Alan Cumming's dark hair, fair skin and perennially mischievous expression gave him the look of a pixie, while his off-screen soft-spoken demeanor evoked a shy schoolboy, yet on stage and screen, the wiry actor took on some of the more cunning and debauched roles available. A veteran of many films, it was his turn as the Emcee in the Broadway run of "Cabaret" (1998-99) that would bring the actor his greatest acclaim and notice to date. Cumming put a seedier spin on his character than Joel Grey's legendary portrayal, complete with a costume that left him nearly naked save for some very tight
