Brian Cox has always been a recognizable character actor, but Succession has only served to up the ante. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series for the show’s first season and has become a powerful source of memes due to his quotable insults and grumpy demeanor.
Cox, who is nearly as quotable (and grumpy) as his Succession character, recently sat down for an Actors on Actors interview with Emily Blunt. He discussed what it was like to achieve international fame late in his career and the ways in which being elevated to “icon” status has been daunting.
The actor begins the conversation by acknowledging the fact that audiences knew him for his face more than his name. It makes sense, as he gave brief but memorable performances in films like Manhunter (1986), Braveheart (1995), The Bourne Identity (2002), and Troy (2004), among countless others. It was an arrangement he came to appreciate. “It’s much nicer,” Cox noted. “But now, I am the ‘f*** off’ man.”
The man in question is Logan Roy, the patriarch who spent the entirety of Succession battling his power-hungry children. It’s a role that was tailor-made for the actor, whether delving into the show’s Shakespearean family dynamic (he was classically trained) or the foul-mouthed tirades that made it famous online (few can deliver four-letter words with the same ferocity).
Cox, 77, makes it clear he appreciates the role but admits that it’s sometimes been overwhelming. “I’m not knocking it,” he explained. “But at the same time, it’s not easy… to be an icon. And a cultural icon at that.” The last part of the comment is delivered with a knowing grin. Cox knows what he’s saying is brash and silly in a way, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that he has become just that.
The “icon” status has also impacted the lives of those around him. Cox’s son, Alan, is also an actor, and Cox fears that the association can make it difficult when dealing with Succession fans out in public. “It’s very hard, because my eldest son is an actor, he’s a very fine actor, actually,” he added. “And I think it’s difficult. I mean, people are always nice, don’t get me wrong, people always come up and they’re very gracious. But when they come in swarms, that becomes really tricky.”
Those questioning whether the actor is really having a moment need only look at his commercial. He’s the voice of McDonald’s and the star of a Michelob Ultra ad that parodies Caddyshack (1980). He’s also the face of DirectTV, starring in commercials that riff on his Succession character by having him deliver insults about “doing TV wrong” to the viewer. You’d be hard-pressed to find an actor booking more endorsements right now, and the thing is, none of these companies were seeking him out five years ago.
It may be, to quote Cox, “an awfully big job for one wee boy,” but he’s pulling it off with style.
