Brian Cox Shares A Wonderful Story About Working With Laurence Olivier 

Great story, so perfectly told. One great actor talking about another.

"And so Larry was acting in this movie called Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman, and Dustin Hoffman show up for the shoot one morning looking absolutely wretched. And Larry says, 'Dusty, you look absolutely wretched.' To which Hoffman replies, 'Well, I've been up for over 24 hours, because in this scene my character has been up for over 24 hours.' To which Larry replies, 'Oh, Dusty, why don't you try ACTING.'

Michael Caine said Olivier said “You must call me Larry.”

Brian's rendering is pitch perfect !!!

This is priceless Thankyou Brian Cox

Always admired Michael Hordern, seeing him in London, Eng. on stage in "Jumpers", a brilliant actor, in a most difficult longwinded role which he carried off brilliantly. Previously in "El Cid", he played Heston's father... Brian Cox- he did some good Canadian work as well--with some of my friends- Len Doncheff- one of them- in "Nuremberg" filmed in Montreal.

Why the hard subtitles? Surely what he was saying was clear enough?

I believe it. He was very sensitive about criticism. Saw Olivier as Shylock and James Tyrone. Also saw Brian Cox with Kenneth Moore. Wonderful presence on stage.

This is amazing. If you've read Olivier's autobiographies or accounts of experiences from his peers, you'd know that sounds like something he would say! 🤣 The book Olivier by Philip Ziegler is a good one. And based on that alone, watching this, I can see him actually doing that. As the kids would say, it's "on brand!" 😁

To the person who didn't find this story 'wonderful'; it was. It told so very much and I'm glad I heard it.

What a great reminiscence. Fantastic.

now looking for the whole interview.. thankyou for sharing this 🙂

Re "Sleuth" which somebody else has mentioned, he had enormous trouble with his lines and his part before shooting started which turned out to resolve once he'd got the right moustache, I believe. And he often forgot his lines and when he did one eyebrow would go up (Sarah Miles told this story). But whatever, he was a great actor, as is lovely Brian Cox.

some people knock you out with just one statement like he just did my dad served in the merchant navy in WWII he never said a word about it my uncle Wal said to me that my dad was blown up twice on convoys picked up by tail end johnny not supposed to I remember him having nightmares snd shouting out at night .years later I asked him about it he just said the same we were better than them so we prevailed an Englishman all the way still miss him and I'm 79 now

Brian Cox is a great man and a better actor

Is this full interview with Brian Cox available here on RU-vid from 92Y?

He said this while he was doing Sleuth. I think his words were “I can’t learn my fucking lines” 🤣

There is one King Lear, and he is Sir Michael Hordern. ❤❤❤

Wonderful perhaps not, but a charming story certainly. Larry said nothing more than a simple truth, subjective though it may be. And in that Granada "Lear" he sure did know his lines. And what a performance it is!

Lol! Love actors.

Was lucky enuf to see Gielgud and Richardson on stage together in a Pinter play.

Is it safe?

Too funny!

King lear went on 1983 and Larry died in 1989 in 82 years old.

I am not quite sure how funny that story actually is.

That was a lot of waffling. I think he made it up for something to say.

A lot of inaccuracies here: Olivier was 75 when he made the TV "Lear". He was cured of prostate cancer but nearly died of a muscular wasting disease. He recovered to make several TV films and died in 1989 at the age of 82.

I do not believe that Sir Larry been in old age said f u c k.

I always thought Olivier was a terrible old ham, on th screen. Obviously never saw him on stage. May have been amazing there

👎

I didn't find it a 'wonderful story'.

Don't buy it.

He likes to hear himself talk. Doesn’t he ??larry. John ?? They are not his contemporaries why is he referring to the greatest actors of all time on a first name basis. ??!