The Tangled Life Of Brian Cox (And Why He's Been Married 3 Times)

Few people want to be told to "f*** off" and yet, this is a regular request for Brian Cox. The veteran actor is known by most as the frighteningly powerful patriarch in the HBO series "Succession." In fact, his character Logan Roy used the signature catchphrase over thirty times in his first three seasons of "Succession." For fans of the show, sadly, the final season began in 2023. For Cox, those four seasons were a mere blip on his impressive resume even though he admitted the show held a special place in his heart. "But it's only a stop on the way. It is not the destination, as far as I'm concerned," he told The New York Times. While Cox confessed it could be his career defining role, "I'm just going to go on regardless." It seems likely that Cox will continue to find work, especially since he was simultaneously doing voice work plus other side projects outside "Succession." For example, Cox was set to star in a movie centered around Scotland called "Glenrothan," as well as sit behind the camera. "I'm going to hopefully direct my first movie in my grand old age," he said.

In his over half a century of acting work, Cox has received impressive accolades. Yet, he also was not immune to drama and tragedy in his real life, starting from a young age. Including a few missteps in his romantic relationships, this is everything you need to know about the tangled life of Brian Cox.

Brian Cox played a convincing billionaire as Logan Roy on "Succession," flying in private jets and wearing luxurious clothes with ease. This is even more surprising given his less than luxurious upbringing. Cox grew up in a poor family. So poor, in fact, that once a week he would visit a local fish and chip restaurant to collect food scraps. "When it got really bad ... that would be our supper sometimes," Cox told The Sydney Morning Herald. As the actor flatly put it, he grew up "pretty poor. My father had a business; he was a shopkeeper." Things were going alright for the family until they lost nearly everything due to a bad investment by his father. "When he died, he only had 10 pounds sterling in the bank," Cox admitted. This made it even difficult for Cox and the family to keep their heads above water, financially speaking. "We got to a point where my mother, who had a widow's pension, had the state take care of her: we'd run out of money," he said.

Fortunately for Cox, he had a child's optimism through his upbringing. "It was tough, but I didn't even know it was tough," he confessed to The Courier. It wasn't until reflecting back to write a memoir that he realized how much his family struggled with money. Plus, he says the struggle gave him character. "People who don't know poverty haven't lived, quite frankly," Cox told The Guardian.

Starting from the age of 5 to the time he was 11 years old, Brian Cox attended St Mary's Forebank Primary school in Dundee, Scotland. While at primary school, he most distinctly remembers school's headmaster. "For the first three years I was taught by Marist Brothers, a lay teaching order that were pretty dynamic," Cox recalled to The Herald Scotland. "Unfortunately this teaching was interrupted when they moved on to a new institution; as a result, my poor school suffered," the future actor explained. 

Cox then moved on at 11 years old to attend St Michael's Junior Secondary School in Dundee. Instead of training to be an actor, St Michael's was teaching Cox more hands-on skills to one day be a labor worker in town. For example, "I remember having to make my first boat in woodwork," Cox said. Sadly, he revealed that he started to suffer in school. "My education was a bit of a disaster," Cox said. It was also unfulfilling. "It was torturous, unfulfilling work," Cox remembered. He stayed in secondary school for only a few years before dropping out the day before he turned 15 years old. Recalling his childhood, Cox confessed the worst year of his life "blends from year to year of my entire education."

After dropping out, Cox remained in town but aspired for bigger dreams. "As a kid with a strong spirit of adventure I couldn't wait to get away," he told The Sunday Times.

Brian Cox has built a devoted fan base for his decades of acting work, yet, his hot takes on issues haven't always gone over well in the media. For example, he defended J.K. Rowling following the backlash of her statements on transgender people. While many officially canceled the "Harry Potter" author, Cox voiced his support. "I felt there was something deeply unjust" about how people went against Rowling, the actor said on "Piers Morgan Uncensored." In Scotland, Cox's homeland, the country voted on a bill in support of transgender rights. He said he was proud of his government for passing the law and when it came to his thoughts on Rowling, who opposed the bill, he was empathetic. "I don't like the way she's being treated, actually. I think she's entitled to her opinions," Cox explained on "Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg." In England, Cox said he was against the idea of a monarchy but also commented on Meghan Markle's experience in the royal family, "I mean, she knew what she was getting into," he told Haute Living.

Following Cox's role in "X2: X-Men United," the film's director Bryan Singer came under fire for his erratic behavior on the set of the film. The cast even staged an intervention for Singer during filming, on top of allegations of sexual misconduct in the past. Cox meanwhile, was grateful to Singer and believed the director was only "under a lot of strain" during production, he told Yahoo!

