Succession: Brian Cox insists Logan Roy was written out too early

Brian Cox has claimed his character was written out of Succession too early, with the star saying he took it as a form of rejection.

The actor, 76, played Logan Roy in HBO drama and Brian insists the decision to kill off Logan in the third episode of the show’s fourth and final series was “ultimately premature.”

While Brian admits that Logan’s ending was done “in a pretty brilliant way,” he added that he took it “mistakenly, as a form of rejection.”

Speaking on BBC Two’s Amol Rajan Interviews, Brian said: ‘In the end I was fine with it, but I did feel a little rejected.

“You know, I kind of felt like, oh, all the work I’ve done and eventually I’m going to, you know, end up like an ear on an airplane carpet.”

Brian shared how he filmed several funeral scenes over a year and a half ago and was told he was no longer required to film fake Logan service scenes.

Show bosses planning to film planned to film fake scenes so paparazzi wouldn’t suspect it was Logan who had died.

Despite being told he wouldn’t be needed, Brian continued [his] own will’ to the location where the funeral was filmed.

And Brian thinks Logan could actually still be alive, with the star telling Amol, “I still believe this, maybe Logan isn’t dead.”

“This could be part of an elaborate ruse to find out. Well, if you think about it, from Logan’s point of view, he has to figure out how his kids will behave when he dies, what will happen?

“And the only way to do that is to fake his death and actually somewhere in the distance he’s observing the chaos that ensues.”

When asked if he says Logan has indeed returned from the dead, Brian replied, “No […] I’m just saying that could be an assumption.’

It comes after Succession fans freaked out after learning Sunday’s blockbuster funeral episode featured a surprise cameo.

In the penultimate episode of the HBO series, Logan Roy’s family gathered to attend his funeral following his death six episodes earlier.

Among those in attendance were many of Logan’s former mistresses, who also lined up ready to pay their respects.

Fans quickly noticed that one of the mistresses was played by star Brian Cox’s real-life wife, Nicole Ansari-Cox.

In the episode, Nicole took on the role of Sally-Ann, who was introduced by Lady Caroline (Harriet Walter).

The apt cameo of Brian’s real-life husband as one of his many exes caused a frenzy among fans, with many social media flooded with their reactions.

One tweeted, “OMG so Sally-Anne *is* Brian Cox’s real wife!” while another said, “The fact that they got Brian Cox’s real wife in #Succession as one of his side pieces is brilliant.”

One added, “I’m actually obsessed that they got Nicole Ansari (Brian Cox’s wife) to play Sally-Anne.”

“The real life wife of Brian Cox playing Sally-Anne made me scream,” one fan added.

In the penultimate episode of Succession, season four, episode nine, the stars of the show gathered for Logan’s funeral.

Sunday’s much-anticipated series finale will finally answer the burning question: who will reap Logan’s massive fortune?

Earlier this year, Brian revealed that he and wife Nicole renewed their wedding vows in a surprise Vegas ceremony.

Speaking on Live With Kelly and Ryan, the actor revealed: “We had actually been broken up for a while — she was traveling — and then we sat down and said, ‘Where do we go from here? Do we end or do we continue? And we thought, “Well, let’s go ahead and get married.”

On social media, users praised James Cromwell’s stellar performance as Ewan and the cold, hard truths he laid out in his eulogy to Logan.

“That speech Ewan gave at Logan’s funeral,” said one user. Chills. James Cromwell is a master of his craft. The fact that he did that performance while going through COVID for a long time is extraordinary. Beautifully written by Jesse Armstrong.’

Another used said, “Apart from Roy’s siblings, let no one neglect the great performance of one speech by James Cromwell when Logan’s brother killed him a second time during his funeral speech,” adding that “the writing also mind-blowing’.

One user said Ewan’s speech was “one of the BEST scenes in all of Succession,” while another said Cromwell “DOMINATED that scene, and it was obvious that everyone (especially the kids) was learning about Logan in the dead than they. ever done in life.”

One user said, “Logan’s brother, Ewan (played by James Cromwell) humanized Logan and told of the abuse he endured as a child. But he made no apology for his adult behavior. He gave the full measure of the man.’

The Full Interview, Brian Cox: Amol Rajan Interviews, is on BBC Two on Thursday 25 May at 7pm and BBC iPlayer.

The final episode of Succession airs Sunday on HBO. It airs Monday on Sky Atlantic in the UK.