‘Succession’: How Similar is Brian Cox to His Character, Logan Roy?
HBO‘s Succession Season 3 is underway, and Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is more ruthless than ever before. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) threw his father and the entire Waystar RoyCo under the bus on live television. In episode 1 of the new season, Kendall stood by what he said and picked up new key players to back him. However, Logan was heartless before that Succession Season 2 finale episode. How similar is Cox to the billionaire character he portrays?
‘Succession’: Brian Cox and Logan Roy have similar roots
Brian Cox is relatively close to the same age as Logan Roy in Succession. Cox was born in 1946, while Roy was born in 1938 — both in Dundee, Scotland. Cox is the youngest of five children, born to a working-class family. The character he plays grew up in poverty and built his company, Waystar Royco, from the ground up. Both men lost their fathers at a young age. Cox’s three older sisters raised him. However, in Succession, Logan Roy’s mother sent him to Quebec, Canada, to be raised by his Uncle Noah (who beat him as a child). Logan had a sister, Rose, who died, but viewers do not know how she died. He also has a brother, Ewan (James Cromwell), who he viciously fights with in Succession. Quite the opposite, Cox remains very close to his three sisters.
‘Succession’: Brian Cox and Logan Roy net worth compared
Although Brian Cox and the character he portrays in Succession are wealthy and self-made, Logan Roy is significantly richer. Brian Cox’s net worth from his successful acting career is roughly $9 to $15 million. However, as the owner of Waystar RoyCo, Logan Roy’s net worth is in the billions.
Since many Succession fans and critics suggest that Rupert Murdoch is the inspiration behind Logan Roy, it’s easy to surmise Logan’s net worth based on Murdoch’s. In 2019, before selling 21st Century Fox to Disney, Murdoch’s net worth was roughly $19 billion. Although viewers do not know precisely how much Logan Roy is worth, the guesses are approximately $15-20 billion. In conclusion, Roy is significantly more wealthy than the actor who portrays him.
Cox and Roy’s personalities compared
In an interview in Italy, while filming Succession Season 3, Brian Cox revealed some similarities to the character he portrays. Cox explained to Vulture that he doesn’t live in character, but the long hours of filming do take a toll on him.
“I like to make the effort” to sightsee with his family while in Italy. “But I end up getting bad-tempered because I’ve got this Sword of Damocles hanging over my head: the show.”
Then he said something that viewers could see coming out of Logan Roy’s mouth.
“I’m a little bit tired of it all,” he told the outlet while waving his hand at the gorgeous view. “I’ve loved it, but it’s just gone on a bit too long. I’m dying for a change of view. Just to see something other than these … cypress trees all over the place.”
Some viewers might imagine that he spoke that sentiment like a genuine millionaire or billionaire. Others might understand how he was sick of Italy, despite the Tuscan countryside many working-class Americans might never see in their lifetime. Whether fans found his comment Roy-like or not, Cox’s recent book delivers many more similarities to the character he portrays.
Brian Cox’s memoir feels a lot like Logan Roy in ‘Succession’
In Cox’s memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, he tells the story of how he came from a working-class family and became a critically acclaimed actor. However, according to The Big Issue, he also delivers numerous digs to his co-stars in the industry.
“I find his work meretricious,” Cox wrote about Quentin Tarantino. “It’s all surface. Plot mechanics in place of depth. Style where there should be substance. I walked out of Pulp Fiction…That said, if the phone rang, I’d do it.”
Brian Cox certainly has his moments where he sounds a lot like the character he portrays in Succession.
Succession Season 3 drops Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO and HBO Max.
