Brit TV legend cancels string of gigs saying he's ‘very busy and tired'
The 79-year-old has postponed his national tour just weeks before it was set to kick off.
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The acclaimed actor, recently back in the spotlight thanks to his powerhouse role in the HBO TV drama Succession, revealed the tough decision to cancel his upcoming gigs.
Brian Cox, known for his commanding presence on both screen and stage, said the hectic schedule and exhaustion have forced him to take a step back - much to the disappointment of devoted fans.
The Succession star was ready to launch his 18-date one-man show — It's All About Me! — starting 1 October at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre, but now fans will have to wait a little longer.
Brian told BBC Newscast: "I just thought I'll do it sometime, [October is] just too soon."
He also confirmed he's gearing up to take his directorial debut, Glenrothan, to the Toronto Film Festival next month - adding even more to his already packed diary.
He said: "It's been very busy and I just thought 'I can't be doing it.'"
The Royal & Derngate said its box office would be in touch with any ticket holders, and it was hopeful the show would be rescheduled in 2026.
The tour was set to roll into the Corn Exchange in Ipswich on October 3 and the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea on October 20.
On launching the tour, Cox said: 'I am looking forward to this tour as it marks something a little different for me - sharing the stage with myself.
"As the title indicates, the show will focus more than ever on my life and career. In the second half, the tables are turned and the audience will have the chance to put their questions to me. It should be a lot of fun.'
Cox has also been keeping busy treading the boards in Make It Happen in Edinburgh — a new musical delving into the Royal Bank of Scotland collapse and government bailout, with the star taking on the role of free market economics founder Adam Smith.
The Emmy and Golden Globe -winning star is also known for his role in the film Manhunter and his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
The Scottish actor trained at Dundee Rep Theatre before moving on to perform with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Royal National Theatre and the RSC, where he gained acclaim for playing King Lear.
The news comes after Cox — who first wowed Edinburgh audiences with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company back in 1965 — hit headlines for speaking out on the current state of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
At a UK Government gathering of cultural leaders at the newly revamped Filmhouse cinema, Cox used the launch of a fresh partnership between the Scotland Office and the Fringe Society to urge a shake-up of Edinburgh's world-famous festivals.
'I sort of find myself in a really weird position,' he told The Herald.
'Everybody's talking about art. I want to talk about practical matters — about how we coordinate everything.'
While admitting that a bit of 'chaos' has always been part of the Fringe and International Festival's charm, Cox warned that poor coordination between the two was starting to undermine their success.
'The problem about chaos is it's chaotic,' he quipped, blasting competing box offices and clashing schedules as major headaches for performers and audiences alike.
'There needs to be greater coordination, just practically, in order to make things function properly.'
Cox stressed that the real magic lies in the work itself — how it's seen and how people pay for it — not in the organisational mayhem.
'At the moment, half the charm of Edinburgh is its chaos, but that's only half the charm,' he said.
He urged organisers to 'think of a way of really coordinating events a bit more than we do, so we can practically deal with stuff that is a little impractical at the moment.
"It's just not good enough, quite frankly.
"Bugger the art — I'm really worried about bringing it all together properly, without chaos or chaoticness.'
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