Just hours after the death of his character Logan Roy in HBO’s Succession, Brian Cox revealed how he helped keep the matter a secret.
The 76-year-old actor appeared on Monday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he spoke about his character’s shocking death.
He admitted on the show that he was “desperate at keeping secrets”, adding that keeping the secret of Logan Roy’s death hidden was an “absolute victory”.
He ended up helping keep the secret in a very different way, when he appeared in his own funeral scene, which naturally hid the fact that it was Logan’s funeral.
The ploy worked, and Colbert even showed Cox a DailyMail.com headline from January when the scene was filmed… speculating who on the show might have died.
Secret: Just hours after the death of his character Logan Roy in HBO’s Succession, Brian Cox revealed how he helped keep it a secret.
Opened: The 76-year-old actor appeared on Monday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he opened up about his character’s shocking death.
Appeared: He ended up helping to keep the secret in a very different way, when he appeared in his funeral scene, which naturally hid the fact that it was Logan’s funeral
Colbert asked about the impending funeral scene, which will most likely happen in next week’s episode, with Cox revealing that they made a fake scene with him there that would piss off press and fans…but wouldn’t actually be used in an episode.
So what happened is they invented this scene that I was supposed to play in church. The church was uptown, great, being a Catholic church,” Cox began.
What happened is I was on my way to shoot this scene and I got a call saying we were running late. It’s a sight I would never use – it will never be used because it’s your funeral, so don’t come. I thought no, I have to go. Cox added.
“I knew there would be a lot of paparazzi there, and as soon as I got out of the car, they started clicking away, so right away I was able to put off the fact that it was my funeral,” Cox explained.
Colbert then ran a DailyMail.com story from January, which showed photos of Cox on the set with Jeremy Strong and Nicholas Brown.
Cox added, “If I hadn’t done it, it would have been right s**t, I tell you.”
Colbert also showed Cox that the Los Angeles Times had already written an obituary for his character, though Cox admitted, “I’m worried people will read it and think it’s my obituary.”
It was confirmed just prior to Season 4 that it would be the final season of Succession, and when Cox was asked if he knew how it ended, he simply said, “Yes.”
Brian & Stephen: Colbert asked about the impending funeral scene, which is likely to happen in next week’s episode, with Cox revealing that they made a fake scene with him there that would piss off press and fans…used in the episode
Invented: “So what happened is they invented this scene that I was supposed to play in church. The church was uptown, great, being a Catholic church,” Cox began
I Gotta Go: “What happened is I was on my way to shoot this scene and I got a call saying we were running late. It’s a sight I would never use – it will never be used because it’s your funeral, so don’t come. I thought no, I have to go. Cox added
Headline: Colbert then ran a DailyMail.com story from January, which showed photos of Cox on set alongside Jeremy Strong and Nicholas Brown
Obituary: Colbert also showed Cox that the Los Angeles Times did in fact write an obituary for his character, though Cox admits, “I’m worried people will read it and think it’s my obituary.”
When asked if he could, “whisper it” in Colbert’s ear, Cox said he wouldn’t, though he added co-star Sarah Snoke thought the show would continue for a fifth season.
Nobody knew how it would end. I thought it would continue. You said you knew it would end. She said no, she will continue. We’ll do season five. I said I don’t think we will. She said I think we will. “You didn’t know the show was going to end,” Cox said of Snook at the last read.
When asked how he first found out his character was going to die, Cox said he was “called into the main office and told me he was leaving”.
They didn’t say when he would die, but he said, “Fine,” he added, adding, “It’s a job. There’s another job. It’s one of many.”
While he added that he’s made over 209 movies and TV shows over the years, Logan Roy has “one of the greatest roles of all time.”
You can’t touch it. It was great. “But I knew it had to come to an end and I’m just like, I admire Jesse Armstrong so much because it was such a brave decision,” Cox said.
Cox also admitted that he had not watched the episode, nor had he watched a full episode of Succession, adding, “I’ve never watched any of it if I could have spared it.” There are moments that I watched. I don’t think I’ve watched a full episode before.
When asked why he hasn’t seen his work, Cox said, ‘I always think I sound like the Elephant Man. body deformation. I look at myself and think “Ughhh”.
When asked what he would miss about playing Logan Roy, Cox said, “I’m going to miss the cast, the wonderful, wonderful crew. We have a crew. We have a camera operator. We’ll do that for the camera operator. The operator, we used to do this freebie for the actors. We’ll do one for the operators. They were They capture unusual things that we’re used to on the show. It’s a real egalitarian show. That was the great thing about it.
Before the interview ended, Colbert asked if there was one last thing he’d like to “get rid of” as Logan Roy puts it, and Cox said, “No one gets it.”
I feel so sad for Logan. I think his final moment for everyone is a very, very cherished good, kind, sweet, loving F**k Off moment! concluded Cox.
Whisper: When asked if he could, “whisper it” in Colbert’s ear, Cox said he wouldn’t, though he added co-star Sarah Snoke thought the show would continue for a fifth season.
The End: No one knows how it will end. I thought it would continue. You said you knew it would end. She said no, she will continue. We’ll do season five. I said I don’t think we will. She said I think we will. “You didn’t know the show was going to end,” Cox said of Snook at the last read
Loving: I feel so sad for Logan. I think his final moment for everyone is a very, very cherished good, kind, sweet, loving F**k Off moment! concluded Cox
