NEWS'Succession' Star Brian Cox Tears Into 'Overrated' Johnny Depp and 'Stupid' Kevin Spacey in Blistering Rant
Brian Cox didn't hold back in a new interview with 'The Times.'
April 3 2026, Updated 12:06 p.m. ET
Brian Cox did not censor himself in a new interview as he bashed some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
The Scottish actor, famous for portraying ruthless media mogul Logan Roy in HBO's Succession, ripped into Johnny Depp and other high-profile actors during a chat with The Times.
In the profile published on Friday, April 3, Cox, 79, revealed he didn't want to work with Depp, 62, calling him "so overblown" and "so overrated."
The Scottish actor is not a fan of Johnny Depp.
Cox reportedly turned down the role of the governor in the Depp-led Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. (The role of Governor Swann went to Jonathan Pryce.)
The Braveheart actor previously wrote about passing on the job in his 2021 memoir, Putting the Rabbit in Hat, explaining he believed it "would have been a money-spinner" and "thankless," as the blockbuster series is "very much the 'Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow' show."
'Pain in the A---'
Brian Cox is unimpressed with some of Hollywood's biggest names.
The Manhunter actor also dubbed his 25th Hour costar Edward Norton a "pain in the a---," and Kevin Spacey, whom he worked with on the film Iron Will, a "stupid, stupid man."
Meanwhile, he said Ian McKellen's acting is "not to his taste."
As for Quentin Tarantino, Cox labeled the Oscar-winning director "meretricious."
'F------ Annoying'
- Brian Cox Reveals He Turned Down 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Role, Says Johnny Depp Is 'So Overblown, So Overrated' In Memoir
- George Clooney Blasts Johnny Depp & Mark Wahlberg For Rejecting Roles In 'Ocean's Eleven': 'They Regret It Now'
- Josh Hartnett Reveals That Keeping 'Hollywood At Bay' Helped His Mental Health After Taking A Step Back From Making Movies
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Brian Cox found costar Jeremy Strong's approach to acting irritating.
The actor also branded his Succession costar Jeremy Strong's method acting "f------ annoying."
The show won 19 Emmy Awards over its four-season run, including six awards for its final season. Strong picked up the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.
Cox earned a Golden Globe in 2020 for his role.
'I'm Gonna Say What I Want to Say'
Brian Cox has two sons with wife Nicole Ansari-Cox.
The Troy actor told The Times that his wife has raised concerns about his bluntness, but he refuses to hold back.
"I think, f--- it, I don't want to be careful any more! I'll be 80 this year. F--- it! I'm gonna say what I want to say," he reasoned.
Cox married German actress Nicole Ansari-Cox in 2002, and the couple share two sons: Orson, 24, and Torin, 21.
Brian Cox has four children.
He was previously married to actress Caroline Burt from 1968 to 1986. They also had two children, Margaret and Alan.
Cox is a respected Shakespearean actor and was appointed a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2003.
The veteran thespian is also known for his roles in films like The Long Kiss Goodnight, Super Troopers, The Ring, The Bourne Identity, X-Men 2, Red Eye, Adaptation and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
