN’T THK I WAS MY FATHER’S SON. I MARVEL AT THE FACT I AM RELATED TO THIS PERSON.”I ASK IF THERE IS ANYTHG OF HIS FATHER CUMMG. “A VORAC SEXUAL APPETE FELY. AND I’M A CHARMER. WHEN I WAS YOUNG I SAW A MAN WHO ULDN’T NTROL HIS URG, WHO ULDN’T NTROL HIMSELF AND DIDN’T. IT’S NOT LIKE HE ULDN’T HELP HIMSELF. EVEN AS A BOY, I UNRSTOOD LT I THK. I ULD SEE, ‘THAT’S WRONG, HIM DOG THAT.’ OBVLY HAVG AFFAIRS THE WAY HE DID—NORMALLY PEOPLE HI THAT, WHY DIDN’T HE? I ULD SEE HE DIDN’T HAVE NTROL OVER THAT.”SO, IF HIS FATHER WAS LIKE THAT, AND CUMMG SHAR HIS VORAC SEXUAL APPETE, HOW DO HE BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY? “MY ATTU TO ALL OF THAT IS, ‘WE ARE ANIMALS AND WE HAVE NEEDS AND WHY SHOULD WE PRETEND THAT’S NOT THE SE—AND LET’S BE KD.’ I’M KD: THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE. I LIKE SEX. I UNRSTAND MYSELF AND I’M KD.”CUMMG WAS ONCE MARRIED TO ACTRS HILARY LYON, AND HE ALSO HAD A RELATNSHIP WH ACTRS SAFON BURROWS. HE AND SHAFFER, WHO HE MARRIED NEW YORK 2012 FIVE YEARS AFTER HAVG A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP CEREMONY LONDON, DON’T HAVE AN OPEN RELATNSHIP, CUMMG CLARIFI. “I DON’T THK MONOGAMY IS A NATURAL STATE. IF SOMETHG DID HAPPEN THAT WOULDN’T BE THE WORST WAY I ULD BETRAY GRANT AND HE KNOWS THAT AND I FEEL THE SAME WAY. ANYTHG WE DO WE DO WH THE UTMOST KDNS AND RPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT ’S NOT LIKE WE GO ROUND SHAGGG. WE DON’T GO OUT LIKE PEOPLE DO AND E HOME WH A DIFFERENT PERSON, ABSOLUTELY NOT.”*****CUMMG, WHO ACHIEVED FILM MEGA-STARDOM THE X-MEN MOVI, IS HAVG “GOOD FUN” SHOOTG THE GOOD WIFE, AND HAPPILY SURPRISED TO BE S SIXTH SEASON. IT MEANS LIVG AND WORKG NEW YORK, NOT FLYG ALL OVER THE PLACE ON LOTN FOR MOVI. HE AND JULIANNA MARGULI’S ALICIA “B EACH OTHER A B. SHE’S A B LIKE A DOMATRIX WH ME. JULIANA AND ME ARE MUCKERS, WE GET ON REALLY WELL.”SHE HAS THE MOST GEO HBAND TOO (KEH LIEBERTHAL), I SAY. “YEAH, AND SHE KNOWS ,” CUMMG LGHS. “SHE LOV TAKG HIM TO [SHOW TUNE BAR] MARIE’S CRISIS. LAST WEEK HE WENT TO THE OPERA, AND NAMED HIM BT-DRSED MAN OF THE WEEK, WHICH SHE LOVED.” THE GOOD WIFE IS HIS DAY JOB, CABARET HIS NIGHT JOB, CUMMG SAYS, AND HE ENJOYS THE BOOZY PARTI WH GOSSIP AND DANCG HE HAS HIS DRSG ROOM AFTERWARDS FOR FELLOW ST AND VISG CELEBRI AND IENDS. CUMMG IS ONE OF TV AND FILM’S BIGGT OUT-GAY STARS. WHAT DO HE THK OF THE LEVEL OF OUT-NS OF ACTORS? “TO BE HONT I DON’T REALLY RE. WHEN I HEAR SOMEONE ME OUT I THK, ‘THAT’S GOOD, THAT’S HEALTHY, THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE BLAH BLAH. I FEEL SAD IF I HEAR SOMEONE FEELS THEY N’T. BUT I’M A B BORED WH ALL. I’M A B BORED WH BEG A STORY. YOU WANT TO GET TO THE POT WHERE DON’T MATTER. I FEEL IF WE KEEP TALKG ABOUT SLOWS THE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE DOWN.”NEXT YEAR CUMMG TURNS 50, WHICH HE FEELS “REALLY GOOD” ABOUT. HIS BELOVED LLIE-SHEPHERD HONEY DIED OF NCER THIS SUMMER, WHICH MA CUMMG THK ABOUT HIS OWN MORTALY. “SHE WAS SICK FOR A LONG TIME. THE CHEMO WAS SO AWFUL WE TOOK HER OFF . IT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW I THK PEOPLE SHOULD DIE IF THEY CHOOSE TO, STEAD OF THE NSTANT ‘KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE AT ANY ST.’ SHE WASN’T HERSELF, SHE WAS REALLY UNHAPPY. MORE CHEMO WOULD HAVE EXTEND HER LIFE A UPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WE FELT WASN’T WORTH .” HONEY HAD “A LOVELY LAST WEEKEND” AT THE UPLE’S CATSKILLS HOME, THEN WAS PUT DOWN. “I ULDN’T AL WH WHEN THEY GAVE ME A LAMATED RD AND ASKED ME WHICH URN I WANTED.”CUMMG WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE THE MOMENT HE DI, IF FACED WH A SIAR SUATN. “I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPTN FELY IF I’M GREAT PA, PECIALLY AMERI, WHERE THE DG DTRY IS SO POWERFUL—TAKE A PILL FOR THIS, YOU TAKE A PILL FOR THAT.”HE WORRI ABOUT HIS AGG MOTHER, BUT SHE’S CHIPPER AND HEADSTRONG: “IF SHE WANTS SOMETHG TO HAPPEN, WATCH OUT.” THE BOOK WAS WRTEN WH HER AND TOM’S BLSG. ALL THREE AGREE THAT THERE’S NOTHG SHAMEFUL BEG OPEN, SAYS CUMMG. MARY AND TOM ARE NCERNED FOR CUMMG, TOO, “AS THE PAST THERE HAS BEEN DIFFICULTY.” DO HE MEAN WHEN HE HAD HIS NERVO BREAKDOWN? DO HE EVER WORRY ABOUT HAVG ANOTHER? “I DON’T. THIS WEEK HAS FELY FELT A B EMOTNAL. BUT NO. I’M MUCH MORE NSC OF NOW. WHEN I PERFORMED MACBETH, WHICH WAS REALLY DISTURBG, MY MUM ME TO SEE AND SAID AFTERWARDS, ‘YOU’RE NOT GOG TO HAVE ANOTHER NERVO BREAKDOWN ARE YOU?’ I SAID, ‘NO, I’M FE. I’M JT PLAYG SOMEONE WHO IS.’”IS THERAPY HELPFUL? “I DON’T HAVE THERAPY TO STOP HAVG A NERVO BREAKDOWN, BUT I UNRSTAND THE VALUE OF THERAPY. I CHECK WH MYSELF AND SEE WHAT’S GOG ON.” WHEN CUMMG PERFORMED THE SEARG GAY NCENTRATN MP DRAMA BENT HE UNRSTOOD HE HAD TO LEAVE THE ROLE AT THE THEATER, HE SAYS; THE SAME WH MACBETH. “I’M A MORE SORTED OUT PERSON THAN I ED TO BE.” SHAFFER IS A VAL, CHERISHED AND CHERISHG GROUNDG FLUENCE. “HE IS A REALLY AMAZG PERSON, ’S HARD TO EXPLA THAT A BOOK WHOUT SOUNDG SACCHARE, BUT HE IS.”IT’S TIME TO LEAVE. DO CUMMG FEEL LIKE WE’VE SQUARED OUR CUR CIRCLE, I ASK. HE LGHS, SGS A FEW BARS OF ‘CIRCLE OF LIFE’ OM THE LN KG, AND THEN—WH HIS SWEET, FLIRTY BEAM ON FULL BLAST—SAYS SOFTLY, “BYE SIMBA.” TIM TEEMAN

And all of those studi that aim to timate the size of the LGBT populatn fds bisexuals are a larger group than gays and lbians bed -- but you wouldn't know if lookg for proment voic Cummg is always clear about beg bisexual, the media hasn't always paid reful attentn to his inty. Some media reported the vio and lumped Cummg wh the label "gay, " irkg bisexual activists who often experience their inti beg glossed over.

"There's been a big change the LGBT activist world now that gay marriage is spreadg like wildfire, " he says. "Cummg is also tired of the argument om people wh the LGBT muny who cricize the foc on marriage equaly as an attempt by gays and bisexuals to imate heterosexuals.

The new CBS drama "Instct" is breakg ground as the first hour-long broadst seri featurg a gay character as the lead. But what drew Tony Award-wng actor Alan Cummg to the role wasn't that was makg history – but the fact that beg gay wasn't the most important part of the character.