Can’t Be More Boar on the Floor Episodes: Succession’s Brian Cox

Congratulations on your Golden Globe victory! How did  it feel?

I think I was a one in five chance of getting it, so I suppose there was an element that I thought, oh, maybe. But I was delighted when I got it and I was very... you know, it’s always great when you have your work affirmed on such a scale, you know. We do our thing, but we do make a comeback. And of course, that was quite a nice comeback.

So now, coming to the character of Logan Roy. You know, he’s selfish, he’s manipulative, but he also has like a very fatherly instinct. So the first time when you came across the character, how did you feel about it?

Well, I thought it was an incredibly... you know... I – they only pitched it to me. There was no script when I was sold the show, it was just a pitch. And I just thought it was a really interesting pitch. I was fascinated by the idea. And I’m fascinated by the fact that, you know, what struck me and still strikes me about the show is it’s a modern morality. You know, it’s really about the morals of our times and the ridiculousness of our times, and told in a very humorous and caustic and acerbic and sharp way. So I was very excited by the prospect of it. I thought this was something which was rather considerable. So I was really, really pleased. And I just thought it had the makings of a good show, and especially someone of the integrity of Jackie Armstrong, who is showrunner and creator, and it was was a no brainer to me. I just thought this is this is a remarkable piece of work and can be remarkable.

So I read somewhere that there’s a slight overlap between Logan Roy’s character and your life.

It was completely unexpected because, way, way back when I was first approached, I suggested I play a Scot. I said, you know, he could easily be a certain character that, you know, I’m aware of in Scotland. And then Jackie said, Oh, no, no, no, he has to be American. So I said okay, quiet. And it wasn’t until the ninth episode of the first series that Peter Friedman, who plays Frank, said, you know I’ve just been on a dubbing session and they’ve changed your birthplace and I said what? I said nine episodes in and they changed my birthplace and they said, yeah. I said, well where is he? He was out at the moment so he said let me check so he looked on his mobile and he said, okay, we are from Dundee, Scotland and I said, that’s where I’m born. What’s going on? So I went to Jesse. I said, what I said. He said, I thought it’d be a little surprise. So I said, it’s a hell of a surprise. Having played this guy in nine episodes being born in Quebec, Canada to find he is suddenly now born in Dundee, Scotland. But it was a nice and it was a great thing and it was wonderful to do the episode.And I also I could then, you know, I kind of related to the structure of how the character develops and where the character came from. I kind of understood what that was more.

Did you do any research for the character in any way?

I kind of had an instinct for the show and the character, you know. I’ve gotten so much over the years and you realise that you’ve got a piece of gold on your hand.So it becomes quite precious and you have to treat it with enormous respect. And I realised that with this, this was a real iconic – it’s an iconic series and it’s an iconic character. So I treated it with enormous respect and yielded incredible dividends. That’s what was exciting about where I knew it was a great role but, but it’s been extraordinary how it has been received worldwide, you know. So I’m just incredibly grateful that it worked.

So can you tell me a little about ‘Boar on the Floor’ episode, which, after it aired, was considered one of the most iconic and memorable episodes? So, what was it like filming an episode?

Well, Tony Roche wrote it and I had to play. I was very nervous because, in a way, it’s the most exposing of who Logan is. In the whole series, we see Logan’s demonic, you know the demon in him that comes out and the sense of that clearly he is the man that has always been betrayed in some form or another. And this is just playing right into that.That whole myth.I mean myth in a mythological sense and not myth as in not true.That this is the guy who has this incredible demonology about him and is driven, you know, and the savagery of it. And I realised that this is quite a momentous thing. It’s very Greek, it’s Shakespearean, the scope. So I was hoping that I could make it happen, but also I didn’t want to give.I thought we can’t have too many ‘Boar on the Floor’ episodes because it gives too much away.The episode suggests that there’s an extraordinary demon inside him, but at the same time, it goes back. He retrenches, he goes back to being in his benign, nasty self. But it was a wonderful episode. It was a great episode. We didn’t know that it would work, Total, who wrote it, and I, we had a equal sort of nervousness about it. But it was awesome. I mean, people kind of, you know, you’re not the only one to say, wow, that was something that ‘Boar on the Floor’ episode. Because it’s so out there. I mean, I’m so out there in that. There’s no holds barred. It’s just you get him naked.You get the old boy absolutely at his most acerbic, naked state.

So there are four children on the show, if you had to pick one of them as your favourite who would it be and why?

I mean I suppose he is very wedded to, you know, his relationship with his daughter and that feels very important to him.You know, I have three sons and one daughter so I know how important my girl is.And I know how important Shiv is to Logan. And of course, the whole thing of season two is really about trying to bring his daughter to the prominence but her failure to keep her mouth shut and failure to keep her counsel and the fact that she blows it. So in the sense, it was quite, you know, kind of tragic in a way that he realises that, that his daughter isn’t finally up to it because she’s got a long way to go in terms of maturity. But it was, but he still feels that and you know, everybody said I was just trying to check out. Well, he wasn’t. He was genuinely hoping that she would be the answer, that she would come up with something. But of course she’s not mature enough. And that’s the thing that you said the problem with all these children? You know, they’re stunted in some way.

Tell me about working with the cast of Succession.

Well, I like them all. They’re all great. They are all wonderful actors and I have a great time with all of them. They’re quite extraordinary to work with. Alan Ruck, who plays Connor, is so funny. And such a nice guy. And Sarah is a delight and Jeremy’s so hard working so dedicated as an actor. I think what he does was intense but he always pulls it off. And then he has a social side which we don’t see enough, but he’s very innovative.Kieran is just incredible. I think he’s an incredible kid. Well he’s not a kid, he is about to become a dad. And he’s quite considerable and very down to earth and a child actor. And he’s a great example of a child actor. Child actors usually have a lot of sense in them because they have been through the crap of the business and they’ve survived.It’s extraordinary.

From season one to season two we have seen Logan Roy go through so much, there have been so many changes. And like the last finale was also very surprising. So the next season where do we see Logan Roy going?

That’s up to the writers you know and that’s one of the things that I don’t do. You don’t pre-plan anything that comes along. And you know you’re aware that there’s a lot of wonderful elements to Logan that can be exploited or developed. And of course, the storyline is left you with he has to deal with Kendall’s betrayal, he has to deal with the emergence of Roman as a possible successor because Roman has showed rather great brilliance in handling up the Middle Eastern money. So there’s a lot of choices to take. So it’s very risky. Also, we still have to go back to the marriage and where he is in terms of his, his wife, you know, because we haven’t that was left very unresolved. So there’s a lot, there’s a lot to be played for in the third season. But again, the fun I get is not knowing, you know; just speculating on certain ways that the thing could move. But at the same time it’s up to the writers, they do it and I just deliver.

Succession season 2 is currently airing in India only on Star World.