If you think Alan Cumming, host of the US version of The traitorsHe’ll give off a “guy who killed someone” vibe, he’ll laugh – you get the idea. That’s why in Episode 8 of Season 2, as he sent the contestants off on their mission, he cheerfully turned to the camera and said, “And they were never seen again.”
“I said that a lot with every assignment,” Cumming admits. “I wanted that to be my new catchphrase, but they only used it a few times.”
This is exactly why the team behind Peacock’s hit reality game show wanted Cummings in the first place, even if he didn’t understand it at first. He initially met with the producers out of confusion and curiosity.
“I couldn’t understand why they wanted me to do that. Then I realized She wanted some kind of character. And I said, ‘Do you mean it’s supposed to be like a James Bond villain?'”
The response was enthusiastic Yes. And suddenly Cumming could see the whole personality: “He’s a kind of Scottish laird, and he’s a kind of Machiavellian. [and] brings all these people here,” Cumming said. The look would be a sort of Scottish “dandy” tartan. Cummings’ dog was even able to tag along so the actor could menacingly pet her while staring at the contestants.
“I really love this character. And it’s funny, life just throws things at you that you never expected. I never imagined I would be hosting a big, successful competition reality show in Scotland and a castle with a cast of reality stars. I mean – you couldn’t have made it up. But I obviously go through life open to certain things. I’ve always been pretty versatile. And these things come to me and I actually really enjoy this.”
And it’s a role he takes really seriously. When he gets ready in the morning, he listens to the players’ breakfast discussion and watches it on a big screen so he can “really be a part of it” as he prepares for his big performance. “When I walk into the room, it’s good for me to understand the mood of the room and the atmosphere,” says Cumming.
Cumming is often around the castle, but not with the contestants – after his breakfast performance he usually takes a short break to look at the scripts for the next day, and then he and the players head off to the Mission to film. Afterwards, the contestants hang out and Cumming takes another break (he says he usually eats or walks Lala the dog) but remains apprised of what’s happening. “When the round table comes, it really feels like a big theatrical moment because everyone goes in and plays this real-life scary music,” Cumming says. “It’s like these little performative spurts. And in between I try to keep an eye on what’s happening and understand how the wind is blowing.”
Still, he’s just as nervous as the rest of us. He likes to keep his distance between himself and the cast (he feels his character should always exhibit “pretty strict daddy behavior” that frightens the contestants), and Cumming was surprised at how things went when he entered the room. “That’s the great thing about the Games – there was one person who I thought did it very good, a believer, and would help tear the whole thing apart. And the people turned against them. It really was like hyenas chasing a baby elephant. I was speechless.”
While he wouldn’t say who it was about, he would name some of the contestants he’s most surprised by: Bergie (on becoming the Cemetery Challenge MVP), Phaedra (he appreciates her showmanship and the way she as she provides cover for her), and Parvati (he wasn’t watching Survivorsand she looked like a “cute little thing with a hair band”).
But even upon closer inspection, he’s just as eager to make it happen as the rest of us. Well, at least we all aren’t afraid of getting offended when selecting traitors at the Round Table.
The traitors Season 2 (the US version) airs new episodes every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. PST/9:00 p.m. EST on Peacock.
