His character in Succession, Logan Roy, was famous for freezing out his loved ones, but Brian Cox proved that he is the ultimate family man during a weekend of celebrations in London.
Gathering his nearest and dearest to mark both his 80th birthday and 25 years of marriage to his wife, the actress and director Nicole Ansari-Cox, the Emmy Award-winning actor exclusively invited HELLO! to witness the star-studded festivities.
The unforgettable weekend included a vibrant Saturday night party at the chic restaurant The Park in Queensway and a wedding blessing the following day at St James’s Church, Piccadilly.
Reflecting on the big numbers, a playful Brian admits: “I never think of my birthday. I never think of how old I am. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still about nine. That’s really where I’m stuck at, and sometimes I think my wife would agree with me.”
Arriving in style for the birthday party, the couple were perfectly co-ordinated in matching white outfits. However, Brian added a characteristically rebellious touch to his ensemble, sporting a profane pocket square emblazoned with Logan Roy’s trademark catchphrase: “F*** off!”
Brian gleefully revealed that the accessory was a gift from his close friend, the rock legend Chrissie Hynde, whom he had hosted at his home in Primrose Hill earlier that afternoon while watching Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
The guest list was a stellar line-up of acting royalty, with Sir Ian McKellen, Zoë Wanamaker, Charles Dance, Samantha Morton and Mark Strong all in attendance. They were joined by the director Trevor Nunn, Succession’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, and Dougray Scott with his wife, Claire Forlani.
Together with 170 close friends and family, the guests dined on small plates including arancini, crostini with burrata, beef tartare, prawns and savoury tomato and basil pesto tarts. The atmosphere was buzzing at The Park, which is owned by Brian's close friend Jeremy King, who was also among the guests.
Speaking about the man of the night, two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha told HELLO!: “They broke the mould with Brian, both creatively and politically – there’s no one like him. I would just like to wish him a happy birthday.”
Charles also complimented the actor, saying: "He doesn't look a day over 70 and he's in his prime.”
Jesse, who gave a speech, told us that Brian was a “very warm and deeply affectionate person”, adding that he would work with him again “in a shot”.
The House of the Dragon star Bill Paterson described the actor in his speech as a “great and gloriously generous, kind and brilliant alpha male”.
During his own speech, an emotional Brian told the crowd: “I’m incredibly touched by you being here,” before making a joke about his trim new physique. “I’m a diabetic and I’m on something called Mounjaro – this is why I’m like this, but who knows how long it will last. I’ll probably end up looking like a fat slob eventually.”
The party also featured performances from The Supershakers and from Brian’s friends, including Rachel Starshine Robinson and Jayne McKenna, plus more speeches from loved ones, with the celebrations continuing until midnight.
Moving moments
The following afternoon, the festivities took a different turn as Brian and Nicole gathered a close circle of loved ones at St James’s Church in Piccadilly to mark their silver wedding anniversary.
The pair originally crossed paths in 1990 during a tour of Shakespeare’s King Lear, in which Brian played the lead role, and became a couple after reuniting by chance eight years later. The blessing proved that, after nearly three decades, the spark between them remains as strong as ever.
Led by the church's rector, Lucy Winkett, the ceremony began with the couple walking up the aisle together, accompanied by their two sons – Orson, 24, and Torin, 21 , both actors – and the stirring sound of a Scottish piper.
Brian is also a father to Alan, 55, and Margaret, 48, from his previous marriage to Caroline Burt.
In a stylish nod to his heritage, the actor wore a traditional Scottish kilt, while Nicole looked breathtaking in a dramatic black gown. The moving ceremony featured speeches by Brian, Nicole and the bride’s mother, Margaret, plus a heartfelt exchange of vows.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 was recited by the actress Caroline Goodall, the singer-songwriter Sadie Jemmett gave an acoustic performance and there was a powerful rendition of Hallelujah by the tenor Will Hopkins.
Guests then toasted the couple at a glamorous champagne reception, where the Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood – attending with his wife, Sally Humphreys Wood, and their twin daughters, Alice and Gracie – reminded HELLO! of his special bond with the leading man.
