Brian Cox, 2020

Actor Brian Cox told Lauren Laverne in March 2020 how he went into “survival” mode following the death of his father from pancreatic cancer.

The star was eight when his mill worker father died,

just three weeks after the devastating diagnosis.

“We were left with debts and my mum had a breakdown. It all went belly up. It was horrific,” he said.

“I went into survival mode. That’s what has sustained me throughout my life and with this coronavirus crisis, I am currently in survival mode.”

Cox said his lifelong coping mechanism was to keep in touch with his younger self. He said he always carried a photo of himself as a young boy in a high chair as a reminder.

“You keep in touch with your inner person. You keep in touch with that wee boy.

“Never forget it.

That wee person is who you are – that person of wonder, that person of amazement, that person of joy, is who you are.”

Cox, the youngest of five siblings, also discussed his family’s financial struggles.

“I have always had issues about money because we didn’t have any,” continued Cox, who plays Logan Roy in Succession. “When my mum came out of hospital finally and she got a small job, she mainly lived off the widow’s pension. “The pension would come on a Friday and sometimes on a Thursday night. Not always but sometimes, we wouldn’t have any food.

“I would go across to the local fish and chip shop and I would get batter bits from the back of the pan, and that would be our tea for Thursday night. It sounds a bit cliched but it’s true. It instils in you a sense of value of stuff.”

One Disc: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys One Book: In Search Of The Miraculous by PD Ouspensky One Luxury: A sewing kit