The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Succession’s Brian Cox and Alan Ruck

Episode Date: May 31, 2023

“Both he and I are disappointed in the human experiment.” Brian Cox talks about how he relates to his HBO “Succession” character, Logan Roy, but explains why he chooses to be optimistic about society’s ability to do better. Then "Succession" star,  Alan Ruck, discusses the show's widely anticipated final season, his character's laughably sad arc, and what the series has taught him about life at the top of the food chain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding great candidates to hire can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You might get a lot of resumes, but not enough candidates with the right skills or experience. But not with Zip Recruiter. Zip Recruiter finds amazing candidates for you fast. And right now you can try it for free at Zip Recruiter's smart technology. Sip Recruiters' smart technology identifies to the talent for your roles quickly. Immediately after you post your job, zip recruiters powerful matching technology starts showing you qualified people for it, and you can use zip recruiters pre-written invite to apply message to personally reach out to your favorite candidates and encourage them to apply sooner.

Ditch the other hiring sites and let zip recruiter find what you're looking for, the needle in the haystack. Four out of five employers who post on zip recruiter get a quality to to the quality the quality the quality the quality the quality the quality the quality to to to the to the to to to the to to the to to to the to to to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to to to tip. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. tip. tip. tip. tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip tip employers who post on zip recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day Try it for free at this exclusive web address zip recruiter dot com slash zip zip recruder the smartest way to hire You're listening to comedy central Central. My next guest is award-winning actor Brian Cox who plays the Patriarch and Media Titan Logan Roy in HBO's hit drama, Succession. Please welcome, Brian Cox. That was great. What the fuck? What the fuck?

What the fuck? What's the this is. These are tough interviews for me because I, you know, whenever you speak to somebody who you've admired for so long, you have to try and gather all your thoughts. I have to breathe a little bit. Wow, wow, this is, this is,'ve admired for so long you have to try and gather all your thoughts, I have to breathe a little bit. You're easily one of my favorite actors in all of like my favorite movies, you're like the best bad guy and in real life you're such a good guy which makes me go like you, even a better actor and you see I'm rambling now. I'm just welcome to the show. No, no, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, it, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, the, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the the the the No, I, you know, I was just watching that clip and it was very depressing. Because that's not me.

And I keep, that's why I never watched the show. Oh, really? Oh, no, I never watch it. Because I can't bear this, I can't bear that guy. Well, actually, that's not true. I quite like him. But there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's th there th there th there th there th there th th th th th th. That's that's that's that's that's that's that's not that's not, that's not, that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's. I. I. I. I that's. I. I that's. I'm. I that's. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. that's not. that's not. that's not. the. the. theou. their. their. theou. their. thea. theou. I's not that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not.true. I quite like him. But there's an aspect of him that I go, why, you know, why can't he just be a little nicer at time? You know, I think that's why the show is watched the way it is. I remember when succession started.

The thing that everybody says to you, all my friends said, have you watched succession? I said, no I haven't. They said, th, th, they they they they they they they they they they said, they said, they said succession? I said, no I haven't. They said you should watch it. I said, okay, I'm gonna watch it. And then they would, they said, you're gonna hate everybody. But you won't be able to stop watching. And then when you watch the show, you start to realize why. Like, your character is one of the most gripping characters. He's an asshole, but at the same time we want you to win sometimes, but you, but you, but you you you you you you you to to to to to to to to to to win, but you, but you to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their to to to to to to to to their their their their their their their their their, but you won, but you won, but you won, but you won, but you their, but you th. But th. But th. But, but you won, but you won, but you won, but you won't th. But, but th. But, but th. But, but th. But, but th. But, but thi thi, but thi. But, but tho, but tho, but tho. But, but thooooooooo. But, but th. But, but thooooooo. But thooo, but th. But you won't tho, but this character and I think that's why it works. You bring out something, it's like an empathy maybe in the character. Yeah, I mean I have a lot of sympathy with him. I mean we, both he and I are disappointed in the human experiment.

