Book 1, Blog 2: Putting the Rabbit in the Hat

 

In my first book blog post, I wrote about how vulnerable Brian Cox is as he shares his experience with his Father passing, his Mother’s subsequent decline in mental health, and his shortcomings as a Father himself. Reading about these events and how they have shaped Cox has not only made me feel more connected and empathetic toward him, but has helped me understand Cox as an actor. Writing with so much truth and sincerity, and not leaving out the parts that paint a bad picture (like cheating on his wife and focusing on his career more than his family) help the audience gain a more nuanced perception of Cox and the subsequent life choices he makes throughout his life as an actor, father, and husband. 

Though Cox is a deeply intricate person who writes extensively about his own personal experiences, Cox is an observer and reflects a lot on his interactions and opinions of others through his autobiography. What I found most fascinating to read is when Cox writes about addiction in the acting industry specifically surrounding sex, drugs, and alcohol. For Cox, his addiction was being on stage and acting, as well as watching other extraordinary actors and actresses perform on stage. That was what kept him inspired and motivated and “it was for that reason that (he) never really bought into the sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll side of things” (79). He knew he couldn’t “fuck things up” because he was just a latchkey kid from Dundee who had to climb his way up to the top. While Cox luckily steered clear from getting addicted to sex, drugs, and alcohol, he reflects a lot in his writing about his colleagues who did fall victim to addiction. 

Cox describes how many actors he worked alongside took “intoxication to the extreme” (80). David O’Hara, for example, who is seen in Braveheart, The Departed, and Harry Potter, was one actor Cox worked with at Stratford that came very close to destroying their career because they were caught drunk on stage a couple of times. Additionally, Cox namedrops Actors Michael Caine and Richard Harris who were two alcoholics that were friends who managed to ride out their addictions and forge careers. By mentioning the actors Cox worked closely with throughout his acting career, Cox can effectively reflect on his perspective on why drinking is so prevalent in this industry. Cox believes that drunkenness is so endemic as it comes back to the notion that “actors don’t fit in.” What Cox means by this is that with the profession of acting comes this layer of shame as it isn’t seen as a noble job for men to have. Alcohol, for many actors (and actresses) is used in many cases to assuage that guilt. Even though Cox wasn’t directly impacted by addiction, his authentic insights about other actors and actresses are useful in enhancing the audience’s understanding about the industry. 

By utilizing ethos and providing the reader with examples and then a personal reflection, Cox is able to offer a panoramic view of the complexities of becoming an actor. What I thoroughly enjoyed the most was how real Cox is in his writing. He doesn’t hold back from telling you how it is: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Consequently, I have developed a great deal of respect for someone who was able to accept their shortcomings and learn from them. Hearing someone openly talk about their flaws has made me think introspectively about my own life experiences and how I have been shaped by them.