Succession is one of the best TV series of all time, with every member of the Roy Family offering something truly special to the show. Kendall is capable of the most cringe-worthy musical performances, Shiv is the most brutal wife of all time, and Roman is pretty much the most sick-minded individual on television. But it’s Brian Cox and his perfect delivery of profanities in the drama series that are perhaps most memorable of all.
During a recent roundtable organised by The Hollywood Reporter, Cox was joined by fellow actors Oscar Isaac, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Quincy Isaiah. Cox described his worst fan encounter to date, and it involves his Succession character’s penchant for using foul language.
According to Cox, fans regularly request that he swears at them. It’s something that Cox is very good at, and is now synonymous with him as a performer since joining the Succession cast. But, that doesn’t mean he wants to do it every time he meets a new fan in the street.
“My thing is people ask me to tell them to fuck off all the time. It’s not the easiest thing to say to people,” Cox explained. “It started when I was doing theatre work in New York. I came out one night and there was this young couple and they said, ‘Could you tell us to fuck off, please?’ I mean, it’s unbelievable.”
“The worst was when I went to a meeting for a MeToo thing. All these Hollywood women were there and it was very intense,” Cox recalled. “I was standing at the back and then [the women] all turned around and saw me and said, ‘Can you tell us to fuck off?'”
“I was like, ‘This is a MeToo meeting, is this really proper to be asking me to tell you to fuck off? And does that mean that I get cancelled?'”
So, if you ever meet Brian Cox, it’s probably best not to point a camera at him and ask him to swear at you. He might do it, but he might not be acting when he does.
You’ll be able to see Cox in all his sweary glory when the Succession season 4 release date comes around, which is hopefully going to be soon!