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Alan Cumming embraces blurry selfies and imperfections in new memoir

The famous actor documents his life through words and photos in You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams.

Sometimes the most imperfect photos can perfectly capture a moment a time. 

This is what actor Alan Cumming proves in his new memoir, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams. The book combines Cumming's words and photos to create a revealing look into the star's life. 

Not every picture in Cumming's book is impeccably framed or even in focus but he doesn't see that as a flaw. While photography has been an interest and hobby of his since the age of 10, he warns readers that "they're not technical photographs."

Alan Cumming's new memoir, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams, features photographs and selfies taken by the actor himself. (Alan Cumming/CBC )
Alan Cumming's new memoir You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams features a series of photos taken by the author including selfies like the one above. (Penguin Random House Canada)

Instead, expect silly selfies and pictures that were perhaps taken in a hurry. For example, the photo that inspired the book's title. 

In asking Oprah for a photo, Cumming's friend Eddie — a devout Oprah fan — told her it was his dream to get a picture with the influential figure. Her response: "You gotta get bigger dreams." 

The resulting picture that Cumming took? Turns out he didn't have enough time to un-zoom his camera lens and only half of Oprah's face made it into the photograph. 

"The title picture is terrible," Cumming laughs. "But actually, it's perfect." 

The photo that inspired the title of Alan Cumming's new memoir, You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams. (Penguin Random House Canada)
Alan Cumming's new memoir You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams uses words and photos to give readers a revealing look into the actor's life. (Penguin Random House Canada)

*The full audio will be added to this post following the broadcast.