Brian Cox Says He Didn't Know What a Super Bowl Commercial Was When Michelob ULTRA Called

Brian Cox is no stranger to big things. Whether it be big characters (Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter), big directors (Spike Lee, David Fincher), big franchises (X-Men), or, most recently, leading the biggest show on TV. And yet, the Succession star isn’t quite as familiar with the big game.

“I didn’t know what a Super Bowl commercial was,” Cox says with a laugh, remembering when he was approached for Michelob ULTRA’s spot, which can be seen below, in advance of the February 12 showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. A two-time Emmy nominee for his intimidating turn on Succession as the cutthroat patriarch Logan Roy, the 76-year-old actor has been immersed in the American culture of the rich—but he blames his lack of American football awareness on his status as a Scotsman.

So you’d think that being from the country where golf was born would mean that this Caddyshack-inspired commercial might have him feeling at home—but not so much. Directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, Black Panther), the ad features Cox facing off on the golf course against tennis icon Serena Williams, with appearances from fellow sport titans like Alex Morgan, Jimmy Butler, and Canelo Alvarez along the way.

Ahead of Succession returning for its highly-anticipated fourth season in March, we chatted with Cox about witnessing Williams's greatness, why he'll never stop working, and figuring out which character of his he’d have a beer with. (Spoiler: it’s definitely not Logan Roy.)

ESQUIRE: How did you feel about getting the call to star in a Super Bowl commercial?

BRIAN COX: I was overwhelmed. I didn't know what a Super Bowl commercial was because I'm a foreigner. [Laughs.] I have lived here for a long time. But because the football I know is a different kind of football altogether—especially with the World Cup and what we've been through—pardon the pun, but that's a whole different ballgame. So I was delighted, and I was slightly daunted by the idea. I'm not a golfer, and I was playing against Serena Williams, who's the greatest female athlete in the world, bar none. An incredible tennis player. So I was slightly nervous, to say the least. But she is such a delight. The thing that impressed me most about watching her work was how focused she is. I could see where that greatness as a tennis player comes from, so it was nice to witness that firsthand.

Since you’re admittedly not much of a golfer, were you feverishly practicing ahead of filming?

I practiced my swing. Actually, people who have seen the little snippets of the commercial have said, "We didn't know you were a golfer; that's a great swing you've got." I said, "Yes, but you haven't seen the other end of it where I don't quite contact the ball—or I do contact the ball and it goes that way?" [Laughs.] The great craft of film is that you can fool most people, most of the time. But I'm expecting a lot of golf roles from now on. So it's opening up a whole new career for me!

In addition to Serena, you have Alex Morgan and Canelo Alvarez appearing as well. When you showed up, were you like, “Wait, am I really the only non-world-class athlete here?”

I didn't because they're sort of decorated and placed throughout, so I didn't get an onslaught. But Serena was as compelling as anything. So when the others popped on, I was [thinking], Oh, that's... And they're just gone. And there's... Oh, he's gone. So Serena and I were the ones who were doing the work.

The ad is obviously a play on the comedy classic Caddyshack. What’s your relationship to that film? Did you appreciate getting to parody it a bit?

I'm a huge Ted Knight fan. I love Ted from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, so that was a big bonus for me. I felt like I was channeling Ted Knight, because he's so wonderful in the movie. He gets so exasperated, and one of my specialties is exasperation. I was able to ride Ted Knight's exasperation a little bit, so that was great fun.

You golfing made me wonder if we’d ever gotten a scene on Succession with Logan out on a course. Golf is definitely a popular sport among wealthy businessmen, but I couldn’t recall seeing him play. Do you think he does, or he just doesn't have time for that?

I think it's talked about at one point that he does play golf. So we mentioned it probably three seasons back, in passing. For me, the interesting thing is that golf has been so prevalent in my life. Because I live, literally, a quarter of an hour from where golf was created, in St. Andrews. My hometown is just across the water, so I've lived with St. Andrews all my life. When I saw seven, I had the most extraordinary incident. I saw Ben Hogan win the 1953 Open [Championship]. My mum took me to that, and I was completely overwhelmed by it because I'd never been to a golf game before. And in those days, we didn't have television, so this was my first-ever experience—and I was a bit tired because it's a long process. But I think we were there from about the 15th hole onwards, and it was electrifying. Actually, I'm sad; I did have a photograph taken with myself and Ben Hogan because he signed my autograph. But, unfortunately, I've lost the photograph.

It's surprising that you didn't turn into a bigger golfer.

No, I didn't. There's the Sam Clemens view of golf, which is: a good walk spoiled. I don't necessarily share that; I actually like watching golf. In fact, when the Brits won the Ryder Cup, at Glen Eagles in 2014, and Rory McIlroy was playing really well, I saw that, and that was great. I understand the psychology of the gallery and what the thrill of the gallery is. So I remember really enjoying that game a lot as a viewer. So I quite like watching it, but doing it would be a different thing altogether.

You said that you didn't necessarily know what a Super Bowl commercial is. So as a non-American, how much interest do you have in our football? Do you usually watch the Super Bowl?

I've watched it on occasion, but I always have to have my sons—who are huge football fans—explain it to me. I'm all, "Why is he doing that now?" And they say, "Well, Dad, that's about this, and then they're going to do that,” and I say, "Oh, I see. Okay. But why did he keep stopping all the time?" And they're like, "Well, that's part of the play, you stop." And I say, "Oh, I see. Basketball's similar. You do see them stop in basketball as well." So it’s a great position to be in. Luckily enough, this year, we're going to be there at the game, and my sons will be with me, so they'll be giving me a blow-by-blow account.

Whether it’s at a golf course, the Super Bowl, or anywhere else, which character of yours would be the best person to share a beer with?

Well, Logan Roy wouldn't have a beer with anybody. [Laughs.] He'll drink with his team, but that's it. And he will drink scotch, mainly. Which would be the best? I don't know. It's hard to say. For me, what I love about the Michelob Ultra is it's ultra, and, therefore, it's very low in carbs. I'm a diabetic, so I can just have, maybe, two Ultras, with good safety. It's a good beer from that point of view, and I'm quite happy about that.

For me, the one that came to mind was James Brogan from Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. But, admittedly, that might just be because he owned a bar.

Oh yeah, James! James Brogan, I would have a drink with him. You're absolutely right. My problem is that I find it hard to keep up with all the roles I've played over the years. People say, "You were in that movie," and I go, "No, I wasn't." And they say, "Yes, you were," and I say, "No, I don't think I was." And then I go into IMDB, and I think, "Oh yes, I was in that movie." [Laughs.]

As you just said, you’ve done so many different things, so what’s left to do? With Super Bowl commercial now joining the lengthy résumé, any other career bucket list items?

I've got a lot of theater plans; I'm going to do a play about [Johann Sebastian] Bach in England at the end of the year. And I'm actually in the process of setting up and directing my first film, which I'm also going to be in. It's set in a distillery in Scotland. So I'm going to be doing that, hopefully in the summer. I'm trying to cast my leading man at the moment. But it's a great script and great locations. Everything's in place. So all I have to do is find the right actor.

I just want to keep working. And that's my thing: I'm a workaholic. I'll talk to actors and they'll say, "I think I'm going to have the summer off,” and I go, "What are you talking about? Having the summer off? Work! What are you going to do? You sit on a beach, do nothing?" No. For me, work is fun. I love work. So that's why I never stop.

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