“If you’re going to lie, be clever about it”: It’s a Shame How Harry Potter Producers Treated Alan Cumming as Actor Breaks RuPaul’s 8-Year Emmy Streak

SUMMARY

• Alan Cumming was initially offered the role of Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter franchise.
• The actor surprisingly turned down the role due to certain disputes with the franchise’s producers.
• Despite losing the Harry Potter film, Cumming established himself by recently ending RuPaul’s 8-year Emmy streak.

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Legendary actor Alan Cumming’s Hollywood journey reads like a thrilling screenplay of ambition and defiance. With a career spanning decades, Cummings even came across an opportunity to star in the billion-dollar Harry Potter franchise as Gilderoy Lockhart. Until of course, the actor had a fallout with the producers. 

Alan Cumming in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut | image: Warner Bros

Later on, as Alan Cumming reflected on the casting process and his feud with the producers, his anecdote revealed a stark reality of the industry’s cutthroat nature. Yet, as fate would have it, Cumming’s refusal to appear in the Harry Potter films led him to a new pinnacle, as the actor recently broke RuPaul’s 8-year Emmy streak with The Traitors. 

Alan Cumming Refused to Appear in Harry Potter After a Fall Out with Producers

While the Harry Potter franchise found global success with its famed stars, there were originally several actors who lost their opportunities to be a part of the billion-dollar project. One among them is Alan Cumming, who was once running for the role of the ill-fated Hogwarts professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 

Unfortunately, Alan Cumming refused to be a part of the franchise and the role went to Kenneth Branagh. Thereafter, in an interview with The Telegraph, Cumming elaborated on what led him to decline the role. Laying bare the reasons behind his decision to bow out of playing Gilderoy Lockhart, Cumming noted facing a straightforward salary dispute. 

Alan Cummings in The Traitors | image: Peacock

I didn’t turn it down. I told them to f— off! They wanted me and Rupert Everett to do a screen test, and they said they couldn’t pay me more than a certain sum, they just didn’t have any more money in the budget. And I had the same agent as Rupert, who of course, they were going to pay more. 

Blatantly lying, stupidly lying, as well. Like, if you’re going to lie, be clever about it. I said, tell them to f— right off. And thought, well Rupert’s going to get the part. They made him screen test, and I remember he brought his own wig. And then they f—ing gave it to Kenneth Branagh, came out of the shadows. 

Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | image: Warner Bros.

So it seems that Alan Cumming’s rejection of the role was a clash over compensation that revealed the less glamorous side of filmmaking. With frustration stemming from a perceived slight in the payment structure, where he felt his value was undercut compared to Rupert Everett, Cumming accused the producers of blatant deceit.  

Alan Cumming Recently Dropped the Mic by Breaking RuPaul’s 8-Year Emmy Streak

Eventually, Alan Cumming’s rejection led to the casting of Kenneth Branagh in the role, an outcome that the actor viewed as a crafty maneuver by the studio. Yet, the intriguing chapter of Cumming’s career in Hollywood didn’t end there, for the actor recently turned the spotlight back on, with a major triumph.

According to reports from EW, after an eight-year streak of Emmy wins by RuPaul for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program, Alan Cumming forever changed the streak. Emerging victorious in the very category for his role in The Traitors, Cumming ended RuPaul’s illustrious record.

RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009) | image: World of Wonder

This victory marked a new pinnacle in Alan Cumming’s celebrated career, showcasing his diverse talents and undeniable presence in the entertainment industry. Cumming’s journey from turning down a major franchise role due to salary disputes to capturing an Emmy for his compelling work served as a reminder of his courage to stand firm on his principles. 

The Harry Potter films are currently available to watch on Max. 

Written by Krittika Mukherjee

Articles Published: 1929

Krittika is a News Writer at FandomWire with 2 years of prior experience in lifestyle and web content writing. With her previous works available on HubPages and Medium, she has woven over 1900 stories with us, about fan-favorite actors, movies, and shows. Post-graduate in Journalism and Honors-graduate in English Literature, when this art enthusiast isn't crafting your next favorite article, she finds her escapism in coffee, fiction, and the Wizarding World.