'The money wasn't all that great': Brian Cox discusses turning down roles in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean... before SLAMMING 'overrated' Johnny Depp
He is a celebrated actor with over 230 film and TV roles to his credit in an illustrious career that spans over 50 years.
And in an excerpt from his new memoir Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, shared to GQ, Brian Cox detailed why he turned down some very famous roles, with the star noting the lack of 'money' was one of the reasons for declining a part.
The 75-year-old actor revealed why he passed on roles in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises in the excerpt... while also bashing 'overrated' Pirates star Johnny Depp.
Turned down: Brian Cox is a celebrated actor with over 230 film and TV roles to his credit in an illustrious career that spans over 50 years, with the actor revealing some famous roles he turned down
Bashing: The actor revealed why he turned down roles in Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises in the excerpt... while also bashing Pirates star Johnny Depp
Cox, whose memoir is set for release on January 18, was offered the role of King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones, who would ultimately be played by Mark Addy.
He had worked with Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff on the 2002 movie The 25th Hour, who offered him the Robert Baratheon role, who ultimately died in the first season after a bear attack.
'I’m often asked if I was offered a role in Game of Thrones - reason being that every other bugger was - and the answer is, yes, I was supposed to be a king called Robert Baratheon, who apparently died when he was gored by a boar in the first season,' Cox said.
No thanks: Cox was offered the role of King Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones, who would ultimately be played by Mark Addy
He added that he knows, 'very little about Game of Thrones' and he turned the role down because the money wasn't that great.
'Well, Game of Thrones went on to be a huge success and everybody involved earned an absolute fortune, of course. But when it was originally offered the money was not all that great, shall we say say,' Cox added.
'Plus I was going to be killed off fairly early on, so I wouldn’t have had any of the benefits of the long-term effects of a successful series where your wages go up with each passing season. So I passed on it, and Mark Addy was gored by the boar instead,' he said, adding, 'I lied. I did google it.'
Money: He added that he knows, 'very little about Game of Thrones' and he turned the role down because the money wasn't that great
He added that the money not being great is 'par for the course' with the Scotland native adding, 'here’s always been a tendency for American productions to treat British actors differently from American actors. In other words, to get them cheap.'
The actor added that he always gets asked about 'Harry f***ing Potter,' revealing he was up for the role of Mad Eye Moody, which ultimately went to Brendan Gleeson.
'I think someone had a burning cross held up for me not to be in Harry Potter, because all my pals were in it. I think the part I might have played was the one that Brendan Gleeson got, Mad-Eye Moody, but Brendan was more in fashion than I was at that point, and that’s very much the way of the world in my business, so he got it. Also, he’s much better than I would have been,' Cox candidly added.
Par: He added that the money not being great is 'par for the course' with the Scotland native adding, 'here’s always been a tendency for American productions to treat British actors differently from American actors. In other words, to get them cheap'
Mad Eye: The actor added that he always gets asked about 'Harry f***ing Potter,' revealing he was up for the role of Mad Eye Moody, which ultimately went to Brendan Gleeson
Mad Eye Moody debuted in the fourth Harry Potter movie, 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and he also appeared in 2007's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
He added that he 'turned my nose up' at the role of the Governor in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which was played by Jonathan Pryce.
'The guy who directed Pirates was Gore Verbinski, with whom I made The Ring, and he’s a lovely chap but I think I blotted my copybook by turning down the Governor,' Cox said.
Role: Mad Eye Moody debuted in the fourth Harry Potter movie, 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and he also appeared in 2007's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Governor: He added that he 'turned my nose up' at the role of the Governor in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, which was played by Jonathan Pryce
He added the role would have been, 'a money-spinner' but he added that particular role was, 'the most thankless.'
'Plus I would have ended up doing it for film after film and missed out on all the other nice things I’ve done,' he added, before bashing the franchise star, Johnny Depp.
'Another thing with Pirates of the Caribbean is that it’s very much the "Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow" show, and Depp, personable though I’m sure he is, is so overblown, so overrated,' Cox said.
Money-spinner: He added the role would have been, 'a money-spinner' but he added that particular role was, 'the most thankless.'
Missed out: 'Plus I would have ended up doing it for film after film and missed out on all the other nice things I’ve done,' he added, before bashing the franchise star, Johnny Depp
'I mean, Edward Scissorhands. Let’s face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you don’t have to do anything. And he didn’t. And subsequently, he’s done even less,' Cox added.
'But people love him. Or they did love him. They don’t love him so much these days, of course. If Johnny Depp went for Jack Sparrow now, they’d give it to Brendan Gleeson,' he added.
'So no—no regrets about Pirates, I don’t think,' he concluded.
Nothing: 'I mean, Edward Scissorhands. Let’s face it, if you come on with hands like that and pale, scarred-face make-up, you don’t have to do anything. And he didn’t. And subsequently, he’s done even less,' Cox added
No regrets: 'So no—no regrets about Pirates, I don’t think,' he concluded
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