EXCLUSIVE: 'Succession' Star Strafes Tinseltown Stars – How Cranky Brian Cox Has Laid Waste to Some of Hollywood's Biggest Names
Brian Cox has slammed Hollywood stars as 'Succession' star criticizes industry figures.
April 21 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Succession's Brian Cox has taken aim at Hollywood's most recognizable names, blasting A-listers such as Johnny Depp, Quentin Tarantino and Ian McKellen.
The snippy Scotsman, 79, calls Depp "so overblown" and "so overrated" and claims he was relieved to turn down the role of governor in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which went to Jonathan Pryce and RadarOnline.com can reveal that would have had him acting alongside Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow.
Cox Slams Co-Stars in Rant
Brian Cox criticized Johnny Depp as 'overblown' and 'overrated' while reflecting on turning down a role in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise.
During Cox's career, which has earned him two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe, he appeared in Marvel's blockbuster X2. But he says fellow X-Men castmate McKellen's acting is "not to my taste."
Cox didn't stop there – and called his 25th Hour co-star Edward Norton "a pain in the arse."
He also seemingly mocked Aussie Margot Robbie and her new flick Wuthering Heights, in which she plays heroine Catherine Earnshaw to Jacob Elordi's Heathcliff.
Cox, who admitted that he hadn't seen the Emerald Fennell-directed movie, reportedly used an Australian accent to utter: "Keith Cliff! It's me, Cathy!"
He complained: "Robbie is far too beautiful for that role. I mean, I think there should be something more of the Gypsy about her. But it's wrong of me to judge. It may be a brilliant film."
Cox went on to label filmmaker Quentin "meretricious" and accused sex creep Kevin Spacey a "stupid man."
Cox Refuses to Filter Himself
Quentin Tarantino was labeled 'meretricious' by Cox as the actor continued his blunt critique of Hollywood figures.
He admitted he's too old to care what people think of him and has no interest in shutting his yap, even though his spouse, Nicole Ansari-Cox, has tried to get him to tap the brakes.
He argued, "My wife keeps saying, 'Brian, be careful. Brian, be careful.' I think, 'F--k it, I don't want to be careful anymore! I'll be 80 this year. F**k it! I'm gonna say what I want to say.'"
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Jeremy Strong's acting method was called 'annoying' by Cox despite acknowledging his 'Succession' co-star as a good actor.
However, Brian said he hasn't taken up an offer from Daniel Day-Lewis to have a discussion about method acting after he previously bashed Succession costar Jeremy Strong's approach as "f--king annoying."
He said: "He's a good actor, Jeremy... It's just all the bollocks that goes with it. You watch children – they don't say, 'What's my motivation?' They just do it."
