‘Succession’ Star Brian Cox Discusses The Final Season, Calling It ‘A Warning Shot’

For the past three seasons, the Emmy-winning drama series Succession has given audiences a glimpse into the cut-throat world of big business and the rather ruthless ways that money & greed can quickly overshadow loyalty & blood.

Brian Cox plays Logan Roy, the hot-tempered patriarch of this ambitious family. At the start of season one, viewers were first introduced to an ailing Roy, as he hoped to find a successor in one of his grown (at least physically) children to take over his global media empire, Waystar Royco. As Succession’s engrossing storyline has unfolded, it has been a steady mix of ego, deception and often poor judgment that has led to this family’s constant clash for power.

With the fourth and final season of Succession premiering Sunday on HBO and HBO Max, I sat down with the 76-year-old Scottish actor to discuss the end of the road for the Roy family, and if he will ultimately miss playing this fictional media mogul.

“I’ve actually become very fond of Logan,” said Cox. “I mean, he’s the antithesis of who I am. That’s what is great from an acting point of view because you get to play somebody who is totally abhorrent. I’m a socialist, he’s incredibly right wing. His value systems are not my value systems – and also, he’s part of that group of billionaire rich people who just don’t care about the rest of the world.”

Cox continued by saying that he sees similarities between his Succession character and some real-life public figures, including Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch, while adding that Roy does not have “that degree of selfishness that somebody like Trump has.” As for Succession’s razor-sharp narrative, Cox credits show creator and political writer Jesse Armstrong for his satirical critique of modern business showcased on this series.

With real-life major corporations in existence today, sharing some resemblance with that of Succession’s fictional Waystar Royco, I asked Cox if he sees any potential dangers with the power that these types of companies can have on the world at large.

Cox responded with Succession on his mind, “Oh yes. I mean, it’s a cautionary tale. It’s a sort of morality tale, if you like. We’ve allowed these people to get away with it.”

Coming from a childhood of poverty and as a way for him to step outside of his Succession character, Cox recently created a two-part video documentary titled How The Other Half Live, which he says has already been released in the UK and hopes that Paramount Plus will share it further next. In the documentary, Cox sets out on a mission to speak directly with people from all walks of life about the world’s complicated relationship with money and wealth.

Cox said of the documentary, “I did it because when you’re playing this man [on Succession], I just thought ‘I want to do something else. I want to do something where I can speak with my voice about some situation.’ The nation of what money does. Does money corrupt? Of course it does to a certain extent. The problem is entitlement. People feel they’re entitled to do things and we’ve seen it. The Kushners, the Kushner husband and wife team, they behave monstrously in a way without any qualifications. That’s where the show Succession is a warning shot that this is the danger we’re in.”

Even before Succession first premiered on television in 2018, Cox had already made quite the name for himself in Hollywood decades earlier, from his performance as Hannibal Lecter in the 1986 film Manhunter to villainous leader William Stryker in the 2003 film X2: X-Men United. Since joining Succession, however, the veteran actor has noticed one distinct difference in his everyday life.

Cox revealed, “I was always able to hide behind the characters I played. Now, they [the public] all know who the f**** I am (laughs). That’s a good thing but I’ve lost my anonymity. I walk down the street and someone will say Love the show! It’s the fact that the show has had. It will wear off in time, but it’s probably without any argument the most successful television thing I’ve ever done and has been one of the most successful television things that has ever been done.”

Having also been nominated for two “Lead Actor – Drama Series” Emmys for his performance in previous Succession seasons, the praise surrounding Cox hits much closer to home. I spoke briefly with a handful of his co-stars, as they shared their experiences alongside their on-screen scene partner.

“Brian has been great as a mentor and someone to look up to,” said Sarah Snook, who has played his daughter “Shiv” on Succession. “He’s a titan of acting – and so, being able to work with him and be a friend of his has been amazing.”

“Brian is my pal,” said Alan Ruck, who has played Cox’s eldest son Connor on the HBO series. “He plays a lot of villains and bastards and tough guys, like Logan, but he’s a charming, funny, sweet guy with lots of stories.”

“I think the world of Brian Cox,” said J. Smith-Cameron, who has played Gerri, a trusted colleague alongside Cox’s character. “I think he’s so interesting. He has such gravitas, and the show needs that because all the kids are written, ‘Shiv’ less so, but they really are kind of these adult babies. Brian, he can just pull up from depths. He’s a king.”

“Oh man, he’s just amazing and I don’t have to do any work when I’m in the room with him,” said Kieran Culkin, who has played Cox’s youngest son Roman on Succession. “We’re buddies. Our relationship is very easy, but Logan and Roman’s isn’t. I think Roman tries to make it as easy as possible. He’s just sort of a little bit scared/in love with his dad.”

With 10 episodes ahead in this final season, Cox believes Succession is ending with integrity, as it “finishes when it should finish.” As I began to conclude our conversation, I wondered what message Cox would say to his Roy character, whom he has embodied on-screen for four seasons and seen his full storyline now play out.

“I would say don’t depend on your children and don’t trust them,” continued Cox. “There’s an old Victorian expression, children should be seen and not heard (laughs). I think that very much applies to the fact that they are so dysfunctional. Logan’s problem is he loves his children, and it’s the thing that gets him all the time. That’s why it’s never cut-and-dry. All he’s ever wanted from the word go is that one of his children will succeed him and nobody stepped up to the mark.”