Brian Cox says Succession echoes ‘entitled’ Boris Johnson and Trump ‘losing touch with reality’

Actor compared political climate to 'the fall of the Roman Empire’

Brian Cox says that Succession is increasingly mirroring the “entitlement” and “lack of reality” seen in the British and American political climates.

Cox stars in the HBO drama as Logan Roy, the wealthy patriarch of a global media empire whose dysfunctional children are competing to see who will succeed him as the company’s CEO.

The Scottish actor, 74, told WBUR that the backstabbing and lying between the family was a reflection of politics in both the UK under Boris Johnson and the US under Donald Trump.

“It’s a bit like the fall of the Roman Empire,” Cox said. “We’re kind of living in something where the paradigm, the political paradigm of the [US] and also [the UK] is shifting in a way that we have never really imagined. It could be dangerous, but it also could be for the best.”

Describing the Roy children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook), as “entitled”, Cox continued to draw comparisons with the current political climate.

Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox in HBO’s ‘Succession’ (HBO)

“They’ve lost touch with reality, which is very similar to what we’re witnessing both with the prime minister of the UK and the president of America,” he said, explaining that this “increasing lack of reality” was unsustainable.

“We need moral authority. We need leadership, and we haven’t got it,” Cox said. “And of course, our show is exemplifying that and saying, ‘Look, this is what happens.’”

The second season of Succession aired in 2019, earning the show an impressive 10 nominations at the forthcoming 2020 Emmy Awards. These included Best Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for Cox, while Strong and Culkin also earned acting nods.

Filming on the third season has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Succession Season 2 will be available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from 14 September, courtesy of Warner Bros Home Entertainment

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