Dark humor or chilling truth?
Known for his bastard charisma in the HBO series
Succession,
where he plays the toxic patriarch Logan Roy, it is in his memoir
Putting the Rabbit in the Hat,
published on January 18, that the 75-year-old actor is talked about. .
This time again, he doesn't have his tongue in his pocket.
He looks back on his entire career, on his colleagues and Hollywood stars as well as on the opportunities he could not seize or on the contrary declined, scratching Tarantino, Depp, Norton and Caine in the process.
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The day I will stop"
Appreciated since 1971 on the small and big screen, Brian Cox has appeared in more than 80 films and series and has won several awards, notably in 2019 when he received the Golden Globe for Best Actor for the series
Succession
.
In his memoirs, he reveals having declined two huge worldwide successes,
Game of Thrones
and
Pirate of the Caribbean,
and comes to give his opinion on Jack Sparrow: “
It is about a Johnny Depp show in the role of Jack Sparrow;
although I'm sure he's likable, Depp is so overrated and pompous
,” he told
GQ
magazine .
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To support his criticisms, Brian Cox also deciphers Johnny Depp's game in
Edward Scissorhands
.
“
Let's be honest, if you arrive on the set with your hands like that and your face pale and covered with scars, you have nothing more to do, he
judges
.
And then he did even less.
But people love it.
Or at least they loved it.
They don't like him much these days…
” Brian Cox was originally to play the role of Governor Weatherby Swann, ultimately played by Jonathan Pryce, under the direction of Gore Verbinski, with whom the Briton already toured in 2002 in the long film
The Ring,
released in 2002.
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These comments caused such a reaction in the United States that Brain Cox justified himself to Deadline.
“
I have been criticized a lot for not having respected certain actors.
Obviously people haven't read the book and they think I'm going after Johnny Depp for free.
This is not the case,
he assures us.
I don't disrespect him.
I think he did amazing things, but, you know, I have some reservations.
I told myself that it was necessary to be honest with the readers.
It's my opinion.
»
Steven Segal is as ridiculous in real life as he is on screen.
He exudes a facade of serenity, as if he was moving on a higher plane than everyone else.
If he is on a different plane from ours, I have no doubt about that, it is certainly not on a higher plane.
He suffers from the Donald Trump syndrome, which consists of believing himself to be much more capable and talented than he actually is.
Brian Cox
Opinions, Brian Cox has some very clear ones on a lot of people in Hollywood.
Director Quentin Tarantino, for example, whose work he considers “
flashy
”.
“
It's only surface.
Only intrigue, and no depth.
He puts the package on style and he forgets to bring substance.
I went right into
Pulp Fiction
.
But if he calls me
[for a role]
, I do
it, ”conceded the Briton.
Read alsoQuentin Tarantino's last film: "I gave everything I had"
Steven Seagal, with whom Brian Cox shared the poster for
The White Shadow
in 1996, also takes it for his rank.
“He
's as ridiculous in real life as he is on screen. He exudes a facade of serenity, as if he was moving on a higher plane than everyone else. If he evolves on a different level from ours, I have no doubt about it, it is certainly not on a higher level
, he quips.
He suffers from the Donald Trump syndrome, which consists of believing himself to be much more capable and talented than he really is, seemingly oblivious to the fact that an army of people is helping to maintain this illusion.
Michael Caine is not my favorite actor, but he is Michael Caine.
It is an institution.
And being an institution will always be more important than having talent
Brian Cox
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Michael Caine is also boxed by the British actor.
“
He's not my favorite actor, but he's Michael Caine.
It is an institution.
And being an institution will always be more important than having talent,
” says Brian Cox in his book.
Finally, about Edward Norton, with whom he played on the set of
The 25th Hour
of Spike Lee, he judges that he is "
a nice boy who can be boring because he likes to think himself- same writer-director
.
An example ?
"
He and I had a scene in my character's bar.
Spike had thought it all out and prepared it meticulously.
But Ed showed up and started saying,
“I've been working on the script and I have a few ideas I'd like to submit to you.
I rewrote some things”.
Spike Lee declined the offer, much to Brian Cox's relief.
So what ?
No one would find favor in the eyes of Brian Cox?
It would be exaggerated;
in his memoirs, he takes his hat off to Keanu Reeves, "
who has become really good over the years
".
But also to Morgan Freeman, who would be "
a gentleman
", known for his flawless honesty with his partners.
