Succession won’t get stale like Billions, in Brian Cox’s opinion

The Succession-loving public must hold its breath every time patriarch Brian Cox opens his mouth. Will it be an amazing showbiz story, a hilarious put-down, or the unnecessary defense of some so-called canceled rich person? You never know what you’re going to get with Cox, but it is, admittedly, always entertaining to hear from a guy who has no fucks left to give (literally). In his words: “I’m too old, too tired, and too talented for any of that shit.”

This time, in a seemingly innocuous profile in The Times, he took unprompted aim at Billions. That show shares some DNA with Succession in the “wealthy power players” department, but in Cox’s opinion, the Paul Giamatti series is past its prime. Speaking on a possible fifth season of Succession, Cox told The Times (via RadioTimes), “No one’s had their contracts renewed. Who knows how long it will go on?” Then, with added snark: “We don’t want it to overstay its welcome, like Billions; that’s past its sell-by date. That will not happen with our show.”

Cox’s well-known ruthless streak (his memoir famously features harsh criticism for Michael Caine, Johnny Depp, and Quentin Tarantino) is something he shares with Logan Roy, so you might not be surprised to hear that Cox admires his villainous character. “I understand him. He’s a total bastard, but I understand him. I wish I had more Logan in me,” the actor laments. “The story is King Lear really, except Logan inherited nothing. He’s a self-made man and I identify with him for that reason.”

Well, the actor’s job is ostensibly to empathize with the character, no matter how big of a bastard that character is. But if someone in real life tells you they wish they were more like Logan Roy, that’s probably a red flag. To emulate Cox’s unique combination of career success and scorched earth snark, however, would not be unwelcome.