Multiple Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG awarded actor Alan Cumming will be presented with Outstanding Contribution to Film & Television.
Born in Aberfeldy, Alan Cumming, trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. After leaving the Academy he quickly found himself celebrated in his homeland for both his television work (including Take the High Road) and his stand-up comedy (the legendary Victor and Barry, which he wrote and performed with Forbes Masson). Since then Cumming’s TV roles have included Sex and the City, Frasier and The L Word. He played political spin doctor Eli Gold in seven seasons of the CBS hit series The Good Wife, for which he received numerous awards and accolades, and now stars in the CBS Series Instinct.
His impressive film career has alternated between blockbusters such as X2: X Men United, the Spy Kids Trilogy, Golden Eye and smaller independent films such as Titus opposite Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange, which he also produced and which earned him an Independent Spirit Award. He has made films with Stanley Kubrick and The Spice Girls, been described by Time magazine as one of the most fun people in show business and he has won a Tony, hosted the Tonys and been nominated for an Emmy for doing so.
Alan Cumming said “I couldn’t be happier or more proud to receive this special BAFTA award. I shot my first ever film in Glasgow and my first few years in the business were nearly all spent in the employ of Scottish television, so my roots in acting for the screen are very entrenched in Scotland. And of course, my heart is too.”
Production Designer Pat Campbell will receive the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Craft (In Memory of Robert McCann).
With almost 30 years in the industry, Campbell is well known for her extensive work in television and film. Her impressive film and TV slate includes BAFTA-Winning adaptation of Wolf Hall, The State and The Promise – all collaborations with director Peter Kosminsky.
Campbell recently designed the BBC Christmas production of War of the Worlds, directed by Craig Viveiros, with whom she also worked on Rillington Place, shot in Glasgow, for which she received a nomination last year for a BAFTA Television Craft Award. Campbell was also responsible for the design of the River City set when the programme launched in 2002.
Producer Paddy Higson will be presented with Outstanding Contribution to the Scottish Industry.
Paddy Higson has worked in the film and television industries since the 1970s producing, line producing and exec producing drama content. Her film and TV work includes The Magdalene Sisters, Gregory’s Girl, Orphans, Monarch of the Glen, Cardiac Arrest and That Sinking Feeling to name but a few.
Passionate about encouraging the next generation of new talent to enter the industry, Higson was responsible for the creation of schemes such as Eight and a Half, a scheme for new writers and producers to make short films and acted as a mentor in Film City and Sigma Film’s Jump Cut to encourage young entrants.
Jude MacLaverty, Director of BAFTA Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be presenting this year’s Outstanding Contribution Awards to three truly exceptional recipients, each representing stand-out talent in their fields. Alan, Pat and Paddy have created incredible work that is not only recognised by their peers and the public, but that inspires future generations of film and TV makers. We’re honoured to present their awards and look forward to recognising their outstanding achievements on (Sunday) 4 November.”
For information on buying tickets or sponsorship opportunities, please visit the BAFTA Scotland website (www.bafta.org/scotland) or call 0141 553 5402.
For further information, please contact:
Gillian McCormack
T: 07792 423 012
E: [email protected]
