Brian Cox makes directorial debut with 'Glenrothan' at Toronto film festival

Scottish actor Brian Cox relates more to the sweet, kind and mild-mannered Sandy Nairn, the character he portrays in his directorial debut “Glenrothan,” than the brash media mogul he played in the television series “Succession”.

Set in the fictional town of Glenrothan in Scotland’s rural highlands, the film tells the story of two estranged brothers, played by Cox and Alan Cumming, as they try to reconnect after four decades.

Cox, who has directed dramas in theatre but never a feature film, said he was hesitant to take on the director’s chair.

“It was a good challenge, because I realized that at the moment, there are not enough movies that have heart. There’s a lot of cynicism,” he said in an interview ahead of the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday.

His biggest influence as a director came from the late British filmmaker Lindsay Anderson.

“He taught me a lot about allowing things to be rather than maneuvering them in certain ways,” the actor said.

Cox, 79, is best known for his role as Logan Roy, the family patriarch in the HBO comedy-drama series “Succession”.

While sharply dressed in a blue blazer reminiscent of his on-screen persona, Cox laughed off comparisons to the character.
“I’m more of a Sandy, and by my nature,” he said.

Co-star Shirley Henderson said Cox never shied away from letting people know what he wanted.

Asked if he would consider directing another movie, Cox said there was a point when he would have said no as the process was “very exhausting and very demanding.”

“Yes, I probably would do it again if somebody asked me, but this may be my one and only so I’m taking it for all it’s worth,” he said.