Alan Cumming, actor and host of reality competition show “Traitors,” reflected on his four decades in the entertainment industry and declared his “X-Men” movie, “X2,” as his “gayest.”
Cumming spoke of his diverse acting history and biggest projects during an interview with Entertainment Weekly published June 16. He highlighted his appearance in the 2003 follow-up to the original “X-Men” film, “X2: X-Men United,” where he plays Nightcrawler — a bright blue mutant with the unique ability to teleport himself.
As he reflected on the role, he said, “Oh, I think the X-Men film I’m in is the gayest film that I’ve ever done, and that’s me saying that!”
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 28: Alan Cumming attends AARP the Magazine’s 21st annual ‘Movies for Grownups’ awards at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on January 28, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/WireImage) Getty Images
“It’s got a queer director, lots of queer actors in it,” Cummings told Entertainment Weekly. “I love the fact that something so mainstream and so in the comic book world is so queer.”
He continued by touching on the impact the film had on broader society.
“I think, in a way, those sorts of films really help people understand queerness, because you can address it in an artistic way, and everyone is less scared of the concept,” Cumming said.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Host Alan Cumming speaks onstage at AARP’s 17th Annual Movies For Grownups Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on February 5, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
“It’s an allegory about queerness, about people having these great gifts and really great, powerful things that they have to hide to exist.”
“Queer people understand what that’s all about.”
“X2: X-Men United” also stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart and James Marsden. (RELATED: ‘#DontStreamOnMax’ Trends After HBO Cancels Gay Pirate Show)
