Alan Cumming has said he has seen Nicola Sturgeon “blossom” since standing down as first minister.
The actor said he has stayed friends with the former SNP leader since he met her campaigning ahead of the independence referendum in 2014 when she was Alex Salmond’s deputy.
Having seen her recently, he said she seemed happy and relaxed.
Speaking about their friendship, he told the PA news agency: “We met in 2014 when I came over from New York.
“I was on Broadway and I came one weekend on my day off to campaign for independence and I campaigned with her.
“That’s when we first met, so a long time now.
“We’ve just stayed friends over the years, and I really love her.
“I think since she stood down, I’ve seen her blossom.
“She’s also got more time to come out and have fun.”
On his most recent meeting with Ms Sturgeon, Cumming added: “I thought she was looking more relaxed and more happy than I’ve seen her looking in many, many years.
“I think she’s in a really good place.”
Ms Sturgeon stepped down in early 2023 and is Scotland’s longest serving first minister.
The politician will step down as an MSP at the May election, ending three decades in frontline politics.
She oversaw Scotland’s pandemic response but in her later years failed to gain a second referendum and saw headline policies such as gender reforms blocked by the UK government, leading to costly court battles.
The SNP became embroiled in chaos shortly after her resignation as police began making arrests over a long-running investigation into its finances.
Ms Sturgeon, her then husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, as well as the party’s former treasurer Colin Beattie, were all arrested months after she quit. Ms Sturgeon’s home, which she shared with her then partner Mr Murrell, was searched, attracting significant media attention.
Police concluded their investigations into Ms Sturgeon and Mr Beattie and no action was taken, but Mr Murrell was later charged with alleged embezzlement.
Earlier this month, Ms Sturgeon said her “political appetite” had been “reawakened” due to the release of her memoir in the summer, but she ruled out returning to frontline politics.
“The time is definitely right for me to leave the political stage,” she said.
“I’m stepping down from elected politics after 27 years, which I think is long enough for anybody, but I’m never going to lose my interest in an appetite for political debate and trying to use my voice, such as it is, to influence the things that I care about in the direction that I would like to see them take.
“I’ve been sort of reflecting to some friends recently that since I published my memoir back in August, and I’ve been doing lots and lots of promotional events, I think I’ve had my political appetite reawakened a little bit – but I’m desperately trying to sort of push it back down into a proper place.
“I’m definitely not coming back. I think I should say that categorically.”
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