AWARD-WINNING Scottish actor Brian Cox has praised First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s “astonishing” work as he discussed his support for independence.
Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the release of the third season of hit HBO drama Succession, Cox, who plays Logan Roy, spoke of his journey from Labour supporter to a keen independence campaigner.
Just last year Cox lent his voice to a short film from the SNP showing how Scotland compares to other small European nations – and how the country has what it takes to stand on the global stage.
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The 75-year-old reflected on his initial political change, recalling how the “whole ‘weapons of mass destruction’ thing” made him question Labour leader Tony Blair’s leadership – even after doing voice-overs for the party.
The Dundee-born Golden-Globe winner said that prompted him to think more about Scotland’s status, but added he “hates” the word “nationalism”.
“There’ll be other parties [than the SNP], and the paradigm will have to shift when we become an independent country,” he explained.
Cox also addressed the split between former and current SNP leaders Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
A TV show focused on the fall-out will be made soon, based on a book by David Clegg and Kieran Andrews.
Salmond won more than £500,000 from the Scottish Government after the Court of Session ruled the Government’s handling of misconduct allegations against him, made by two female civil servants, was “unlawful”.
As well as winning his legal case, a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh cleared the former first minister of 13 charges in March 2020.
It had been suggested that Cox or Robbie Coltrane could be picks to play Salmond in the show.
“I’m very disappointed with the battle that’s gone on between Nicola and Alex,” Cox told the newspaper.
“But Nicola is doing an astonishing job. And I think it’s up to the women anyway. I think women should be running the show. I’m a white dinosaur.”
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Succession season 3 returns on October 17 and will see Cox take up the role of media mogul and head of the family Logan Roy.
The new season will also see Adrien Brody, Alexander Skarsgard and Hope Davis make their debuts.
Succession, from Peep Show creator Jesse Armstrong, has been acclaimed since it premiered in 2018, bringing fans the cut-throat machinations of the Roys as they vie for supremacy over the family’s media conglomerate.
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