Bisexual Scottish actor Alan Cumming has been celebrated for his work in such films as Any Day Now, garnered a Tony Award in Broadway's Cabaret and currently appears on TV in The Good Wife.

In his memoir, Not My Father's Son, Cumming details his tragic childhood growing up in a household filled with abuse at the hands of his late father. Cumming talked with Windy City Times about reliving the past, going through therapy and forgiveness.

Windy City Times: How long did it take to write the book and was it difficult to relive the physical, verbal and emotional brutalities that you endured?

Alan Cumming: It took me a couple of years on and off and there were a few times I had to focus properly on it. It was difficult to relive the stuff but I had a good editor who encouraged me to go darker. I thought that was important.

WCT: Was there ever a time when you became suicidal?

Alan Cumming: It was definitely difficult because of the constant barrage of my father, but I wasn't a suicidal child.

WCT: What is the meaning behind the title of the book, Not My Father's Son?

Alan Cumming: I am saying that I am not like him and I am not that kind of man.

WCT: Was your father aware that you are bisexual, and did he ever make negative comments about it?

Alan Cumming: He was definitely aware, but by that point he wasn't in my life. Some of the newspapers wrongly accused him of saying negative things, but he did not say any derogatory things. My orientation was not an issue.

WCT: Your mother Mary and brother Tom—also a victim of your father—were your support system growing up. How did they feel about the book?

Alan Cumming: They were very much a part of the whole story so I let them read it before I gave it to the publisher. They have both been incredibly supportive.

WCT: Can you read the book as if it was written by someone else?

Alan Cumming: I have been so immersed in it for so long, so that would be kind of weird.

WCT: Can you actually separate yourself from it?

Alan Cumming: Not really. I haven't done it yet but I want to go into a book shop and actually see it.

WCT: In the book you mentioned that you had been in therapy. Are you still in therapy today?

Alan Cumming: I am.

WCT: Was writing the book also therapeutic for you?

Alan Cumming: It was. It has been a long process and I've learned a lot about myself doing it. It has been therapeutic for me, my mom and my brother. We had a story with our dad that we were ashamed of and it's good to have it be out in the world and say that this is what happened and this is how far we've come.

WCT: Did the events in your past have a direct effect on you wanting to become an actor?

Alan Cumming: Acting was a form of survival techniques I had to employ to work around my father's rage. I don't think that's why I became an actor, but I definitely had traces of some acting skills.

WCT: Is there anyone in your family who influenced you wanting to become an actor?

Alan Cumming: No. My becoming an actor has nothing to do with anyone in my family. I have no kind of role models in that way at all.

WCT: You forgave your father in the end. Was it difficult to do that?

Alan Cumming: It wasn't difficult. What can you do? I'm a very pleasant chap and I don't hold onto things from the past. I don't think that he was mentally stable and the things he did to me was not about me, it was about him and his illness.

WCT: The Good Wife recently made its return this fall. How are things going on the set of the show?

Alan Cumming: We've been back filming for a while now and we're actually filming episode nine.

WCT: What can fans expect from your appearance at the Music Box Theatre on Oct. 13?

Alan Cumming: I'm being interviewed about the book and I'll be doing some reading from it. I will enjoy it because it's nice to meet people and show them a different side of you. The book is obviously intense and there is a lot of darkness there, but as a person I am quite affable and I like to have a lot of fun. It will be a whole gamut of emotions.

Alan Cumming will be at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Visit Article Link Here . To find out where to buy Not My Father's Son, visit Article Link Here .