Brian Cox

The time has come to find out who will be the final heir to “Succession”, the series with which HBO Max continues to show that they are capable of producing the best series of the moment.

To do this, we spoke with Logan Roy himself, the patriarch of an empire of fire and brimstone that is embodied by a much nicer Brian Cox. The actor is a fan of Spain and recently he visited Madrid where he fell in love with the Prado Museum. Brian Cox will go down in history for his incredible incarnation of Logan Roy, the head of the family of the impossible corporation who stars in “Succession”', a production that presents its fourth and final season while looking for a place at the top of the best series in history. But he had other hits like “Planet of the Apes” (1968) and “Patton” (1970) and before that the wonderful “Papillon” (1973).

  Q: Why do you think “Succession” is being such a hit all over the world?

A: Like any great writer it reflects the times that we are living and that is what the show is about. It is about avarice and entitlement, people who feel that they own something when they are not entitled to earn it whatsoever. That is what I see with the children, they are the inheritors of this extraordinary empire that the father has created, and they feel entitled to it and it is not their fault, because they have been brought up that way. They have been brought up to feel that. So, in a way, the downside is there is not much humility going on in that family and without humility all kinds of things begin to be exposed; the inadequacy of individuals involved.

Q: It seems we are fascinating with greed and ambition?

A: Human beings are very disappointing. We are in a state of evolution but we are not evolved. We are still stuck with all bad habits and all terrible opinions. We are still in the gladiatorial ring, and this is all that it is. This is the same as the Gladiatorial fight and they never see the irony of it that actually reflects their lives. It is about you, that is why you are watching but they don’t make that connection. Human beings are prone to have accidents as people love accidents. That is something that is in us. We haven’t evolved enough. Thank God because otherwise we will not have an audience.

 Q: Would you be missing playing Logan Roy?

A: I don’t know. I had a great time. It has been one of the best times of my career. I can’t knock in any shape or form. I had a great time. I love that it has been a great role to play. A great stop along the way in my career and I am very grateful for it. I will always be grateful for it because it gives me a lot. But, at the same time, I am kind of a sort of artist, so I actually wanted to move on. There are other things that can be explored and that is why I’m back to the theater. I’m very happy to be doing that.

Q: In this media world that we are now, what do you think is happening?

A: It is ironic, I just lost my sister at 92. Nothing is certain. Quite frankly I don’t give a fuck about Rupert Murdoch or Fox or what he thinks or what he wants to do. I really don’t, whether he is engaged or not. 

Q: Is it true that you love Spain and Spanish culture?

A: I’m in love with Spain. I’ve been there many times and always been great, I love it, I adore the Prado. I came from a visit to the Prado Museum. I went to Madrid for the first time in 1971, yes, I think it was the first time. I made my first film in Madrid, ‘Nicolás y Alejandra’. I played Trotsky. And I did it there. It was Franco's time and, well, you know, Franco, the less we said the better. The fact is that I went to the Prado, and I couldn't believe how terrible the museum was at that time. All those incredible paintings were very poorly lit, you couldn't see them, it was a very dark place. Now, and not only now because I came recently, but I went to the Prado again about four years ago, and it's fantastic. I mean, it's probably become the best museum for art in the world. The lighting, the rooms. There is an elegance in the rooms that embraces you, the paintings embrace you in a way that I love, I really love it. The knowledge of Prado’s team is simply dazzling. When they stopped at Bosco, in this triptych, and started talking about it, I was amazed. And what I can say about Goya is that he is one of my favorite painters. It's impressive, I've been very, very impressed with the team and with the state of the Prado. It makes coming to Madrid worthwhile. I would recommend it to everyone.

Q: Do you speak Spanish?

A: Very little, but in this day and age with a little Spanish you can go many places.

Q: You debuted as a film actor in Spain. What would you say today to that young man who was beginning his career in the cinema?

A: I would tell him to be patient. I think I've been extremely lucky because the variety of my work is incredible. I surprised myself. When I was young, everyone told me that success would come when I was older and more mature, but I didn't imagine having to wait until I was seventy years old.

Q: Do you consider Logan Roy your greatest success?

A: It is the role that has stripped me of anonymity. Earlier, in the hallway, a guy accosted me saying I looked like Logan Roy. I told him, 'I'm Logan Roy,' and he said, 'My God, you're so attractive'; the truth is that never in my life have I been told that I am attractive.

Q:  You have almost always played characters with a strong temperament or villains. Do you think that gives you more status as an actor?

A: It is often said that the devil has the best tones and some of that is true, but I do not agree with what people think of Logan. He is misunderstood, a lonely and outcast guy who only wants to find a successor among his children, but each one of them fails miserably.

Q: Would you like to play Don Quixote in the theater?

A: Without a doubt, when you have experience in the classics you know how to recognize great works and I believe that The Man of La Mancha is one of the best characters written, that is the truth.

 

By María Estévez

Correspondent writer