There’s no denying just how successful Succession has been on HBO Max. Current stats from FlixPatrol say it’s the number one show on the platform worldwide. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, it’s no surprise why tons of TV viewers are tuning in to the show.
Now, we’re learning a bit more about one of the show’s biggest actors — Brian Cox — thanks to a recent interview with Esquire. While discussing his character Logan Roy, he talked about a moment where he fought to say the word “faggot” on the show and why he did so.
“You have to accept the past and realise there were modes of behaviour which were disagreeable, but they existed and they contribute to the now. There’s a line of correction that has happened out of something that was horrific.
Logan Roy is a man who doesn’t curb his language, so Jesse [Armstrong, the creator of Succession] had written this line where I had to say, ‘What are you, a nancy?’ I kept saying, ‘I’m sorry but Logan wouldn’t do that’. This is a horrible word, but he would say, ‘a f*ggot’, because he’s part of that generation.”
He then went on to discuss cancel culture, showing he not only had no fear of it but found it important to recognize the problems people had in the past.
“Cancel culture [is] not acknowledging history and the awful things that happened, it’s trying to pretend it didn’t happen. You have to acknowledge where you’ve come from, warts and all.”
What do think of the use of such strong language in Succession? Do you think Brian Cox was right to fight for the use of the homophobic slur in the show? Let us know in the comments!