Alan Cumming says he was ‘feeling suicidal’ while auditioning for James Bond film GoldenEye

Actor says Hollywood ‘saved’ his life

Alan Cumming (AFP via Getty Images)

Alan Cumming has opened up about his mental health, saying he was “feeling suicidal” the day he auditioned for the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye.

Reflecting on his audition to play Russian computer hacker Boris Grishenko during an appearance on CBS Mornings on Tuesday (26 October), Cumming said: “It was one of the worst days of my life actually. I felt really, really, really low. I just now think, ‘Oh you poor little thing, you could’ve said I am feeling suicidal today.’

“That’s something I realised when I was writing, like, ‘Oh my God, Hollywood saved me.’”

Cumming was on the show to promote his new memoir, Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life.

He continued: “I have this sort of mantra, which is ‘cancel, continue’.” When something bad happens I think, ‘Okay that happened, we can’t change that, let’s move on.’”

Cummings starred in GoldenEye alongside Pierce Brosnan and Judi Dench. His other famous roles include Eyes Wide Shut and X2: X-Men United.

In August this year, Cumming claimed he told the producers of Harry Potter to “f*** off” after he was offered a major role in the franchise.

The Scottish actor said he was in the running to play Hogwarts professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the second film in the long-running franchise, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but had disagreements with the filmmakers over his proposed salary.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.