Brian Cox Responds to The Ultimate Succession Shocker: Did He See It Coming?

The best show on television is called Succession.

By the definition of that simple word, viewers have known for three-plus seasons that Logan Roy — the polarizing patriarch of a mega rich family, who owns one of the largest conglomerates in the world — was likely going to die.

But — SPOILER ALERT! — for it to happen on the third episode of this final season?

For Logan to simply drop dead of an apparent heart attack on board a private jet, away from his kids, without viewers even really seeing his body?

No one could have seen this coming.

Including the actor who has portrayed Logan since the series premiere.

“He called me, and he said, ‘Logan’s going to die,’” Cox said in an interview with the New York Times about receiving the news from the show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong.

“I thought, ‘Oh, that’s fine.’ I thought he would die in about Episode 7 or 8, but Episode 3, I thought … ‘Well that’s a bit early.’”

Succession now has seven episodes to depict just how Logan’s four kids respond his death — and which, if any, will end up as his actual successor.

Armstrong’s decision to kill off Roy so early in the final season was seen as “courageous” by Cox, who said the creator understands how to “leave the party when it’s at its height, not when it’s going down.”

The fight for control of Waystar Royco will dominate the concluding installment of the drama.

For his part, Cox has said he legitimately has no idea who will come out on top.

“I think it’s going to be hard next week for a lot of the audience because they’re going to miss Logan.

“And I don’t think that’s a bad thing — I think that’s actually quite a good thing,” said Cox to The New York Times.

“The audience might be furious; they might miss Logan and say, ‘Oh, what are you doing killing off one of the most interesting characters?’

“But it’s fine by me,” he added, reveling he has plans to make his directorial debut and is heading back on stage to star in “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” in London.

Cox has been in the acting game for decades.

He wrapped up this interview by putting his portrayal of Logan into perspective.

“Somebody like Logan, he has become a cultural icon. But it’s a bit of a thing where you go: I’ve been an actor for 60-odd years. I’ve done a lot of great work.

“[Succession] is a very special work that I’ve done, and it’s given me so much, and I’m really eternally grateful for it. But it’s only a stop on the way. It is not the destination, as far as I’m concerned.”