STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - MARCH 27: Brian Cox attends the "Succession" premiere presented by HBO Max at Rigoletto on March 27, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
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Brian Cox is “horrified” by potential loss of classic Turner films

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The recent string of high-profile layoffs at Turner Classic Movies has shocked the film community. Many saw the ousting of longtime executives who turned TCM into a beloved asset for movie fans as a sign that Warner Bros. Discovery was planning to neglect or even ax the network. News of the quake led to increased attention on TCM, with many prominent voices arguing for its place in the current film landscape.

While the studio was able to quell the outrage by announcing that Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson would be involved in the network’s new programming efforts, TCM’s long-term health is a matter of concern for cinephiles. Worldwide.

While gutting a beloved network to save costs sounds like something Logan Roy could pull on “Succession,” Brian Cox ranks among TCM’s most ardent supporters. In a new interview with above the line, Cox expressed his support for Turner Classic Movies and the network’s work to keep film history alive.

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“I just wrote something for Facebook because I’m horrified,” Cox said. “The head of Warner Brothers, once they get rid of TCM/Turner Classic Movies, which I think is one of their most vital assets – and certainly Robert Osborne organized that, and the five girls who run it now. I mean, who is a film expert? I love that sense of who we are, where we come from and our history. For me it is essential that we see it and live it.

Cox explained that he doesn’t just see the network as a history lesson, but uses timeless acting in classic films as inspiration for his craft.

“For me, the history of cinema and its vision and how TCM presents it are incredible assets because they really make me realize how far we’ve travelled,” she said. “But also how far we haven’t travelled. You know, we’ve traveled technically, but in terms of acting truth, there are no truer actors than Spencer Tracy or Katherine Hepburn. And you see them together in what they create, so cinema has always been vital to me. Absolutely vital.