'Succession' actor Brian Cox, 79, says living apart from his wife keeps their relationship strong

• Brian Cox, 79, says his marriage has lasted over two decades because he and his wife have their own space.
• "By keeping things separate, we are responsible for our own mess," the "Succession" actor said.
• The couple maintains separate homes in London and separate bedrooms in New York.

"Succession" star Brian Cox, 79, says traditional living arrangements don't work for his marriage.

In an interview with The Times published on Friday, the actor said having separate spaces has helped his marriage last over two decades.

Cox has been married to Nicole Ansari-Cox, who is 22 years his junior, since 2002, and the couple has two sons together. It is Cox's third marriage, and he has two kids from a previous relationship.

In the US, the couple maintains separate bedrooms across their homes in Brooklyn and upstate New York, Cox said. In the UK, they live in different homes within walking distance of each other in north London.

"By keeping things separate, we are responsible for our own mess," Cox said. "It's as simple as that. Her space is very important for her and my space is very important for me. I think if we're thrown together we feel locked together and that's not a good creative relationship… You should be free."

This isn't the first time Cox has spoken about his living arrangements with his wife.

In July 2025, he told The Times that living separately in London is a natural extension of having separate bedrooms in their US homes.

"But when I go to her flat I always feel I'm imposing. She said, 'Come, you've got to come over. Why don't you come?' I said, 'Well, it's a long walk …' Then I go and I'm fine. But I'm always a bit nervous when I go there," Cox said.

Cox is among a number of celebrities who have embraced having separate spaces with their partners.

In 2022, "Today" host Carson Daly says getting a "sleep-divorce" has been the best thing to happen to his marriage.

In February, Barbara Corcoran said that getting a second bedroom prompted her to love her husband "twice as much."

In March, Sarah Michelle Gellar said that having "one bedroom, two bathrooms" has been key to keeping her marriage to Freddie Prinze Jr. strong.