In true Brian Cox fashion, the Scottish actor unleashed a no-holds-barred takedown of several peers and the dangers of the patriarchy in a new interview.
The 79-year-old Succession star is not one to mince his words— and he certainly did not hold back when speaking to The Times of London to promote his directorial debut, Glenrothan.
Reflecting on his prolific acting career, Cox revealed he turned down the role of the governor in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (a part ultimately played by Jonathan Pryce). He expressed relief in his decision, saying that he was happy he avoided working with Johnny Depp, whom he argued is “so overblown, so overrated.”
He then offered a brief but critical assessment of several former collaborators, including 25th Hour co-star Edward Norton, whom he labeled “a pain in the arse”; Iron Will co-star Kevin Spacey, whom he called “a stupid, stupid man”; and King Lear co-star Ian McKellen, whose acting he described as “not to my taste.”
Cox also weighed in on Quentin Tarantino, whom he’s never worked with, labeling the Oscar-winning director “meretricious.”
The Independent has contacted the representatives for Depp, Norton, Spacey, McKellen and Tarantino for comment.
Asked whether his bluntness has ever cost him friendships or caused problems, Cox laughed: “Well, I don’t know yet if it’s caused me problems. I mean, my wife keeps saying, ‘Brian, be careful. Brian, be careful.’ 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.’”
Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, the actor criticized the “invasive and insidious” patriarchy, arguing that more women should be in political power.
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“I think it’s an economic thing. In America they don’t like women. They won’t let a woman be president, not in the foreseeable future,” he said, citing Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential loss to Donald Trump.
“The patriarchy is so invasive and so insidious, it’s hard to throw it off. I think the patriarchy is a f***ing mess, and it’s the patriarchy that got us into the position that we’re in at the moment, and we don’t learn the lessons,” Cox added. “I say, give it over to the women.”
The Emmy-winning actor is preparing to release his first directed movie, Glenrothan, a comedy-drama, in which he also stars, alongside Alan Cumming.
Described by Cox as a “love letter to Scotland,” the film centers on Donal (Cumming), who after 35 years in the U.S., returns to his family owned whiskey-distillery in the Scottish Highlands to make amends with his brother, Sandy (Cox).
Glenrothan is out in theaters in the UK and Ireland on April 17.
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