Alan Cumming Helps Solve the Mystery!

• Jun 19, 2008 07:45 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

As versatile as he is charming, Alan Cumming has not only acted on stage ( Cabaret) and screen ( X2, The Anniversary Party), he's penned a novel ( Tommy's Tale) and even created a fragrance (Cumming). Tonight, he takes over as the host of PBS' anthology of British whodunits Masterpiece Mystery! (Sundays at 9 pm/ET). - G.J. Donnelly

TV Guide: Dude, what can't you do?
Alan Cumming: I can't pronounce "library" properly! [ Laughs]

TV Guide: What attracted you to the show?
Cumming: I love PBS and I loved how campy it was with [1989 2003 host] Diana Rigg introducing the stories out of the shadows.

TV Guide: Recently, you played the Scarecrow in Sci Fi's The Wizard of Oz reimagining. That zipper in your head had to hurt.
Cumming: There's this crazy thing we have called prosthetic makeup! [ Laughs] The worst thing was getting my hair flattened enough so they could get the thing on.