Did you know Succession would be such a hit?
Jesse Armstrong and Adam McKay pitched the show to me and I thought, ‘Wow, this is going to be great.’
Was Logan Roy based on Murdoch?
Not at all. Of all the characters I’ve played, I thought Logan was one of the most misunderstood because all he wanted was a successor for his business and he has these three hopeless children.
Of course he got angry.
Where was Succession filmed?
New York, Dubrovnik, Siena and Florence.
Do you mind being asked to tell people to f*** off in the style of Logan Roy?
It gets a bit boring.
Do you prefer film and TV to the stage?
Theatre is hard work because it’s live and it’s nightly. Television – you get more of a chance because you’re episodic; same with film. I don’t really have a preference.
What’s the most glamorous place you’ve filmed in?
I loved filming in Iceland. It’s haunting. I did a film there called Good Heart, and it was actually set in New York.
Is there something you really miss?
I live both in London and in New York, and we’re buying somewhere in London but, for the moment, we’ve got a very small flat. Both Nicole [Ansari – his wife] and I have got a lot of clothes, and we both like our space, and agree that the way to a happy marriage is to have separate bedrooms. I miss my separate bedroom and I’m sure Nicole does too.
What are your earliest childhood holiday memories?
We would go to Butlin’s – typical working-class boy. I was about four and my dad took me to boxing and I had to wear these boxing gloves and box this other kid. I swung my glove up and missed him and he swung his glove up and hit me and the fight was over. I did think, ‘Why is my dad putting me through this?’
What was Dundee like for you as child?
Dundee’s always had a bad rep. It’s the people of Dundee who are wonderful because there’s a lot of Irish. My family were all Irish originally. They all came across to work in the jute mills.
Do you come from a theatrical family?
Theatrical, no. But, in the sense of being theatrical, yes. My sisters all sang. My dad, sadly, died when I was eight, but he had great bonhomie and we had these wonderful Hogmanays. I would do Al Jolson impersonations, which was my trick, and I got my first sense of an audience. We always had about 70 people for Hogmanay. It was a tiny flat – two bedrooms – and my brother and I slept in the kitchen.
Did your parents encourage your acting?
My mum did. She was 30 when my dad died and she then had a series of nervous breakdowns.
Did you act at school?
A bit. My school was a disaster. I would go for errands to waste the day.
What was your first big break?
Getting the job at the Dundee Rep. Very nervous, I arrived in the theatre and there were two guys having a fight, and I went upstairs and there was this lovely actor Gawn Grainger, who’s married to Zoë Wanamaker. He was smoking a cigarette and he said, ‘Are you all right, darling?’ And I thought, this is the place I have to be.
Do you prefer playing villains?
I’d rather do more comedy. As I get older, I just want to laugh more.
Which has been your favourite role?
I made my mark in Titus Andronicus in the ’80s and won an Olivier Award for best actor.
And your least favourite?
There’s a film I did in the early ’90s and my daughter wasn’t very well and it was really difficult because I didn’t like what was going on. I didn’t like the director, and one of the actors punched another actor...
Do you miss Scotland? Where’s home now?
I miss it on occasions. I’ve just directed a film there. So I’ve been working in Scotland, most of the last part of 2024 editing, and it was great to be back in Scotland with Scottish crews.
Home is probably going to be more in London than in New York, because of what’s happening in America – very worrying.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We never went on a honeymoon; we went straight back to work. My wife says her life is a honeymoon. [He turns to his wife.] That’s nice, darling.
Do you have a go at the local language?
No, because I come from Dundee.
What’s your biggest headache when you’re travelling?
People who come on the plane with those bags. I wish they’d just make everybody check their baggage.
Do you have any travelling tips?
Try and sleep as much as you can, especially on a long journey. I love being up in the air because nobody bothers me.
Brian Cox is in The Score, Theatre Royal, Haymarket
