Brian Cox shares stories from his memoir at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Leslie Pableo / The National
Brian Cox shares stories from his memoir at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Leslie Pableo / The National
Brian Cox shares stories from his memoir at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Leslie Pableo / The National
Brian Cox shares stories from his memoir at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Leslie Pableo / The National

Succession's Brian Cox says anti-hero Logan Roy 'just wants love'


Maan Jalal
  • English
  • Arabic

At the age of 72, Brian Cox suddenly found himself a pop culture hero.

While the Scottish actor was already a formidable force, with an expansive career on stage and on screen spanning several decades, it was the role of anti-hero Logan Roy in HBO’s drama series, Succession, that thrust him into mainstream consciousness in 2018.

Quite an adjustment, for a man in his eighth decade.

“Well, it's … it's OK. It actually is fundamentally OK,” Cox tells a full amphitheatre at the 15th Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which runs until Monday.

“There's a part of one that does enjoy it, it would be stupid and wrong and hypocritical of me to say I didn't enjoy the fame. But the problem is, having been relatively anonymous for so long, I do miss that thing of people not knowing who I was. I do miss it.”

Cox may have felt relatively anonymous, but his acting credentials speak for themselves. His work with the UK's Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, including portrayals of King Lear and Titus Andronicus, earned him several accolades including two Olivier Awards. He also won an Emmy for his portrayal of Hermann Goring in the docu-drama Nuremberg, and a Golden Globe for his performance in Succession.

He also has his fair share of blockbusters under his belt, with supporting roles in Braveheart, Adaptation and The Bourne Identity series, as well as taking on the role of Hannibal Lecter in 1986's Manhunter, to critical acclaim.

Brian Cox at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in conversation with moderator Fiona Lindsay. Leslie Pableo / The National
Brian Cox at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in conversation with moderator Fiona Lindsay. Leslie Pableo / The National

His 2021 memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, explores his journey from a young working-class boy growing up in Dundee to life on stage and screen, via several personal and emotional revelations.

Cox's curiosity for the arts was piqued aged three, when he first performed for guests at a traditional Hogmany party his father was throwing to celebrate New Year.

“The thing I remember more than anything else was the effect on the community, the people in the room,” he says. “I thought at that young age, what is that? What’s this thing that happens to people, they change in a way. First, they are all boisterous and suddenly there’s this quiet and there’s this real focus. And I thought, 'I want a piece of that, I want that in my life. How do I get it?'”

Cox certainly found a way. He enjoyed escaping to the cinema as a teenager to watch Hollywood blockbusters, and became entranced with American culture — something that not only felt so far away from his immediate life in Scotland, but had an “egalitarian feel” that the UK lacked, he says.

“The first 50 years of the 20th century were so uncertain and so crazy, and then when the war was over, we went back to this class system,” he says. “Everybody was in their place and it was so futile. That was the thing that really got me. That was why I went to the cinema. And when I went to the cinema, I could see American movies and there was no class there.”

Given Cox's own thoughts on the make-up of society, it should come as no surprise that he ended up on a show like Succession, a satirical black comedy-drama that tells the story of one of the US's most powerful families as they plot against each other to wrestle for control of the fictitious Waystar RoyCo media empire.

"It's what Shakespeare calls it — holding the mirror up to nature,” he says. “What we do is reflect back what's actually happening. That's what we do, we present who we are, we present who we are as people in every aspect.”

As the unrelenting and tenacious patriarch of the Roy family, Logan certainly has his faults, but Cox has an interesting take on the motivations behind his character.

“Logan Roy has absolutely sat through injury, through his own pain because he has a lot of pain, his frustrations have created this man,” he says. “Therefore, as a father, he has these three horrible children behaving in the way that they do, and trying to undermine him … a great line from me in episode three is when he says: 'Love? Jesus, you know, you're talking about the love?' And that's the thing he lacked all of his life, is love."

He also adds that despite what audiences think, Roy does love his children, in his own morphed way.

“He never knew how to get love from his children," he says. "But he thought if he gives them stuff and keeps giving them he'll get love back and it doesn’t work like that.”

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature runs until Monday at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City and the Mohammed bin Rashid Library. More information and tickets are available at www.emirateslitfest.com

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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE

UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.

Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.

Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.

For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.

Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.

At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

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Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle

Emirates exiles

Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.

Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.

Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.

Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.

The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

 

Key facilities
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Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735

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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

All the Money in the World

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Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer

Four stars

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Saturday

Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2

Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0

Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2

Leicester City 3 Fulham 1

Newcastle United 3 Everton 2

Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Manchester City 3 Watford 1

Sunday

Liverpool 4 Burnley 2

Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.

Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella

Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
  • Open your curtains when it’s sunny 
  • Keep your oven open after cooking  
  • Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy 
  • Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat 
  • Put on extra layers  
  • Do a few star jumps  
  • Avoid alcohol   
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai

Light heavyweight 81.4kg
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Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir

Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka

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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

RESULTS

Manchester United 2

Anthony Martial 30'

Scott McTominay 90 6' 

Manchester City 0

LIVERPOOL SQUAD

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams

PRO BASH

Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

FA Cup quarter-final draw

The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March

Sheffield United v Arsenal

Newcastle v Manchester City

Norwich v Derby/Manchester United

Leicester City v Chelsea

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

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Updated: February 07, 2023, 12:36 PM`