Brian Cox found it 'very easy' directing himself in Glenrothan

Brian Cox found it "very easy" pulling double duty as actor and director in his new drama Glenrothan.

In his feature directorial debut, about two estranged brothers reuniting in Scotland, the Succession actor stars alongside fellow Scottish performers Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson.

When asked how he found switching between acting and directing during scenes he appears in, the 79-year-old insisted it was "very easy" because he knew what was required for every scene.

"I mean, for me as an actor to direct is a joy, because he knows what he's doing," he said in an interview with Cover Media. "I mean, most of the actors do know what they're doing, especially if you cast it like the way we cast the film."

Cox added that Cumming "is perfect" in Glenrothan and that none of his cast needed more than three takes before moving on to the next camera setup.

"I hate lots of takes. Lots of takes is the law of diminishing returns, as far as I'm concerned. And actors don't need a lot of takes," he stated. "So we didn't, we never did more than three takes at a time, because they're so good, you know, when you've got Shirley Henderson and Alan Cumming doing a scene together."

The Ring star admitted that he was "very nervous" about directing his first feature and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

"It works incredibly well, you know, I was really surprised when I saw it all put together. I thought, 'Oh, God, you know, it's not bad,'" he shared. "I was very nervous about it, you know, because I didn't know if I was a director, but I think I'm much more of a director than many directors I've worked with."

Cox added that he felt lucky and privileged to direct the film and work with "such an incredible crew", and revealed that he would like to direct again in the future.

Glenrothan is in cinemas from Friday 17 April.