Though a phrase now affiliated with poster quotes and opportunist critics, it’s fair to say that Travis Fine’s emotional drama Any Day Now is genuinely a film that “needs to be seen” – and to further enhance such a notion and persuade to go and see this movie, we spoke to lead star Alan Cumming to tell you all about it.
Set in 1970’s, we focus in on a gay couple who are desperately hoping to adopt a young mentally handicapped boy, abandoned by his mother. Cumming tells us why this poignant piece means a lot to him, while he also tells us about his initial apprehensions at the potential schmaltz factor, given the sentimental narrative. He also discusses his own personal anxiety as an actor, some crazy shit that happened in his personal life, and also tells us just why Any Day Now “needs to be seen”.
I’ll start by asking how much research you did into the role and the era portrayed?
Mostly I looked at photos and videos and things like that. I mean, the biggest thing I thought, is that everybody is skinny from that time. Everybody smoked then and there wasn’t so much processed foods and it’s really remarkable when you look at it, especially in the gay world I think, there is a totally different body type. So that was the biggest thing. Obviously I talked to Travis a lot about the story and the mechanics of it, but really the biggest thing I did aside from that was change my body to look like I came from that time.
Rudy seems to surprise himself even with the strength of his protectiveness over Marco – you’ve explored the urge to nurture and parent in your own writing too in Tommy’s Tale and also in The Anniversary Party – what makes these such powerful themes to explore?
I think they’re quite primal things, you know, wanting to be a father is a primal urge and I definitely, when I was younger, felt it, that’s why I wrote those things really. In The Anniversary Party, my character has written a novel, so he had it on the shelf and it was called Tommy’s Tale, isn’t that funny? That’s a big thing, whether you’re a man or a woman that at some point you’re going to think about it, and you become obsessed with it, and I dunno, I’ve been in a couple of relationships where it’s nearly happened, with both sexes, and now I think, phew gosh, thank goodness, it would have been a disaster and now that I’m in a relationship where it would be really great, we’re both content. I think I got older and I’m content.
There is an intimacy between Rudy and Marco’s relationship, and you’ve managed to tread the line perfectly without feeling mawkish – were you conscious of not steering towards that?
Totally, really that was my biggest concern. The schmaltz factor potential and also presenting a gay stereotype of the drag queen… I worried about both. The drag queen thing, I though, I get it, he’s on a journey and he finds his voice, so there is a logic to it as well, but as for the cheese, tonally I spoke a lot to Travis and I was always very conscious of it being less is more. It’s difficult when you’re an actor, because even when you think that, there is so much out of your control between the time you finish shooting and then it coming out, so that’s why I think Travis did such a brilliant job, he manages to get you emotionally in a visceral way.
So were you instantly engaged with this script, or did you take some convincing?
I was very drawn by the injustice side to the story, I was won over by that. But the tone thing was my biggest worry. Initially the script was more… Well let’s just say it didn’t end the way it does now.
Of course in the film you get very attached to Marco – was that something you felt off-screen as well?
Yeah, I fell in love with Isaac (Leyva). We didn’t have much rehearsal, but I met him a few days before we started shooting and he just told me stories and sang me a song, and he’d seen me in Spy Kids. But I was also very conscious of the fact this was his first film and I was always trying to explain to him that when there was a film when I was being upset or something, I’d talk him through it and he’s so sensitive, you know, every emotion is so near the surface which is an amazing thing to be reminded of as an actor. His mum was always there, or a guy from his school, but you forget when you’re old ham who has been around the bloke a few times, that film sets can actually be quite daunting and confusing and it seemed that everyday there was a big emotional scene, we shot it in a month. There was never a day when we were just walking down the street, so yeah I was very conscious of that and it was nice that it mirrored the relationship on screen too. Isaac is an adult though, he is 22 now, so now at film festivals and stuff he’s there having a drink and stuff like that.
Rudy has to sing a lot in this film… Did you have much input in that side to things, what songs to sign, etc?
A little, but it was always changing last minute, because a film of this budget they didn’t know which songs they’d get the rights for or they could afford. The music supervisor guy, whose dad originally wrote the script 25 years ago, well that guy was the music supervisor for Glee so everybody in the world wants to use him for their films, so that really helped. I didn’t really help much on that, but I wrote the blues bit with Travis, and that was quite fun to sing something so spontaneous that’s not from you, it’s difficult. So two days before we bashed it out. I was so nervous, I hated that part actually.
Do you find you still get nervous in this profession, or are you used to it all by now?
Oh no I get nervous a lot. I think it’s healthy to think that you might not be able to pull something off, because it’s respectful as well. Like Macbeth, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it and I’d die, and I thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to do it, and then I get nervous when I have to sign especially, and even when I’m doing the red carpet things, because everybody is screaming at you, you know, it’s a lot. But I think nerves are a necessary part of the risk.
The themes in Any Day Now are, sadly, still pertinent today – was that something that attracted you to the role?
Absolutely, yeah definitely. I think in a way when a film is from a different period it frees you from being so contemporary, and sometimes it can tell you more – because you look back from a distance and yet you see how little has changed. Even though great things have happened, you know, prejudice and bigotry and hatred of people is still around. I think audiences feel complicit and that’s what makes them so sad, that we’re a part of the world that allows that to happen and it gets people going. There have been a lot of people wanting to know how they can change things, which is always good.
Various actors will say “my film deserves to be seen” when doing press – but this really does feel like a film that needs to be seen by many people. You must have a lot of pride being involved in this project?
Yeah, I do feel very proud of it for that reason, and the fact that it has transcended its genre is great, it’s been seen by many more people than I thought would see it. I don’t think that about many films I’ve done, I don’t think there are many films I make that need to be seen, and are also good [laughs].
So what’s coming up for you next?
I’m back on The Good Life, the TV series. I finished Macbeth on Broadway about a month ago and went straight into The Good Life, which I’m doing until March. I’m also writing a book that I need to finish in the next few weeks, which is a sort of memoir about some crazy shit that happened to me a few summers ago.
Would it be giving too much away for you to tell us what that crazy shit was?
Well, one bit isn’t… I did that programme Who Do You Think You Are TV show and I found out that my grandfather died in Malaysia playing Russian Roulette, and at the same time as that something in my present life happened which was totally mind blowing. It’s just overwhelmed me and I couldn’t stop thinking and talking about it, so I just thought I’d write a book about it and get it out.
Any Day Now is released nationwide on September 6th.
