Brian Cox: My relationship with Scotland is complicated

Succession star Brian Cox has said his relationship with Scotland is “complicated”, adding the country does not get the recognition it deserves.

The 79-year-old, known for playing the foul-mouthed global media tycoon and family patriarch Logan Roy in the hit HBO series, was born and raised in Dundee, where he trained at Dundee Rep Theatre.

He left for London to pursue his acting career, however he recently returned to Scotland to mark his directorial debut with Glenrothan, a film which he stars in alongside Alan Cumming.

Speaking about his homeland, he told The Times: “The way people treat Scotland, you know, it’s very beautiful and all that, but what we’ve done intellectually — we created television, the telephone, advances in medicine — it’s extraordinary. But we’re so low-graded, and because of that we don’t get what we deserve.

“My relationship with Scotland is complicated.

“It’s about being a Celt and feeling displaced.”

Despite going back as much as he can, Cox – who has homes in New York and London – does not have a property in Dundee because he finds it “difficult”.

“The poverty is very hard to take. To see the heroin addiction, to see where it’s got to,” he added.

After leaving Scotland, he went on to work at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he first gained recognition for his portrayal of King Lear.

His accolades include two Olivier Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He also won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Roy.

Aside from his acting roles, he has also become known for making his opinions of his fellow industry colleagues known, including his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong, for taking after Daniel Day-Lewis and opting to method-act for the series.

He said: “I don’t want to go on about Jeremy, because I’ve got into a lot of problems and he’s begged me to stop talking about him.

“He’s a good actor, Jeremy. He’s a wonderful actor. It’s just all the bollocks that goes with it. You watch children — they don’t say, ‘What’s my motivation?’ They just do it.”

He also questioned Margot Robbie’s casting in the Emerald Fennell film adaptation of the Emily Bronte novel Wuthering Heights, adding that she is “far too beautiful” for the role of Cathy.

Cox, who has not seen the film yet, added: “I mean, I think there should be something more of the Gypsy about her, but it’s wrong of me to judge. It may be a brilliant film.”