Succession star Brian Cox on his ‘antithesis’ Logan Roy character, Scottish independence, and what he stole from the set

Only Succession fans can understand the perversely irresistible attraction of the world’s most detestable, back-stabbing, double-dealing Waystar family.

As the fate of their empire is set to climax in the fourth and final series (on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Monday), the irony that Logan Roy could not be further removed from lead actor Brian Cox’s own principles isn’t lost on him.

“He’s the antithesis of everything I believe in. Everything… I’m a socialist and I’m proud to be a socialist,” Cox said.

Speaking to Sky News as he opened the financial market at the London Stock Exchange to promote the finale, it was something of paradoxical love and loathe fest of Logan Roy; the megalomaniac, multi-millionaire media mogul we’ve grown to love to hate.

Our bizarre obsession with the despicably decadent and morally base family is one of the decade’s finest TV shows and perhaps the ultimate social commentary on capitalism; one Cox feels passionately about.

“I think we really need to think, rethink our politics. And our politics is in deep s*** really,” the 76-year-old Scottish actor told Sky News.

“That’s the point of doing the show. It’s a great social satire.

“It’s about the horrific wealth gap. We don’t see very many poor people in Succession. They’re ignored. And it’s a question that you should ask yourself. Why are they ignored? Because those people are not interested in what’s going on in the low strata of life.”

“What I hate about what’s going on is that we go back to a feudal mentality, everybody in their place, so everybody becomes inhibited. And when you’ve got so many posh boys running the show, it makes it very, very hard. And it lacks compassion.”

‘Where I grew up is a total mess’

He added: “I went home to my hometown in Scotland, Dundee, and I went back to where I grew up and the place was a mess. It’s a total mess.”

“I mean the food banks… people feel like they’re begging and human dignity is so, so important to people. When you take somebody’s dignity away from them, you’re trying to reduce them to nothing,” explained Cox.

And the politics truly close to the Scottish actor is that of the SNP and the departure of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Cox on Scottish independence

“Nicola is an extraordinary hard act to follow. She did an incredible job,” said Cox, a huge admirer of the politician.

“We mustn’t give up the pursuit of independence.

“We can’t separate ourselves – we are part of these British Isles, but we should no longer be a United Kingdom, we should be a united federation.

“We should be separate, autonomous states who can contribute properly, except in getting away from a centrally-based government which is here [London] and parliament should be not in London. It should be somewhere in the country. I think we really need to think, rethink our politics.”

Read more:
Sturgeon ‘confident’ her successor will lead Scotland to become independent
Sturgeon says leadership contest has been ‘less than edifying’
The downfall of SNP power couple in less than 150 days

Celebrated slams

Whether Logan made Cox sweary or Cox made Logan sweary is unclear but one thing that has united Cox with Succession fans is an apparent appreciation for Logan Roy’s celebrated slams.

“They [fans] come up and they say, ‘Can I take a photo of you telling me to f*** off?’ And you go, ‘Now that’s the easiest thing in the world for me to say because I really do want you to f*** off,” he jokes with that trademark twinkle in his eye.

He may loathe Logan, but admits he’ll miss playing the character.

“He’s a pessimist… he thinks human beings are very, very disappointed. And he doesn’t care about them because they are horrible. I think human beings are very disappointing as well. But I’m an optimist.

“I think it’s capable for us to make ourselves better and be more caring and more understanding of one another and not treat each other like s***, you know? I’m a socialist, and I’m proud to be a socialist,” Cox said.

‘I’m going to miss Logan Roy’

Die-hard fans will of course be gutted to see the show end.

“I’m going to miss him” Cox admitted. “I’ve stolen a few cardigans… I know what the ending is and I’m very satisfied with it. It’s the only ending that it can be.”

So brace yourself for the finale of Succession, to find out who in the ultimate power game, will win.

The fourth and final series of Succession is available from Monday 27 March on streaming service NOW and Sky Atlantic. Seasons 1, 2 and 3 are available to catch up on NOW and Sky On Demand.