Susan Calman is a Scottish comedian who gained recognition after reaching the semi-finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2005. Four years later, she won Best New Scottish Comedian at the Real Radio Variety Awards. In 2013, Susan’s debut solo series on Radio 4, Susan Calman is convictedit won Best Radio Comedy at the Writers Guild of Great Britain Awards.
Calman has had an extraordinarily successful comedy career since leaving her job as a corporate lawyer 15 years ago. This piece will deviate from her career and look at her personal life. Susan Calman is married to Lee Cormack.
Susan’s wife, Lee Cormack, adds much-needed optimism and positivity to Susan’s life.
Images by Andrew Milligan/PA
Susan and his wife Lee met in 2002 and, after a decade of dating, became a civil couple. Lee and Susan got married in 2015 on one of the happiest days of Susan’s life. Calman wrote in the big problem that if she could go back to any moment in her life, it would be her wedding at the Fruitmarket in Glasgow. She wrote:
“I would love to do the first dance again. It was for Bring Me Sunshine… We didn’t have a dance for that, not knowing what to do. But the lyrics of that song are so beautiful. We had been civil couples and then got married when it became legal. I think that’s why it was a doubly happy day, because society had advanced in a way that I couldn’t dream of when I was 16 years old.
Given Susan’s success, it’s hard to imagine her being anything more than optimistic. She quit a high-paying job as a lawyer to immerse herself in an industry she knew nothing about. However, it turns out that she is always waiting for bad things to happen. Susan’s wife is responsible for instilling optimism and positivity in Calman’s life. She wrote:
“My wife always says that she wants me to enjoy more of my successes. Instead of waiting for something bad to happen. She is a very positive, optimistic and laid back woman, so we are kind of yin and yang… she sits with me, looks at the situation and says, is there any evidence that something bad is about to happen? And usually there isn’t.
Susan was criticized for choosing a dancer as her partner in Strictly come dance
Susan came to terms with her sexuality in her teens. However, she grew up in a conservative environment that refused to accept homosexuality. There was a law that prohibited the promotion of homosexuality, and due to the lack of internet, it was difficult to meet other people like her. Susana told her The Guardian that she reacted to the situation by isolating herself:
“Looking back, [coming to terms with] my sexuality had more to do with my unhappiness than I’d like to admit. At the time, there was no one to talk to about it or see that it was normal. I think part of my isolation came from that, and the feeling of not fitting in very well comes from that moment.”
Calman came out at the age of 19, and when he got to college, he found a more tolerant and inclusive environment. However, the country’s lawmakers continued to resist the push to recognize the LGBTQ community. That reluctance pushed Susan into her activism, and her efforts contributed to the legalization of same-sex marriage in her country.
After all she had done for the LGBTQ community, Susan was criticized for choosing a dancer as her partner in Strictly Come Dancing. According BBCSusan offered the following response:
“For the gay community to criticize me and try to get me what they want to do is, I think, just as difficult as suggesting that the straight community is trying. No one is holding me hostage in this room, making me wear a dress and dance with a man. I want to learn to dance… I have protested, I have picketed, I have fought, I have been spit on, I have been punched and I want to dance”.
Susan’s parents did not appreciate their move from north to south Glasgow.
Susan Calman was born on November 6, 1974 to Ann Wilkie and Kenneth Calman. Ann was a former deputy head of a primary school, while Kenneth is an oncologist who served as Scotland’s chief medical officer. Susan and her older brother and sister grew up in north Glasgow.
Susan has described her parents as “nice, beautiful people” who were happy to accept their sexuality. They also accepted Susan’s decision to ban them from her comedy shows due to the ‘rude’ nature of the show. However, Susan’s transfer from north to south Glasgow may never be accepted.
Calman now lives on the south side of Glasgow with his wife. People from the north rarely move south, which is why his parents have a hard time understanding the move. Susan wrote in The times:
“I grew up in the West End, in the north of Glasgow. People from there rarely move to the Southside, but I did 17 years ago when I met my wife, because she had a much bigger apartment there. I swear my family gets nosebleeds when they cross the Kingston Bridge.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn