‘Succession’s’ Brian Cox Slams Johnny Depp and Steven Seagal as ‘Overrated’ and ‘Ludicrous'”: “I feel I’ve upset a few people over the years”

Brian Cox, in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live two and a half years ago, admitted he partly regrets calling Johnny Depp “overrated” and “overblown” in his memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat.

In the book, Cox explained that he turned down a role in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies because it was “the most thankless [role].”

The Succession actor also said he felt a little relieved about skipping the role, describing the franchise as mostly “the Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow show” and calling Depp “so overblown, so overrated.”

“I just felt like I was being too harsh,” Cox told Kimmel about his comments on Depp in the memoir. “You know how it is, you go for the easy joke. That’s what I did, and I kind of regretted it. I’m not usually like that; I was just being a bit casual and flippant.”

When Kimmel asked if actors often think they’re overrated, Cox replied, “I think they do. A lot of actors probably feel they’re overrated, and some feel they’re underrated,” he said. “To put it simply, most of them think they’re not rated at all.”

Fast forward two and a half years, Cox acknowledged that he’s upset some people over time but added, referring to Depp and Seagal:“But then they probably think they’re overrated as well. So I’m not saying anything they don’t think anyway.”

Brian Cox has been vocal about his dislike of method acting, calling it “pointless,” “self-centered,” and disruptive to the on-set environment. He famously referred to the technique used by his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong, who plays one of his children, as “fucking annoying.”

However, Cox seems more measured about it now, saying, “He was wonderful to act with. I had no argument with Jeremy’s acting.” Still, he added, “He would be an even better actor if he dropped that approach, allowing for more inclusiveness in his work.”

Isn’t it frustrating when you can’t have real conversations with a cast member because they’re always in character? “Well, it’s not good for the ensemble. It creates hostility. That’s the problem,” Cox said. Did he ever talk to Strong about it? “No, not in the way I would have liked to, but it’s a very sensitive topic for people who follow the Strasberg method.”

Brian Cox was referencing Lee Strasberg, often considered the father of method acting in America. Last year, Cox suggested that Jeremy Strong’s intense approach on Succession might have been easier on the cast if he had been more relaxed: “Go back to your trailer and have a hit of marijuana, you know?”

Does Cox use marijuana himself? “Oh yes,” he admitted. What does it do for him? “It relaxes me.” Cox shared that he didn’t discover the benefits of marijuana until middle age, thanks to an introduction from a former girlfriend’s uncle.

Recalling the moment with a Cockney accent, Cox said, “He was staying with me, and I’d come home and say I was struggling to unwind, and he said, ‘Have you ever tried the weed?’”

“I was against it when I was younger because I thought drugs would mess up my career,” Cox explained. “But he said, ‘Why don’t you try some weed?’ So I did, and I thought, ‘Oh GOD! This is the perfect way to end the day.’”

What do you think of Brian Cox’s recent remarks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!