Succession star Brian Cox takes scathing swipe at Glasgow over ‘sectarianism & Orange walks'

Scottish Sun

3 days ago

The Scots actor looks back on an award-winning sitcom
BRIAN Cox has claimed his fellow Dundonians have a more positive mindset than Glaswegians because they are unaffected by sectarianism.
The award-winning actor was brought up in a Catholic family in Dundee but said he never experienced any prejudice over his religion in the city.
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The succession star branded Orange Walks in Glasgow as 'odd'
Credit: Tom Farmer
He said being free from bigotry gave people on the east coast a can-do attitude and a bright, optimistic sense of humour.
By contrast, the Succession star said he felt many people from the west of Scotland have a "poor me" mentality which stems from the "burden" of sectarianism.
Cox, 78, said the positive mindset fed into his portrayal of Dundee burger van owner and would-be politician Bob Servant in the BBC comedy series.
He said: "What I loved about the script was it was very, very much our humour as opposed to west of Scotland humour.
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"A lot of TV things in Scotland are all very Glasgow and west coast, you've Rab C Nesbitt and Still Game and all that.
"I'm an east coaster and my humour is east coast. It's kind of wacky and off the wall.
"It's not 'poor me' like Glasgow. Dundee is very bright and very up and very high and Bob is an endless optimist.
"He's a complete whack job but he's unique in that sense, I don't think there are many other characters like him.
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"Bob's recovery is incredible, he doesn't get daunted, he always finds another path. He goes 'That didn't work, I'm going to do this'.
"I think that's very east coast, that we always find another way of doing something.
Tense scenes in Glasgow as Celtic fans in stand off with Orange walk followers
"We haven't got the burden of sectarianism at all, we don't have any of that.
"I always found it so odd that there were these Orange marches in Glasgow.
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"It would have meant nothing in my hometown because we all got on."
Bob Servant, which is set in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, ran for two series on the BBC before ending in 2015.
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Brian Cox has taken a swipe at Glasgow over 'sectarianism' and Orange walks
Credit: Getty
Cox looked back on the show in a new BBC 4 programme called 'Brian Cox Remembers Bob Servant'.
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Writer Neil Forsyth published a Bob Servant book - a series of hilarious back-and-forths between the Dundonian and an array of spam emailers - which was named by author Irvine Welsh as the funniest book he'd read.
Welsh's boost was enough to get it republished, at which point BBC Scotland bought the rights to it.
Cox was cast in the role after the actor's son discovered the book in the bathroom at his New York home and persuaded his dad to take the part.