Oh wow. We, you know, we think that humans have really screwed the whole fucking thing up, quite quite frankly. And it's getting worse, and it basis it is. You can applaud as much as you like, it is getting bad. But it is. And we've never been in such a bad time as we are at the moment, what with the Ukraine and the fact that we've had this ridiculous pink Pinocchio that's been the president here. And then we've brought this clown from Eaton who's now finally trying to, I don't know what he's doing, that lying Pratt from London. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and thii, and thi, and thi, and it is thi, and it is thi, and it's thi, thi, and it's thi's thi's thi, and thi, and tho, and tho, and th, and th, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, and thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the is thee is theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th finally trying to, I don't know what he's doing, that lying Pratt from London, and it's just really bad. So both Logan and I, we have a chat occasionally and we've decided that the human experiment is in a pretty bad place. But you have different ways of responding to it, you know, where, where, you know, you've

always been somebody who is fighting for the working class, you're the complete opposite of your character. A lot people don't know how you grew up. I'm an optimist. I mean, that's the other thing. I mean, Logan isn't an optimist, he's a pessimist. Yes. And I do believe that human beings can get better, but their. tha. thua. thua. thi. thui. thu. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, you thi. You thi. You're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi, you're thi. You're thi. You thi. You thi. You you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You're thi. You're thi. You're thi. You're thi. You're thi. You're always always always always always thoooi. You're always always always always thoi. You're always always always thi. You're always always thi. You're thi. You're thi. You're lot of work. You've got to work for that. Were you always an optimist even as a child? Because I've read about your childhood, and you really lived a rough childhood. You really did. Well, you know, it was rough, but a lot of the time I didn't notice, because I was just getting on with it.

Interesting. You just have to do with this hand and you do it as best you can. And there's no good moaning about it and you know the things that happened to me, you know, were pretty not nice, but at the same time it's also made me who I am. So in a way you have to be grateful for that which is ungrateful. Yes, that makes sense. Yeah, so what does it happen to you is the reason you are today? And I feel blessed, you know, I feel blessed really with my career and with the work I've been able to do over the years. So I don't have any regrets at all.

I mean, my parents were wonderful people. They died far too early in my life But I remember them very fondly and I still carry them with me and I believe that I believe That's the most important thing in life is to honor your mother and your father Because they're the only proof you've got there's nothing else. It's all made up all around you, but the reality is there was mom. There was, they did the business and you came out. That's beautiful. I love that. It's interesting how, you know, I've noticed this about you and there are a few other actors you know out of the UK where you you approach what you do very much in like a working way. You know it's it's really interesting you know for many American actors

oftentimes it can be like the celebrity and this and that but with you you have like you you, you like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like, you. like, you, you, interesting, you know, for many American actors, oftentimes it can be like the celebrity and this and that. But with you, you have like a very much like, I go to work, I do the thing, and then I go home. And you know, it's also to do with our training. You know, we have really great training back home. It's classical training so, and it, and so, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, I. And, the, I. And, the, I. And, the, I. And, the, I. And, I. And, the, I. And, the, the, the, the, I. And, I. And, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th.s.s.s.a.a.a.a. to. to. to. to. the. the. the. the. the. the, the, the a way that training helps you. It helps you enormously in dealing with the realities of life because it is work. Is just doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it. And you don't, I mean, sometimes a lot of American actors, they kind of treat it like a religious experience. Oh, oh, dude, you know, it's so hard when I'm doing.

You know, I'm gonna have to remove these teeth, and I'm gonna play this role, I gotta have these teeth taken out, and it's gonna be so difficult, and you go, pretend! Just pretend. Just pretend. I feel like, I feel like all of that is the culmination of who you are as a human being. You know, it's a young boy who grew up in a world where, you know, he lost his parents and then got into an industry that really turned into a fantastic career and you become such a

reputable figure in it. And then on top of that, you've now used that platform to talk about the issues that are still close to you are. For instance, you've got this documentary that you've been making about income inequality. Money. Yeah, money. And money, you know, religion, all religions are kind of like cul-de-sac, in the way. Money isn't. Because money is what really people and those who have it have it and

