Alan Cumming is having a busy fall, appearing in almost every episode of The Good Wife as scheming political operative Eli Gold, plus upcoming appearances in the film musical Burlesque and Julie Taymor’s gender-bending big-screen version of The Tempest. “I saw the movie, and it’s really good,” Cumming told Broadway.com of the Shakespeare classic, in which he plays Sebastian opposite Helen Mirren as Prospera.
Cumming, who previously appeared in Taymor’s 1999 film version of Titus, had been set to play the Green Goblin in her mega-budget Broadway musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark. The part went to Patrick Page after the Tony-winning star dropped out in April, citing scheduling conflicts at a time when the production was in financial limbo. So…how is his relationship with Taymor now? “It’s all very amicable and professional,” he said with a big smile. And yes, Cumming plans to grab a good seat to see Spider-Man when it swings into the Foxwoods Theatre in November.
“I’m very curious,” he said, “When I was going to do it, I thought it would be amazing—not like any Broadway production ever, with people flying all over the place—and I’m really looking forward to seeing it. I think it will be great.” That’s not to say he’s having second thoughts about stepping out of Spider-Man to concentrate on The Good Wife. “Absolutely no regrets,” he insisted. “If it had all worked out, I would be completely exhausted. Instead, I’m having a modicum of a life.”