When he was only around 20 years old, Brian Cox married Lilian Monroe-Carr. The marriage barely lasted a year and the two separated in 1967. Following his first marriage, Cox quickly linked up with fellow actor Caroline Burt and by 1968, the two were married. Burt was also from Scotland and came from a "middle upper class," Cox explained to The Telegraph. He had two children together with Burt but the couple also tragically had stillborn twins. The couple stayed together for nearly two decades before divorcing in 1986. According to Cox, he was unfaithful in his marriage and Burt initiated the divorce.

Looking back, Cox confessed he perhaps wasn't ready for marriage in the beginning. "I was just in my twenties when I got married to Caroline. Far too young. But I wanted the stability of marriage and kids. I wasn't one of those middle-class actor-types, taking drugs and letting it all hang out," Cox explained in his memoir "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat." He added that after a rough childhood, "I craved the normality of a home and a family." Even while he could explain the reasoning behind his early marriages, Cox also had positive things to say about his ex. "Caroline and I managed 18 years and we had two children, so it wasn't so bad," he added.

One of the most iconic movie characters ever is Hannibal Lecter, the cannibalistic serial killer chillingly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. The actor won his first Best Actor Academy Award for the character in "The Silence of the Lambs" but surprisingly, the role was first portrayed on the big screen by Brian Cox. The 1986 movie "Manhunter" directed by Michael Mann and adapted from Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon" gave Cox the perfect opportunity to show off his impressive acting skills. "I did Hannibal Lecktor, it's this lack of empathy, this inability to empathize. When Will Petersen says to him: 'You're insane' – well, once you've gone down that road, there's no argument," Cox told The Guardian. Unsurprisingly, people began to ask Cox how he felt about Hopkins immortalizing the same character. "I think Tony did a great job. But then I think Hannibal is like that. It's like Hamlet. It's open to interpretation," Cox said about Hopkins.

Outside of the film, Cox was going through a rough personal time as he divorced his wife Caroline Burt the same year the film debuted. Even with the high profile movie role, Cox decided to delay a movie to Hollywood. "After my divorce I wanted to stay in England to be near the children. I have no regrets about not capitalizing on 'Manhunter,'" Cox told The Times. It wasn't until almost 10 years later that the actor moved to Hollywood for the next stage of his career.

Despite being one of the older actors in Hollywood, Brian Cox is open to discussing all topics, including sex. "I'm very fond of it," Cox enthusiastically revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald. He admitted that the '60s were especially memorable because in his opinion, "that was an extremely fine time for sexuality." As he grew older, the actor said that even though he still enjoyed sex, his body could sometimes not perform as it used to. Fortunately, Cox said that drugs and other remedies are key. "One should take advantage of whatever one can in order to do what one has to do," the actor said.

In his personal life, Cox is married and he and his wife Nicole Ansari live together on the top floor of an apartment complex in Brooklyn. Each has a separate bedroom, plus a shared studio on the 45th floor for romantic encounters. "Basically it's her room and I'm allowed to visit occasionally," he told The Guardian.

If he's not talking about current risqué details, Cox has a lifetime of stories. "You know, when I was a young actor I was touched up by Princess Margaret," he admitted. According to the actor, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II put her hands inside his shirt during a visit to the Royal Court when he was 23 years old. "I excused myself and said: 'Thank you, ma'am,' and it came to a natural end," Cox said.

It wasn't long into "Succession" that Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, suffered a serious health issue and appeared to be on his way out of the show. Instead, the character recovered and became an essential part of the series. Along the way, the powerful father figure became one of the most beloved characters of the decade. "I didn't realize I'd created such an iconic individual," Cox told The Sydney Morning Herald. While some may consider the character's actions heartless or cold-blooded, especially towards his own children, Cox said it was all part of the job. "We all warp ourselves in some way ... that's what the actor has to understand," he said. Though it may have seemed all his experience led to a final, great role, Cox didn't seem content to wrap up his career with the character. "Logan Roy is only a stop on the way. It's not the ultimate for me," he explained.

Even as a veteran actor, Cox still felt he could go out in public and not be bothered. If an occasional fan thought they recognized him, Cox joked that he would deny having a famous face. Then, "since I've been playing this role [on Succession], it's been impossible," he admitted to The Hollywood Reporter. While he may not miss the intense fame, "I will miss the cast. I'll miss the wonderful, wonderful crew," the actor said on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."