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I chose to read the autobiography Putting the Rabbit in the Hat by Brian Cox. Cox has been an actor since he was a teenager and has appeared in many films such as Troy and Manhunter. However, he is most well-known for his role as Logan Roy in HBO’s Succession, which is one of my favorite shows. I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the man who played such an iconic character. By reading this autobiography I hope to gain valuable career and life advice as well as some behind the scenes stories from Succession.
In my first post, I discussed Brian Cox’s openness and honesty, where he shares his regrets as a father, focusing far more on his career than his family. As I have continued to read, those traits are still present. He goes on to reveal more about his personal life, where he admits that he cheated on his wife and shame surrounding that. Cox also expresses how he could have done more for his mother, who struggled with her mental health.
His honesty also goes beyond his personal life as he delivers unfiltered opinions about others in the industry. Cox mentions that he turned down a role in Pirates of the Caribbean, casually saying that Johnny Depp is “overblown and overrated,” and that anyone could have played Edward Scissorhands. He also critiques method acting, which is a strategy popularized by Lee Strasberg where an actor essentially becomes their character on and off the screen. Method acting can be very taxing on a person and Cox believes that actors should be more nimble and less stringent. He calls out Daniel Day-Lewis and Succession co-star Jeremy Strong for doing this. He also says it can be annoying for others trying to work with method actors. But it is not all negative, as he applauds Jeremy Strong's performance and praises many people, such as director Spike Lee.
Ultimately, what I have taken away from this autobiography is the importance of authenticity. By acknowledging your strengths and faults, you earn trust and respect. Cox's willingness to express his true thoughts about a variety of matters was very refreshing to hear, especially coming from a celebrity. As a result, I gained a tremendous amount of admiration for him, both as a person and as an actor.
Hi Winston,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing some more information on Brian Coxs autobiography. Its interesting to have more insights to a fan favorite show like successions. Brian's resilience to his personal struggles and professional like adds valuable insights to how complex the entertainment industry actually is. His commitment to authenticity is refreshing and to see being open an honest is something that other Hollywood actors should do as well. Overall, great post!
Hello Winston! Thanks for sharing some background on Brian Cox and for explaining some of the reasons why you chose to read his autobiography. As someone who is not as familiar with the actor you intro helped be better understand the rest of your post with I really appreciate. From your second reading, I am curious what your thoughts are on the different acting styles he addressed in the autobiography. Did you agree with his critique of method acting before reading his opinion? Did your stance change after hearing his honest evaluation of the style? Overall Cox's honesty and openness sounds like a refreshing perspective to hear from in the entertainment industry.
ReplyDeleteHi Winston, we both chose to read the same book and I had similar takeaways! I was also very impressed by Cox's honestly and authenticity in the book. I was particularly shocked when he readily admitted to being a bad father to most of his children. I'm excited to read more of the book and learn more from his life story.
ReplyDeleteHi Winston! Brian Cox's raw honesty in 'Putting the Rabbit in the Hat' truly resonates. His candid take on personal challenges and industry insights, especially on method acting, offers a refreshing perspective. Cox's authenticity not only enhances his legacy but also underscores the importance of truthfulness in life and career. Thanks for sharing!
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ReplyDeleteHi Winston, I absolutely loved reading your blog post! I didn’t read Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, but I certainly had some preconceived notions of what it was going to be about. Safe to say that after reading your blog post, I realized that I was quite incorrect. I definitely expected Cox to talk more about his career (and honestly, only about his career). His openness and honestly was quite unexpected for me, but it definitely humanizes him (and all of his his experience) despite feeling so out of reach as a famous actor. I look forward to reading this in the future and I’m glad you had good takeaways from his memoir!
Hi Winston, I loved reading your post about reflecting on Cox's experiences and the overall reading. I really enjoyed reading about the takeaways you were able to bring forth from this reading and how authenticity is an invaluable trait that molds an individual's identity. I completely agree with your words, and it was very interesting to get a glimpse of how Cox overcame his hurdles to achieve the authentic and secure self he was by the end of the book. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Winston! I really enjoyed reading your review on the book Putting the Rabbit in the Hat. As a person who is a huge Brian Cox fan, I really liked your commentary on his background and the context behind some of the more intimate experiences he describes in the book. It seems that you as well took a lot from the read which is honestly the main goal for engaging in such readings. Overall super cool!
ReplyDeleteHi Winston, I also read Brian Cox's autobiography and thought your reflection was spot on. I also personally loved how authentic Cox was in his writing because it made his writing more truthful and made me gain respect for him!
ReplyDeleteHi Winston, I had never heard of Brian Cox before reading your article and so I found a lot of insight who he was as a person. I am excited to read more about him thanks to your article!
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