Brian Cox Throws Shade At An Oscar-Nominated Actor
Brian Cox of Succession threw shade at Billions, which is Paul Giamatti's show.
Succession star Brian Cox has thrown some shade on a beloved Paul Giamatti show. During his interview with the Times London, Cox was asked if he could see the award-winning show Succession return for another season. The star compared the show to Giamatti’s Billions which airs on Showtime and said he didn’t want it to go on as long.
“I don’t know. No one’s had their contracts renewed. Who knows how long it will go on? We don’t want it to overstay its welcome, like [Showtime’s] Billions; that’s past its sell-by date. That will not happen with our show.”
Brian Cox’s outspoken stance on a heavily regarded show on Showtime is somewhat of an exciting and bold move from the actor. Billions is considered by many to be the first American television series to feature a non-binary character. It’s also been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the GLAAD Media Awards for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
In Brian Cox’s defense, there are some shows currently running on television that many believe have long run their course. For instance, viewership for AMC’s The Walking Dead has dwindled for years, and yet the show is just now wrapping up its 11th season. It brings to question the criteria for keeping a show on the air for a long time.
And to add to Brian Cox’s point, sometimes interest in a show could wane after years of being on the air. Even a show like The Simpsons has its up and downs, though some would argue that the show’s quality has drastically diminished in its later seasons. However, perhaps the executives deciding whether to keep a show like Billions on the air depends on how much awards buzz it receives each year.
As for Brian Cox’s Succession, there is an argument that with the number of awards it receives, it may still have quite of gas in the tank. The show won Best Drama at the 2022 Emmy Awards. The satirical-black comedy also received numerous award nominations during its run on television.
In the series, Brian Cox portrays a character named Logan Roy, the founder of the media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. The series centers on Roy’s family fighting over control of the company. The premiere drew approximately 582,000 live viewers.
According to Deadline, the season 3 finale was watched by 1.7 million viewers. Despite the two-year gap between seasons 2 and 3, fans were more than eager to watch the next chapter of the Roy family drama. Brian Cox’s character is a massive part of the fan’s interest in the show.
Brian Cox’s role as Logan Roy earned him the Best Actor in a Drama Series at the 2020 Golden Globes. He was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Outside of his work on Succession, the actor has starred in numerous award-winning projects.
There’s still the question of whether the upcoming season of Succession is indeed the last. In an interview with Deadline, series creator Jesse Armstrong teased a lot of drama regarding Matthew Macfadyen’s Tom and other characters. If it is indeed the final season, at least it is receiving its praises to the end.
Brian Cox’s next project is the upcoming Lord of the Rings anime film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Cox also provided a voice in the anime Blade Runner show, Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
