For decades, Alan Cumming has been associated with not just a variety of extremely diverse roles (from Shakespeare to The Flintstones), but also a delightfully flamboyant lifestyle and personality.
"It's fascinating just how I've worked through a series of quirks and chances, that I've managed to sort of hang on in there and get asked to do all these really bizarre things," he once shared with us at HELLO! of how he rolls with the punches, both in life and on screen.
© PeacockThe American Traitors host, 60, has been seen as one of the foremost representatives for queer culture and proud bisexuality in mainstream Hollywood and TV, although a fact that many fans forget is that before his years as an LGBTQ+ icon, he was married to another actress.
Here's all you need to know as we dive into the life of Alan Cumming off screen when it comes to his love life, his first marriage, and his ex-wife Hilary Lyon…
© Getty ImagesWho is Alan Cumming's ex-wife, Hilary Lyon?
Hilary Lyon is a Scottish actress, just like her ex, who has been working on stage and TV since the early 1990s. She performed with the English Touring Theatre Company, most notably playing Ophelia in their 1993 production of Hamlet.
Her debut TV appearance was a 1992 episode of Between the Lines, and followed that up with a variety of TV appearances in shows like Chef!, The High Life, Dangerfield, Taggart and Outlander. Her last listed credit, per IMDb, is a 2019 episode of Trust Me.
Per her LinkedIn page, she also wrote and starred in BBC Radio 4's dramedy Secrets and Lattes, as well as writing and starring in Baggage, also for BBC Radio 4.
© Back/Daily Mail/ShutterstockAlan and Hilary's marriage
Alan and Hilary met while studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama together in the '80s. He and Hilary married in 1985, when he was just 20 years old. Soon after Alan began finding success in TV and on stage, they moved to a home in the Crouch End area of north London.
"I was in a relationship that I thought was going to last forever," he told The Guardian of their marriage at the time. "Being one of those cardigan-wearing actors that are on BBC dramas a lot and do seasons at the National." Alan and Hilary even got the chance to work together in 1993 when they co-starred in Hamlet, winning nationwide acclaim and several awards.
© Alamy Stock PhotoTheir split
His run in Hamlet, however, also led to immense stress, struggles with panic attacks, and the deterioration of their marriage. That same year, the couple got divorced, and Alan moved out of their home and into a flat in Islington.
He also shared with The Guardian that it led to him rediscovering relationships with men, something he pursued more actively before meeting Hilary. "It wasn't like I stopped being married and said I was gay. I was aware of that, and then I did that for a little bit."
© Variety via Getty ImagesHilary's life since
Not much is known about Hilary's life since their split. She continued acting long after their divorce. In 2001, she married Matt Ponting, whose LinkedIn page lists him as an IT Practitioner and NFT Manager for 2i Testing. They share two kids and currently live in Edinburgh.
© Bruce Glikas/WireImageAlan's life since
After his split from Hilary, Alan dated actress Saffron Burrows for two years, and theater director Nick Philippou for six years. In 2005, he found love with illustrator Grant Shaffer.
They became civil partners in 2007 at the Old Royal Naval College in London, and exactly five years later, they got legally married in New York City.
