Putting the Rabbit in the Hat Post#2

 Putting the Rabbit in the Hat 

 

 

 

Summary

 

Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, gives you an inside look, into the life and thoughts and emotions of Brian Cox. Brian was born on June 1, 1946, and grew up in Dundee, Scotland. He had a tough childhood; he lost his father early in his life and his mother struggled with her mental health. His older brother Charlie left for the military soon after, leaving Brain and his sisters. Death became all too familiar for Brian, many of his closest friends he lost to drug overdose, alcoholism, or suicide. In his first marriage his wife experienced a miscarriage, all this happened as he was trying to establish himself as an actor. His love for cinema was nourished by his mother, who would take him to the movies and put him in acting classes. His first true love was the theater, acting on stage. He loved the character development that would happen on stage and the community. Not everything was roses and daisies, he had some productions that were a nightmare process such as Julius Caesar. The director was John Schlesinger a well renowned movie director, that according to Brain struggled with directing the play. He had to endure some harsh weather and working conditions in Russia for one film production. He moved to the states in hopes of making it in American Cinema, which he ultimately did accomplish. As he gained recognition, he started to get casted in films such as Troy, The Bourne Supremacy, and is currently on the popular series Succession. He has met and worked alongside actors such as Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman and talks about how they are in real life. I always thought that Brad Pitt had improved as actor throughout the years. Brain confirmed my assessment by noting that when he worked alongside him, he witnessed Brad’s desire to improve on his craft and to not rely so much on his looks. He has tried to become a better family man in recent years and he makes that his priority over his work.

 

 

Key takeaway

 

Throughout his life he encountered many artists, politicians, even some princesses. You would think that these individuals had the greatest impact in his life, but the greatest lessons he learned came from places he least expected. One example is a young Indian dresser that told Brian to be more physical in a production of Macbeth. Now as simple as the instruction was, simplicity is often what is needed. Getting back to the basics and the roots of things. Brian believes that children are some of the best actors, because they go off instinct, and not all these theories and methods of acting.

 

  

Final Thoughts

 

I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but this book has surpassed my expectations I might have had. Brian has just lived such a rich life, and there is so much a reader can take away from his book. If you’re an aspiring actor, I would highly recommend this book. I wrote a blog earlier about the differences of acting on stage vs. on camera, and Brain talks a lot about the contrast and how they may overlap. Brian is a straight shooter and tells you how it is. There are actors that he likes and some that he doesn’t, but he provides his reasons. I love how honest Brian is and he’s very descriptive with his stories. Brian does a great job of keeping the reader engaged and gives you an inside look into the world of entertainment. I am happy to say I have enjoyed every moment reading his book and have gained a whole new appreciation for Brain and those involved in the industry.