those who don't really don't and that's what I've been doing over the last two or three months, four months actually, trying to understand because because I'm playing this guy, you know, this fella and because he is so impervious to the whole state of poverty, that it's important to understand the wealth gap that is increasing more and more and more and more and more. And in the United Kingdom and also in the United States. I spent some time in Miami, and that was an experience in a half, because there is so, yeah, it really was an experience in a half. Because there is a lot of rich people in Miami, but equally there are a lot of poor people, poor people, emigrant people, you know, who clean the rich people's toilets, who do everything, you know, all the menial tasks, and they are treated quite cruelly. You know, a lot of them are, you know, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, they they're, like, like, they're, like, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they, they, they, they, they're, they're, they're, they're, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, they are treated quite cruelly. You know, a lot of them are, you know, like they're building these whole high rises in

certain parts of Miami and, you know, people are literally being put out of their homes. You know, they're given six weeks to leave their homes. And these are people who've got kids in school who has been very hard for them to get their children to school to do certain things. things. things. things. things. things... And things. And things. And things. And th. And thi thi. And thi. And thi. And thi. And thi, you, you, you, you, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you, you, you're their, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're their, you're their, you're their, you're their, you's, you's, you's, you, you, you's, you, you, you, you's, you's, you's, you, you's, you's, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their thi. And, thi. And, their thi's their their their thi. And, their their their thi. And, you know, you know, you're their thi school to do certain things and suddenly because they're building these high rises 50% of them are empty you know but it's it's it's just greed it's sheer f-fixie greed and nothing else and my my most moving thing was I was back in my hometown of Dundee in Scotland and on that I met this man who he came in I was working what they called the Larder Kitchen where people are poor but they they want to get the dignity of still being able to pay for what they get so I was interviewee

and I said so this is for your family and he said oh no no this is not for a family he said I come here on behalf of these people older people who high-rises who can't get out. I said, so what is this you're wearing here? He said, oh I'm blind. That's amazing. I said, what do you mean? He said, no, I'm blind. I mean, I can see that much, he said, but I'm really, I'm officially blind.

But there's nobody else doing it. So I felt I should do it. And you go, th tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, the the thi, thi, thi, thee. thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thooooooooooooo. the. the go, this man's a hero. And that's the thing that's great about human beings. That's when the human experiment goes, oh wait a minute, hang on, there are a few good people out there who really do these selfless things. And it's very moving and it's very, very humbling. It's humbling, it's amazing. And I'm so excited to watch it because I think you're one of the best storytellers because you're so engaged and you believe in it. Thank you so much for joining on the show. Thank you. Absolutely for having you happen.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Finding great candidates to hire can be like try it for free at Zip Recruiter. Zip Recruiter's smart technology identifies top talent for your roles quickly. Immediately after you post your job, Zip Recruiters powerful matching technology starts showing you qualified people for it, and you can use Zip Recruiter's pre-written invite to apply message to personally reach out to your favorite candidates and encourage them to apply sooner.

Ditch the other hiring sites and let Zip Recruiter find what you're looking for, the needle in the haystack. Four out of five employers who post on Zip Recruiter within the first day. Try it for free at this exclusive web address.ziprecruiter.com slash zip. Again, that's zip recruiter.com slash zip. Zip recruiter, the smartest way to hire. My guest tonight is a wonderful actor who plays Connor Roy on the Emmy award-winning HBO series, Succession. Please welcome Alan Ruck. who plays Connor Roy on the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, Succession.

Please welcome Alan Ruck. Hello, Senator. Somehow you got a bigger welcome than Lindsay Graham last night. I don't know how that happened. I love the show. My wife and I watch it every Sunday night and we're looking bored to Sunday for the premiere. Thank you. Now this is the saga of the Roy family. Yeah. Yeah. And Connor is the oldest son. And you are maybe the least accomplished? It's safe to say that, yeah.

Okay, and I know this is going to be the last season, right? Yeah, it is. So how does it end? Ah! I can't do it. Not even for you. I'm sorry, I can't do it. Okay, well, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're running for president.

Yes, I am. Okay, so you can't tell us whether or not you win. No but I'm I'm working that 1% man. I mean that's leverage. Okay it might have been a tip off that maybe you don't but you never know things get weird right? It's a crazy show it's surprising yeah you can't out guess Jesse Armstrong so yeah he's the he's our creator and headwriters yes yeah and I I heard him interviewed and he said that that your father in the in in the series Logan Roy has said that that that he loves all his children right Brian Cox has said that yes really? that I loves all his children, right? Brian Cox has said that, right? Really?

