Brian Cox says his acting career has ended up with him being known as “the ‘F*** off’ man”.
Brian Cox says his acting career has ended up with him being known as ‘the f*** off man‘
Despite spending decades acting on stage and screen, the 77-year-old says his role as sweary media tycoon Logan Roy in HBO’s ‘Succession’ has given him the same potty-mouthed image among fans – but he added the role has also made him a “cultural icon”.
Brian told Emily Blunt in a Variety Actors on Actors interview: “It’s a problem. I’ve been doing this for 60 years – for most of the time people are, ‘Were you in?’
“But now I am the ‘F*** off’ man. I am not knocking it.
“But at the same time it’s not easy to be a cultural icon. As they say in Scotland, it’s an awfully big job for one wee boy.”
Brian added his conflicting emotions about playing Logan may be shared by his kids.
He said: “It’s very hard, because my eldest son is an actor, he’s a very fine actor, actually. And I think it’s difficult.
“Especially now, this whole icon thing... it’s not an easy thing to carry around. 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… but it’s OK.”
Brian said his fiery performances come naturally “because anger is always very close to me”.
But he added: “Unfortunately, I’ve played a lot of very not pleasant people. I don’t know why. I think I’m perfectly pleasant.”
Brian also admitted he couldn’t put on a brave face meeting his idol Meryl Streep, 73, who he said he wants to work with “before I snuff it”.
He added: “I met her once, and I said, ‘I never liked you.’
“And she went, ‘What?’ I said, ‘I never liked you because I was jealous.’ How can anybody be that good?”
Tagged in Brian Cox Emily Blunt Meryl Streep