PUTTING THE RABBIT IN THE HAT

A life well lived and a story well told, from the first page to last, the great actor Brian Cox is a storyteller who has a sharp eye and a caustic wit about himself and some big names in Hollywood. Loss and passion, self-doubt, triumphs and laughs, rage and vulnerability, his memoir brings to mind a poem by Blake. And now in his 70s, his book is like listening to him talk, switching from anecdote to diatribe, to honest self-reflection, and back to his original story. From Roman General Titus Andronicus with the RSC, to media magnate Logan Roy in HBO's Succession, Cox has made his name as an actor of unparalleled distinction and versatility. Growing up in Dundee, he lost his father when he was just eight years old and was brought up by his three elder sisters in the aftermath of his mother's nervous breakdowns and ultimate hospitalisation. After joining the Dundee Repertory Theatre at the age of 15, he put in an enormous amount of hard graft to make himself the acting legend we know today. With plenty of laughs along the way, this is a rags-to-riches story like no other. 374 page large paperback with many photos including colour.