"I'm the 'f off' man": Brian Cox on playing Logan Roy on HBO's Succession

Succession is unquestionably one of those shows that one could watch over and over again. The show sees the Roy siblings vying for control of their father's billion-dollar global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo.

Scottish actor Brian Cox played their polarizing father, Logan Roy, who could be many things but not an inept businessman. Roy was shown to be old-school, brutal, and cutthroat on the show, but he still managed to gain the respect of his colleagues and prioritize his career over anything else.

Cox has always been prominent in the entertainment industry, but his Succession role brought his name to millions of households. When Emily Blunt inquired about his newfound fame, he responded as follows:

"It’s a problem. I’ve been doing this for 60 years, but now I am the “f**k off” man. It has its charm. But it’s not easy to be a cultural icon. As they say in Scotland, it’s an awfully big job for an ordinary boy."

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Brian Cox gets candid about playing Logan Roy on HBO's Succession

Recently, Variety published an article in which Brian Cox and Emily Blunt were interviewed by one another. When Blunt asked Cox if he liked watching himself on the screen, he replied that he was extremely bored of watching Logan Roy on Succession.

To this, Blunt said that when his character passed away on the show, she blew her hair back.

Cox replied by saying:

"I actually pretend that he’s not dead, that he just disappeared. I never watched that, by the way. I haven’t seen that episode. I don’t see very many of them, to be honest with you. It’s bad enough doing it, without having to watch it."

"You’ve just hit on it. I prefer the doing of it. Because once you’ve done it, it’s up to the audience to make their decision. And especially playing somebody like Logan; he’s so misunderstood. They just see this anger and rage," he continued.

Blunt then asked him about his character's ruthless parenting style, leading Cox to say that no matter what, children were always disappointed in their parents.

"That’s the problem with children. Children are always endlessly disappointed in their parents. And it’s not just the Roys. I mean, my eldest is 52, and he still sometimes gives me a hard time."

Taking a pause, Cox added that he was unsure if his own son was proud of him:

"I don’t know. It’s very hard, because my eldest son is an actor. I think it’s difficult. Especially now, this whole icon thing, it’s tough. But it’s OK."

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Hit show Succession is all about power struggles and inter-personal conflicts

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the official synopsis of Succession reads:

"Although he has no plans to step aside as the head of Waystar Royco, the international media conglomerate controlled by his family, aging patriarch Logan Roy is contemplating what the future holds. He has lingered in the limelight longer than even he thought he would, and now family members want to run the company as they see fit."

It continues:

"Despite a best-laid succession plan, tempers flare over Logan's intentions. Kendall Roy, Logan's eldest son from his second marriage and a division president at the firm, is the heir apparent. As Kendall attempts to solidify his eventual takeover, he and the three other Roy children face a difficult choice as company control and family loyalties collide."

Created by Jesse Armstrong, the show stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Hiam Abbass, and Sarah Snook in important roles.