Brian Cox Addressed Backlash on Wife Nicole Ansari’s Age Gap
Brian Cox, lately known for his role as Logan Roy on HBO's series Succession, has been married to his longtime wife, actress Nicole Ansari, since 2002.
From his marriage to her, he has two children [both sons]: Orson Jonathan Cox and Torin Kamran Cox.
The actor was also previously married to his first wife, Caroline Burt, with whom he shares his two elder children. They are Margaret Cox and Alan Cox.
Brian Cox Married His First Wife at a Young Age
Speaking about his first marriage, the actor got married at the age of 24, which according to him, was a "far too young" age for marriage.
However, in his memoir Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, published in October 2021, he explained why he tied the knot with Burt despite realizing he was too young.
He stated he was seeking stability and "normality" in his life after experiencing a troubled childhood.
That is a whole different story, but to make a long story short, he saw his father die when he was eight, and his mother hospitalized after a breakdown.
"I wanted the stability of marriage and kids. I wasn't one of those middle-class actor-types, taking drugs and letting it all hang out," Cox stated while adding, "After what I'd been through, I craved the normality of a home and a family."
The Scottish actor eventually ended his marriage to Burt after 18 years of togetherness and two kids.
In his memoir, he also noted that he struggled with parenthood in his first marriage because his career kept him away from home for so long.
Brian Cox and Present Wife's Age Gap Is Often Discussed
Coming to Cox's present marriage, he and his wife, Ansari, are happily together. But meanwhile, the couple has also experienced backlash and trolling on the internet because of their 23-year age gap.
As of this writing, the actor, born in June 1946, is 75-year-old, whereas his longtime spouse, the daughter of a German mother and Iranian father, is 53-year-old.
Brian Cox and his wife Nicole Ansari clicked at PS21: Performance Spaces for the 21st Century. (Photo: Instagram)
The age difference, however, does not seem to be an issue for the couple. That is because Ansari is reportedly an old soul, wise and usually at ease, while Cox is always filled with energy.
Moreover, the award-winning actor addressed the topic in his mentioned memoir as well. He initially revealed that he married a young woman because he was "better prepared" for fatherhood in his 50s.
"With our two sons, I've tried to make up for all the things that happened before. These days, my career doesn't always come first. Maybe I was better prepared for it the second time around," he stated.
Cox then implied that the age never bothered the couple, as he believed "Love is love" and Ansari was (and still remains) the love of his life.
Cox and Ansari have reportedly been together since they first met in Hamburg in 1990. At the time, the actor was playing the lead in King Lear.
The two eventually became a couple in 1998, and a year later, she even moved to London to be with him. The rest, as they say, is history.