Hollywood star Brian Cox never shies away from expressing his opinion.
From Harry and Megan to “woke culture” and turning the air blue on two different programmes, the 77-year-old has had several hot takes that hit the headlines in 2023.
It comes after another busy year for the Dundonian who said farewell to Succession and became the face of a new Bond-themed reality show.
The Courier picks out some of the Stobswell-born actor’s most eye-catching quotes from the last 12 months.
WARNING: This article contains Succession spoilers
Harry, Meghan and the monarchy
Back in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed their intentions to step back from the Royal Family.
Since then, a media storm has continued to follow the couple.
In March 2023, Cox weighed in, saying: “She (Meghan) knew what she was getting into, and there’s an ambition there clearly as well – the childhood dreams of marrying Prince Charming and all that s***.
“You can’t go into a system where somebody’s already been trained to behave in a certain kind of way and then just expect them to cut themselves off.”
In the same interview with Haute Living, he also said: “In my opinion, we shouldn’t have a monarchy.
“It’s not viable and it doesn’t make any sense.”
Succession finale
Cox, famed for playing media mogul Logan Roy in the hit HBO show Succession, claimed fans had turned their back on the show after learning the fate of his character.
During the fourth and final series, Roy was killed off in the third episode.
His death came as a shock to the Succession audience, with many fans left unhappy.
In an interview with the BBC, Cox said: “(Creator Jesse Armstrong) decided to make Logan die, I think ultimately too early.
“I mean, he’d made him die in the third episode.
“It was a great scene. That’s why I didn’t watch it because I have no interest in watching it.
“My own death will come soon enough.”
AI taking over Hollywood
In July, Cox showed solidarity with the US writers striking for higher pay – and voiced concerns about artificial intelligence (AI).
He said: “The artificial intelligence thing is a major issue and it has to be nipped before it starts to grow even more.
“It has gotten to a standard now where people are getting avatars of themselves made in order to protect themselves in every aspect.”
He added: “I was on a programme the other night and I was given a list of things that artificial intelligence Brian Cox was going to say.
“Now the artificial intelligence Brian Cox was going to do animal impersonations.
“Nobody is exempt in this. If you do a performance, if you’re on a film, on a movie, on a TV show, that is where they’ll get you and that’s what we have to stop.”
Succession in Dundee and secret to success
Speaking at a Courier subscribers’ event in January, Cox said filming Succession in Dundee had been his proudest moment as an actor.
The eighth instalment of series two saw Cox and his co-stars coming to the City of Discovery.
Scenes were shot at Gleneagles Hotel, Dundee University and the V&A.
On the secret of Succession’s success, he said: “People love to hate.
“They get entertained by horrible people.
“They love that sense of what’s coming next and what new profanities there might be.”
Retirement plans
Cox claimed he had no plans to retire in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Speaking on Talk TV in July, he told the controversial presenter: “I don’t believe in retiring – I’ll go on until I drop.
“I think eventually the dementia will get me.
“I’m hoping that I can keep the dementia at bay for a bit longer.
“I think I look amazing for my age.”
Scotland’s gender ID reform and JK Rowling
Not one to shy away from politics, Cox weighed in on Scotland’s controversial gender identification law plans.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in January, he said: “I’m very, very proud of Scotland for doing the gender identification act because I think that’s long needed and it’s a debate that has to happen.
“I do question the 16 (age) thing, but that’s my own personal feeling, but I do feel we need to address that and I think that’s absolutely right.”
However, Cox also leapt to the defence of fellow Scot JK Rowling – after she was ridiculed online for her opposition to the bill.
He added: “I don’t like the way she has been treated.
“Actually, I think she’s entitled to her opinion.
“As a woman, she’s very much entitled to say what she feels about her own body.”
A Scot in Succession
Cox claimed Succession creator Jesse Armstrong initially snubbed his suggestion that Logan Roy should have a Scottish background.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Cox said: “When the show was pitched to me, I knew straight away it going to be a hit, a really great show.
“I suggested to them I could play this guy with a Scottish background.
“But Jesse said: ‘No! He’s got to be American! He’s got to be American!’
“Adam McKay thought it was a great idea but Jesse wouldn’t have it: ‘He’s got to come from the States’.
“For nine episodes I’m playing this mid-Atlantic Canadian-American character.
“And then in the ninth episode, we’re doing the wedding scene and Peter says: ‘Oh by the way, they’ve changed your birthplace. You’re no longer born in Quebec.’
“I say: ‘Where am I born?’ He goes to his device and looks and says: ‘Somewhere called Dundee, Scotland’. ‘That’s where I was born!’
“He’s like: ‘Well that’s a coincidence!’ I said: ‘That’s a hell of a coincidence!'”
‘Dying’ to play a Bond villain
Before the release of a new Bond-themed reality series, Amazon Prime’s 007: Road to a Million – in which Cox assumed the role of The Controller – the actor revealed his desire to play a James Bond villain.
Appearing on BBC’s The One Show, Cox told hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas: “I’ve been dying to play a Bond villain for years.
“Everyone wants to play a Bond villain.”
In response, Jones said that “this could be the stepping stone” and that it was not too late for Cox to follow his dream.
‘Woke culture’ and ‘rewriting history’
In another interview with Piers Morgan, this time on Fox Nation, Cox did not hold back when asked for his thoughts on “woke culture” rewriting history.
He criticised the decision to alter or censor lines from Roald Dahl’s novels.
The actor said: “I can’t stand the way we want to rewrite history.
“I can’t stand the way we don’t want to acknowledge history.
“And it’s so important to acknowledge what our history is because that defines who we are and where we’ve gotten to.
“And without acknowledging history, we are screwed. You’re well and truly screwed.”
Morgan similarly hit out after the Bash Street Kids characters Fatty and Spotty were renamed Freddy and Scotty.
‘Fruity language’ on Loose Women and telling Newsnight viewers to ‘f*** off’
It would not be a year of Brian Cox quotes without the actor – whose profanities as Logan Roy in Succession have made him a household name – turning the air blue.
In December, social media users raved about Cox when he swore on late-night show Newsnight.
Asked by host Kirsty Wark to sign off in the style of Roy, he told viewers: “That’s all for tonight from Newsnight, we’ll be back in January.
“I hope you have an amazing festive season wherever you and whatever you are doing. And now just … f*** off.”
Earlier in the month, Loose Women presenter Ruth Langsford was forced to apologise for Cox’s “fruity language” on the show.
Asked about landing his role as Roy, he shared a story from his early days in the US as a 50-year-old.
He said: “When I went to America, I decided I would be a character actor – a supporting actor.
“And I had a big row with Nigel Hawthorn, who said he couldn’t do it anymore, he couldn’t play small parts.
“I said, ‘That’s b****cks – of course we can play small parts. There are no small parts, just small actors.'”
At the end of the show, Langsford said: “I did warn him about the language for daytime television, so if there was anything there was a little fruity, which may have offended anyone, I do apologise.”
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