'Strange Magic' Star Alan Cumming on the Advice He Gave Emma Stone
Alan Cumming may be best known for his roles on The Good Wife and Broadway’s Cabaret, but this January he’s voicing the evil-on-the-outside, softie-at-heart Bog King in the animated musical fairy tale Strange Magic. The Scottish actor spent parts of the last four years working on the George Lucas passion project. ”It went through various different gestations and regimes and changes,” he recently told Yahoo Movies. “It’s a miracle I’m still here.”
In Strange Magic, Evan Rachel Wood plays his romantic interest, lending her voice to the fairy Marianne. Though they sing duets together in the film, Cumming sang all of the songs solo in the recording studio and never actually saw Wood in person during the filming. ”I had met her before, but I only met her on this project this morning,” he admitted, laughing. “We actually had a little email communication. It’s always like that [on animated movies.]”
Another costar he didn’t get to spend much time with: Oscar nominee Emma Stone who’s appearing on Broadway in Cabaret until March 29. Cumming, who’s played the Emcee during two runs with the musical, has starred with 6 different actresses playing Sally Bowles, though the two characters don’t interact much onstage. “When Emma [Stone] came in, I couldn’t do the rehearsals because I was filming, so we just had a little chat,” he said. ”She was nervous. I remember the first night, I said, ‘You know how you feel like you’re about to jump off a cliff? And she said, ‘Yes!’ And I was like, ‘F—-ing jump! Because what can you do? You’re gonna have to, so just dive.’ And she did dive. I admire that part.”
Watch the trailer for Strange Magic below:
