Alan Cumming on ‘The Traitors,’ Emmys success, and ‘Doomsday’ secrets

Alan Cumming is savoring his return to Emmy glory. Peacock’s The Traitors is nominated for five awards this year, including Best Reality Competition Program and Best Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program — both categories it won last year.

“Life is sweet. What can I say?” Cumming says when asked about the recognition. “I feel like whatever happens, I’ve still won Emmys. But if we win, of course it’s like, how lovely, we’ve won again. And also, I feel like we’re in a great stride with the show and we feel really good about it. So it’s a really great time actually.”

Friendly rivalries and reality shows he won’t do

One of his competitors for Best Host this year is Top Chef’s Kristen Kish, who also appears in the upcoming fourth season of The Traitors. “She is indeed [on the show],” Cumming confirms. “It’s sort of funny. They invited me to go on Top Chef as a sort of promotion thing. I couldn’t, the dates didn’t work out. But yeah, I really, really like her. She’s great. And they called her ‘Chef’ on our show. Everybody called her ‘Chef.’”

Asked if he’d ever compete on another reality show himself, Cumming laughs. “I think it’d be one of those ones where you make cakes or crafting or something. Is there a crafting one? They have The Great British Bake Off. A few of my friends have done that and said it’s hilarious. I’d quite like to do a cooking one,” he muses. “I once got asked to host The World’s Most Dangerous Roads. It was, ‘Alan will drive down this road in India where 30 people died last week.’ That’s when I thought maybe not.”

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Season 3: Chaos and kumbaya

Now in Emmy contention for Season 3, Cumming says each cast reshapes the show’s dynamic. “The show itself is so much about chance and about the personalities involved. And this one, they were pretty intense. Everyone comes in thinking they’ve got it, and then — poof! — they’re dead,” he laughs.

“But there was a lot of chaos in this season. A lot of crazy. People turning on each other. It felt to me like a really good representation of America right now, because it was chaos, these big, very toxic male figures, and then. … it ended very calm and everybody came together. And the Four Faithful — Dolores Catania, Dylan Efron, Ivar Mountbatten, and Gabby Windey — were victorious.”

The kumbaya finish was unusual. “In a show that’s all about treachery and murder, it’s quite nice to have kumbaya sometimes,” Cumming says. “There’s not much kumbaya in this new season, let me tell you. Fasten your seatbelts.”

The traitors unravel

Season 3’s Traitors — including Bob the Drag Queen, “Boston Rob” Mariano, Danielle Reyes, and Caroline Wiger — struggled to maintain control. “It’s so fascinating to me,” Cumming says. “Everybody slowly gets maddened by it. They’re in a bubble and they think of nothing else, and they kind of lose their reason. The Traitors did that early on. In that turret, when they’re all just screaming at each other — it was madness, with no through line. As soon as Boston Rob went, it all took a gear change.

“But it’s great actually when people are bonkers. Danielle said afterwards she intentionally was doing chaos as her modus operandi. Which, I suppose, is how our country’s being run right now.”

Cirie Fields: legend status

The Faithfuls have now won two seasons in a row, cementing Season 1 champ Cirie Fields as an iconic Traitor. “I didn’t know her, I didn’t see her in Survivor or anything,” Cumming admits. “But in terms of The Traitors, she was just brilliant. Nobody had a clue. She played such a great game. And I felt so bad for her at the end because when she revealed it, they kind of got a bit mean to her. You’ve just won this ton of cash, it’s life-changing, and people are mad at you in a freezing Scottish night. But that’s what you sign up for.”

Roundtables, poker faces, and stupid decisions

The show’s signature roundtables are as intense for the host as they are for players. “I think I have a very good poker face, but there were a couple of times where my producer was in my ear saying, ‘Alan, your face, your face!’” he admits. “Danielle’s audacity — falling off the chair, crying, shaking, her hat falling off — I was so impressed. And then when they booted off Wes [Bergmann] instead of Rob, I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe it.”

“I’m constantly amazed at how people in a group make such stupid decisions,” he adds. “I shouldn’t be, considering what’s happening in our country right now. But it’s galling.”

Housewives, heroes, and costumes

Cumming laughs about the show’s unofficial “Housewives curse.” “People think it’s persecution of the Housewives. It’s not. It’s just because there are a lot of them,” he explains. “But I do love the fact that they sort of gang up like a little tribe. They’re really scary en masse. I wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of them.”

He also highlights cast standouts. “Danielle, for the audacity of her acting. In Scotland we say, you can be as big as you like as long as you mean it. And Gabby — she cracked me up constantly. She’s become the breakout star, and it’s so well deserved,” he says.

As for the show’s dazzling fashion, he laments the lack of Emmy recognition. “Sam Spector is such a genius. Part of the structure of the show is, what crazy outfit am I wearing? I think he’s integral. But he lost to Beyoncé’s team. And we’d all like to be trounced by Beyoncé. I know I would,” Cumming quips.

Lala the dog, scene-stealer

And then there’s Lala, Cumming’s rescue dog from Costa Rica who has become a fan favorite. “She’s very busy shielding herself from offers and having a hiatus, trying to keep the puparazzi at bay,” he jokes. “She gets recognized on the street. People go, ‘Is that the dog from The Traitors?’ Even the producer of Avengers: Doomsday asked if I was bringing her.”

“To me she seems like a silent movie star. She never makes a noise, but she conveys everything with her eyes. On The Traitors, when you hear her bark, it’s not her — they dub another dog. She’s very communicative in a silent way. I love that she’s found her place in the showbiz canon.”

Marvel’s Doomsday and Sandy Frink’s return

Outside the castle, Cumming is part of the Marvel universe in Doomsday — though he admits he doesn’t know what’s happening. “I did the entire film in isolation. Lots of green screen, face replacement. They even gave characters fake names. I don’t know who I was acting with half the time,” he laughs. “I broke the internet by mentioning something once, but honestly, I might have got it wrong.”

And then there’s a sequel fans have been clamoring for: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion with Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino. Cumming confirms he’ll reprise Sandy Frink. “It’s so great. The script is really exciting. We were supposed to do it this year, but Lisa was shooting The Comeback. I think we’re shooting next year. I’m so excited,” he says.

A legendary Season 4 ahead

Looking forward, Cumming promises Season 4 of The Traitors will top everything before it. “Season 4 is very good. I know you think it can’t get any better or more explosive, but there is a sequence in the middle of the series that is the best thing ever. Honestly, I think it’s going to be legendary. It was electric. People were screaming. I can’t wait,” he teases.

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