“He’s my birthday twin,” smiled Ronnie, who has just turned 79.
Speaking after the event, Brian said: “The church service was the cherry on the cake for us. It was really emotional.”
The ceremony was not without its surprises. Taking to the mic for an impromptu speech inside the church, Brian delighted guests by revealing that Nicole had lost her wedding ring in the frantic run-up to the weekend.
Thankfully, it had been recovered by a family member, allowing Brian to triumphantly present the band on a bright blue ribbon.
“A few days prior she’d lost her wedding ring, and then my niece found it, so I thought: ‘OK, I’m going to surprise her,'” Brian tells us. “I suddenly realised that although things had felt a bit chaotic beforehand, it actually went flawlessly.
“So during the speech, I said: 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue… something found down the loo!'”
An amused Nicole is quick to set the record straight. “By the way, it was not down the loo – just near it,” she laughs.
With the mystery of the missing ring solved, the service took a more traditional turn. In a deeply moving moment, the rector asked Brian to put the ring on his wife’s finger to mark their 25-year milestone.
Another showstopping moment was Nicole’s dramatic look, which she describes “as a theatrical, beautiful moment”. Her black sequinned gown by Sofia Couture, accessorised with a pair of striking statement earrings, featured a feather-trimmed bustier and a voluminous tiered skirt.
Stunning bride
“I’m going to tell you the truth about the dress, because I’m not going to pretend that I had it custom-made,” Nicole says. “I found it in the window of our local charity shop. I buy a lot of red-carpet dresses in charity shops, because in Primrose Hill, they’re really beautiful and fancy.”
Brian can’t help but add: “They’re expensive charity shops, too – and I say that as a Scotsman.”
In a nod to sustainable style, Nicole found the couture piece at Mary’s Living & Giving Shop, a charity shop in the couple’s local area that raises vital funds for Save the Children.
“It’s unusual to wear a black gown in a church, but I'm not the virgin going to the altar. We've been together for 27 years. I think it should be a theatrical, beautiful moment," Nicole says.
"I had it altered, and it had never been worn – it was straight from the catwalk. It's the kind of dress that you can't really wear anywhere.
“I always look at sustainability in fashion, because we waste so much. Why? It's not necessary. When it's a dress that you wear once or twice, do you need to get a new one and put a hole in your wallet? I'm big on recycling, reusing and repurposing.”
Reflecting on the whirlwind of the double celebration, the couple are still riding a wave of emotion. “Oh, we're just full – full of wonder and gratitude, and also empty with exhaustion,” Nicole tells HELLO! as the pair laugh. Brian adds with a smile: “Our spare supply has been exhausted as well. But we feel good, don’t get me wrong.”
Looking back at the run-up to the weekend, the actor admits that he initially felt a sense of trepidation about reaching his milestone. “It was just before Christmas when I suddenly thought: ‘Oh God, I’m going to be 80,’” Brian says.
“It was a horrific prospect. I was dreading it like nobody’s business. Nicole was there and she said: ‘If we’re going to do it, let’s do it in a big way,’ and we did.”
The event was an undeniable triumph, leaving Brian with just one, very relatable regret – the feeling of not having had a chance to catch up properly with every one of the couple’s guests.
“Some friends of mine I was hoping to see, I saw very briefly, and then I never saw them again. The room was so full,” the actor says of the spectacular turnout. “But it was an amazing evening.”
With their vows renewed and the champagne toast complete, Brian and Nicole open up about the unconventional lifestyle that has kept their spark alive.
Living apart together
Unlike conventional newlyweds, the pair maintain separate homes a short distance apart – an arrangement that they credit as the foundation of their successful partnership.
“It feels like you're dating again. You know: ‘Shall we go to yours or mine?’” Nicole says, before acknowledging that not all couples enjoy similar opportunities. “I think people should at least find a way to have separate spaces within their joint space, because not everybody can do what we are doing now.”
Brian agrees. “Let the other person be free. Let the other person be who they are. That's who you married. You didn't marry something else; you married that person, so you've got to trust that person to be who they are.
“I think that's what we've done, almost instinctively. It’s worked so well for us… we're still together after 27 years.”
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