Brian Cox Says the Outcome of the 'Succession' Series 4 Finale Was ‘Obvious’ (original) (raw)

Brian Cox is reflecting on Succession's finale.

The actor, 77, who played the role of Logan Roy in the drama, revealed at the Succession post-Emmys panel moderated by Seth Meyers on Tuesday that it was "obvious" that the series 4 finale was going to be the show's concluding episode.

While costars Matthew Macfadyen and Kieran Culkin said that they only realized at the table read, Cox said it dawned on him much earlier.

"We didn't 100 percent know," Macfadyen, 49, said in the conversation.

"I don't understand what you didn't know," Cox quipped. "F---ing dead or something. Christ, it was so f---ing obvious."

"We're going to finish and I go, 'Oh, we didn't know,' Cox added. "We went to the last read through and we thought, 'Oh, maybe there's still life.'"

"It's ridiculous," Cox said playfully.

Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook on 'Succession' season 4 episode 10.

HBO

Succession's 90-minute series finale, which aired in May 2023, saw the Roy family's final plays for control of his media empire Waystar Royco in the days after Logan's death. However, the company eventually ended up being acquired by competitor GoJo.

"We do rewrite and rewrite all the way through [and we thought] that we could leave that escape door," screenwriter Jesse Armstrong said on the panel, which took place at L.A.'s Paramount Theater.

"And maybe that was psychological, because it was really, really hard actually ending it," added Armstrong, 53.

"It was like, 'We need the possibility of escape,' almost to commit to the end," he continued.

Armstrong also revealed that hinting to the actors that there could be the possibility of more episodes may have improved their performance.

"To not feel like this is a cut-and-dried thing where there's no more possibility," he added.

From Left to Right: Matthew Macfayden, J. Smith-Cameron, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, and Brian Cox appear onstage at the 'Succession' FYC Event at Paramount Pictures Studios on January 16, 2024.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Culkin, 41, also shared during the panel that he hadn't yet seen the show's concluding episode.

"[It] wasn't on purpose. I was in Poland, and I couldn't sign into my Max account. It's an app issue," said the actor, who won the Emmy on Monday night for outstanding lead drama actor for his role in Succession.

The show came out on top at the 2023 Emmy Awards with 27 nominations and six wins, including outstanding drama series, outstanding lead actor in a drama series for Culkin, outstanding lead actress in a drama series for Sarah Snook and outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for Macfadyen.

On receiving the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series, Macfadyen gave a "special mention" to his "on-screen wife, Sarah Snook, and my other on-screen wife Nicholas Braun."

"Acting with you has been one of the most wonderful things in my career. Thank you, Nick. Thank you, sir. It's been a joy," he added.

He also thanked his "actual wife" Keeley Hawes, sweetly calling her, "my love and my best friend."

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All four seasons of Succession can be streamed on Max.