Alan Cumming Says He Can 'Empathize' with Chimp Crazy Subjects' Love of Chimpanzees

Alan Cumming says that while he can “sympathize” with the chimpanzee-loving themes in the new Crazy chimpanzee The HBO documentary highlighted hopes the project will “help highlight” the chimpanzee trade and the “abuse that occurs in private zoos.”

The actor, 59, who famously starred in the 1997 film Friend together with the male chimpanzee Tonka, he spoke with The New York Times in a new interview about the series he directedThe tiger kingis Eric Goode.

The four-part documentary follows exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix as she becomes embroiled in what the synopsis calls a “multi-year saga” involving her, Tonka, PETA and even Cumming — while focusing on “the private ownership of primates and the folly of imposing human monkeys in captivity who have no influence on where and how they live.”

“I really empathize with the people in this documentary, especially as someone who really, truly loved the chimpanzee,” Cumming told times in an interview published on Monday, August 19.

Cumming — who has a soft spot for chimpanzees, including the “very gentle” Tonka, who had a “calming influence” — also said he agreed to be in the documentary because he’s “already working with PETA on this campaign to save Tonka,” according to times.

Who is Tonia Haddix? All about the animal dealer Crazy chimpanzee

Alan Cumming speaks as he holds a photo of himself with Tonka, his fellow chimpanzee from the 1997 film ‘Buddy’, during an announcement on June 23, 2017.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty

As previously reported, Cumming partnered with PETA in 2022 to help find out what happened to his primate friend and offered $10,000 for information leading to his discovery. PETA rescuers eventually found Tonka and moved him to a sanctuary.

“I thought The tiger king he’s done a lot of good in terms of educating people about the whole animal trade,” Cumming said of working with Goode, who directed the new documentary. “I thought, ‘Oh, maybe this will help.’ Someone who is doing something about the chimpanzee trade and the abuse that goes on in private zoos, I’d like to help highlight that.”

Cumming added that he had not worked professionally with wildlife since 1997 Friend. “We don’t need it [use them in films] more,” he said The Times. “I went through that change from being someone who was really into a wildlife movie to someone who is actively advocating for that not to happen.”

“It’s a big journey. I was naive and I was ignorant,” he added. “I really understand deep love. But it hurts the animal; the animal can’t live the life it’s supposed to live.”

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Alan Cumming attends the premiere of ‘Buddy’ with Tonka in May 1997.

Ron Galella/Getty

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In the documentary, Haddix describes herself as the “Dolly Parton of chimpanzees” and reveals that she raised seven monkeys at the Missouri Primate Foundation (formerly known as Chimparty) and her Sunrise Beach home.

Crazy chimpanzee follows her false claim that Tonka died in 2021, before PETA and Cumming renewed efforts in January 2022 to find the adult chimpanzee, which had been living in her finished basement in Sunrise Beach.

“He could only take a few steps in any direction, he wasn’t allowed to go outside, he couldn’t feel the sun or the grass under his feet, he didn’t have the company of other chimpanzees — something extremely important for the well-being of chimps — he was overweight, probably from lack of exercise , and was not receiving proper veterinary care,” PETA said in a statement at the time about where Tonka was discovered.

First episode of Crazy chimpanzee premiered on HBO on Sunday, August 18, with three additional episodes arriving each subsequent Sunday.

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Source: HIS Education