I mean, that's amazing to me. I think as much as Logan is capable of loving anything, he does love his children. He's just bitterly disappointed in all of them. I think so. Especially you, don't you think? Well, yeah. They just make me stand to the back of the picture whenever there's a photo. Because you're the oldest son and... Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a sad little history.

You know, he probably divorced my mother when I was about eight and I lived with her for 10 years and she was in and out of mental institutions and I didn't see my father for three or four years so it wasn't it was like Dickens I think you know sorry yeah so okay you still got it man so in the campaign so in the campaign and so do you. So in the campaign, you're running for president, there is something interesting about your marriage. Oh yes. Specifically, something you want to talk about? Not if you don't.

Well, sure. Yes, my, Willa was at one point a professional escort. And then I convinced... No, I mean, you know, you got to make a living. And I convinced her to have me be her exclusive client. And maybe against her better judgment. She's actually developed some affection for me. I wouldn't say she's in love but she's become protective of me over these. And you know of her you produced a play

for her that she wrote? Sands it was called. Sands about a woman who's trapped in the desert by an evil king. That sounds like it could be really good. Yeah. Evidently not. It didn't get good reviews. No, no, we got slammed. I remember the scene where she throws the iPad off the yacht. Yeah, yeah, she was, she was having a day. Yeah. Yeah, she was, uh, she was having a day. Yeah. Yeah. I remember the scene where she throws the iPad off the yacht. Yeah, yeah, she was having a day. So, okay, so the show, it's going off the air. Yeah. That must, you must, it looks like you guys love each other. You guys love working with each other, I've never seen, it looks

like a tremendous amount of fun. It's a brutal, brutal, emotional show, but it's also quite funny. Yeah, it is, it's wickedly funny and I think something that helps it along is that all the actors are wonderfully, they're just wonderful, intelligent, kind-hearted people that are playing all these bastards, you know, so it adds something to it that you can't help but like them even though they're miserable human beings. And I love, I am going to miss everybody terribly, but I think Jesse's smart to end it on this high note. Yeah, well, sometimes things run it run their course, but I just, I'm going to saying it, but I can't wait to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to thi. thin. thin. thin. thin' thin' thin' thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thin. they. thin. It's, thin. It's, thin. It's, thin. It's just just just just, thin. It's just, thin. It's, toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. It's, toe. It's, toe. toe. toe. the. the. It's just I'm going to miss saying it but I can't

wait this it's Sunday yeah is when it starts so it starts this Sunday yeah coming up does somebody end up getting the leadership of the company because a lot of this has been all about one of the six sessions yeah succession yeah yeah Yeah. Succession. Yeah. Yeah. Nice check then. Of course. Of course. Yeah, I can just say that someone does. Oh wow. Okay. That's good to know.

Yeah. Now, having gone through this, do you have any, have you developed any kind of sympathy for like Rupert Murdoch's family? I guess I would be the prudence. I guess that's his oldest, his eldest is prudence. Isn't that right? I think so, yes. Don't ask me. Okay, I'm sorry. But I don't really feel sorry for these people at the very

top of the food chain but they do have to do things that we don't. Like if you fall in love with somebody you just get to marry them or be with them you know these people need to be vetted by the family and if you pick the wrong person they just say no no can't have her. So your wife, the call girl was vetted. It was sort of, yeah, they were brutally, they were vicious toward her, but since I am dismissive, so is she. You know, they don't, they didn't care about that too much. If it was Kendall or Roman or Chavan had married a questionable person, then they would have had something to do that up.

I don't count. Not enough. Anyway. How many more shows? Well, there would be 10. 10 shows. I just can't wait to see it. And it's just been a masterful show.

My congratulations to everyone, Frank Rich, the executive producer and just everybody all way through. Yeah, well congratulations. This has been the best bunch I've ever worked with, truly. And I've been doing this a long time out. And I know some of the other people you've worked with and they're going to be really sorry to hear that. You know, some of us go on a publicity tour and then blow it.

There's a lot of their old friends but. But they're old friends out. Yeah, yeah. They're not the new crop. Which is that's who counts everybody. New friends who can do you some good. Isn't that right? Welcome to show business. Yeah, if we have any advice for anyone, not just here in the audience tonight, but anyone watching on television. New friends who can help you out. Alan Al Rush. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe

by searching The Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.