Brian Cox Reveals Fans Often Ask Him to Tell Them to ‘F*ck Off’ — And He Does

Brian Cox is known for his straightforward and no-nonsense attitude, it’s part of his entire public persona. Even though the actor is an acting veteran, he wasn’t all that largely recognized on the streets. That changed when he joined ‘Succession’ and played the powerful and foul-mouthed character Logan Roy, which made him a household name.

In his latest THR feature the actor discussed the moment he realized he was famous, and it’s hilarious and totally something you would expect from Cox. Cox explained that while performing in ‘The Great Society’ at Lincoln Center in 2019, he was approached by young fans asking him to say “f*ck off,” which made him realize he had become widely recognized.

He reflected on how much he valued his anonymity before this sudden fame, and now, at his age, he struggles with not being able to do simple things like using public transport. He admitted that adjusting to this new level of recognition has been difficult for him.

It was 2019, and I was playing LBJ [in Robert Schenkkan’s The Great Society] at Lincoln Center. One of the first nights I came out of the theater, this couple who couldn’t have been older than 17 and had their devices with them said, “Could you tell us to fuck off?” And then subsequently, there were more people coming throughout the week, saying, “Tell us to fuck off.” And I realized, “Oh, I’m well known now.” I realized at my late age just how much I thrived on my anonymity. I can’t do public transport anymore. I can’t do things which I did in the past. So it’s a little tough in that sense.

The actor shared that he has likely said “f*ck off” thousands of times for fans who request it.

Cox also shared that he learned to treat show business with suspicion, a lesson shaped by his difficult childhood. He grew up in a tough environment in Dundee, Scotland, losing his father early and witnessing his mother’s mental struggles.

This hardship taught him to rely on himself and overcome challenges, which helped him succeed in his career starting from a young age.

It made me realize at a very, very early age that I have to depend on myself. Some survival mechanism kicked in that just makes me go, “That’s fine.” My life has given me these little hurdles that I have to get over, and I get over them. I had a horrible childhood, but then I started in the theater when I was 15. I went to drama school when I was 17. Everything fell into place in an extraordinary way.

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