Alan Cumming, Sam Spector Speak ‘The Traitors’ Season Three Vogue

Alan Cumming has been on TV because the ’80s — lengthy sufficient for family and friends to get used to seeing him onscreen. However his function internet hosting “Traitors” has them starstruck over again.

“When this began, so many individuals have been texting me, and being actually type of expressive and actually enthusiastic about it,” says the celebrated theater and display screen actor, in New York shortly earlier than the top of the 12 months. “In order that’s after I knew it had hit a nerve.”

“Do you keep in mind after I stated to you, ‘I feel that is turning into a factor’?” says stylist Sam Spector, addressing Cumming seated just a few ft away. The pair had convened inside Spector’s styling studio to revisit the style from the present’s new season. “As a result of I used to be fully stunned. I’ve labored on so many tasks, TV exhibits with different purchasers, simply dressing them as themselves, that make it or don’t — however this turned one thing particular,” provides Spector.

Peacock’s homicide thriller present, set inside a Scottish fort, returns for a 3rd season on Thursday with a motley forged of figures from throughout the truth present universe: Boston Rob and Tony from “Survivor,” Bob the Drag Queen from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Bob from “Greatest Loser,” “Vanderpump Guidelines” villain Tom Sandoval, in addition to previous contestants from “Large Brother,” “The Bachelor” and “Bachelorette,” a number of “Actual Housewives,” Zac Efron’s brother, Brittany Spears’ former husband Sam Asghiari, a descendant of the British monarchy and extra. Every week, contestants try to vote out “the murderers” hiding amongst “the faithfuls,” whereas competing in “missions” within the Scottish countryside.

Main the pack in character as present host for the U.S. franchise is the native Scotsman Cumming, whose over-the-top Scottish-themed fashion — plaids, kilts, tweeds, cloaks, capes and extra — have turn out to be an indicator of the present. “It’s type of a part of the entire DNA of the present now,” says Cumming of his present fashion.  “I really feel like we’ve type of subverted the type of actuality TV slightly bit. And so what I’m sporting is a component of every episode. We’ve sort of added one other layer to the factor,” he provides.

Within the first episode of Season Three, Cumming rides into the scene on a horse. The actor is sporting a protracted velvet cape with a glowing “A C” embellishment, together with a beret, kilt and sporran. “My inspiration was this ‘Outlander’ character, however we wished it brighter and extra vibrant. So I discovered this teal kilt,” says Spector, exhibiting off a temper board for the look that features imagery of “Outlander” star Sam Heughan and depictions of vikings. “After which because the mission goes on, it turns into slightly extra theatrical.”

“Extra theatrical” sums up the pair’s sartorial method — and now, ongoing problem — every season. 

“We’ve acquired type of a home fashion. I all the time say, ‘dandy, Scottish layered,’” says Cumming.

“What’s dandy?” Spector rapidly deadpans, after which clarifies, “That is an inside joke.”

Flipping by Spector’s temper boards and meticulous documentation of their inspiration and outfits for the brand new season, the pair enthuse over take care of look, providing definitive descriptors for every: one is “dominatrix meets subversive Linda Evans,” one other “Pillsbury Doughboy meets Renaissance honest leather-based daddy” and “Little Store of Horrors meets pope meets man bride.” 

Spector eyes the (vegan; Cumming doesn’t put on animal leather-based) look from the primary episode, which they describe as having a “plastic-leather daddy muff vibe.” “There was speak backwards and forwards whether or not it was too harness — whether or not America’s prepared for a harness,” says Spector. “Is that OK for community TV?”

The reply is within the scores and urge for food — each from audiences and actuality stars wanting to get forged — and capped off by essential reception. The second season of the present was the number-one unscripted collection within the U.S. throughout all streaming platforms throughout its launch week based on Nielsen scores. Final 12 months “The Traitors” obtained 4 Emmy nominations and two wins, for excellent actuality competitors program, whereas Cumming gained excellent host for a actuality or actuality competitors program. 

“It was one thing so new and totally different to what I’d executed earlier than,” says Cumming of the attraction of entering into the internet hosting function. “It type of jogged my memory of Clue or one thing,” he provides. “I like a board sport, and I like the campiness and theatricality of these video games. I may inform from the beginning they [the production company] wished to sort of up the ante. It wasn’t simply, ‘good day, I’m Alan Cumming, and right here I’m with these folks.’ They purposely wished to match the tone of the present.” 

Cumming, who in any other case doesn’t work with a stylist and attire himself for crimson carpets, linked up with Spector for “The Traitors” on advice from his supervisor Nikola Barisic and spouse Allison Stein.

“I all the time wished to work with Alan,” says Spector, including that each males moved to New York within the late ’90s, and share mutual connections by the theater and movie neighborhood. “Most New York folks I’ve labored with a few times, however we had by no means labored with one another. I all the time wished to, however I usually simply do crimson carpet and press appearances. So to do costumes, after I acquired the decision, I simply thought we have been going to be dressing Alan Cumming. However then it gave me this problem.”  

“To which you rose,” says Cumming, nodding.

Extra is extra — and to this point, viewers proceed to be sport for extra of the whimsical Scottish styling. 

“I feel it’s so hilarious that the American model of this present is far campier and extra theatrical than the British model. I don’t assume that that may ever have occurred earlier than. And I feel it’s due to our work,” says Cumming. “I actually like how that’s been embraced by everybody. Individuals are tuning in to see the folks they know from these different exhibits,” he provides. “[And] they’re really additionally tuning in to see what kind of loopy femme-y outfit this middle-aged man goes to be sporting.”

And whereas the first aim is leisure, Cumming is optimistic that the lingering impression may very well be acceptance. 

“I feel that may be actually useful, in that after they see somebody on the road who’s not conforming to the conventional mores of male-female binary dressing, possibly they’ll be much less judgy about it,” he says. “Possibly they’ll perceive a bit extra after they see what Sam’s put me in. I actually do assume it should assist — or it’s a constructive factor to current in that approach.”

The present has additionally minted a brand new sudden star, who’s been getting stopped on the road for her function as cohost: Cumming’s canine Lala, who additionally dons her personal coordinated costumes. “She’s not so good with hats,” says Cumming. “She loves a kilt.” 

A number of appears to be like from the season are hanging from a rack in Spector’s styling studio, and Spector turns consideration to the blue bejeweled cape hanging amongst different scene-stealing outfits from the season. Viewers of the primary two seasons will acknowledge the cape from previous finales, and has turn out to be a sartorial throughline. 

“This he wears to disclose the winner,” says Spector, pulling out the colorfully bejeweled aqua-tone cape. “It’s been on each season, and we’ve determined that we’re going to only maintain including increasingly to it. So it began plain, then the second season we added the jewels, after which the third season we’ve added—” effectively, you’ll need to tune in to search out out.

“All people’s like — it’s an enormous debate — ‘is that basically costly,’ , like Chanel,” provides Cumming. “Or is it some skanky factor off of Etsy?”

“It’s slightly little bit of each,” says Spector.