Brian Cox has sparked fresh backlash online after taking a brutal dig at several Hollywood actors in a blunt new interview.
On April 3, the Succession star criticized casting choices, revisited his long-running issues with Method acting, and brought up A-list names like Margot Robbie and Daniel Day-Lewis in an interview with the UK’s The Times.
Highlights
- Brian Cox took a brutal swipe at Margot Robbie being cast in the 2026 Wuthering Heights adaptation.
- The Succession star doubled down on his criticism of immersive acting styles.
- Cox declared he no longer wants to "be careful" with his words, dismissing A-list stars like Johnny Depp.
While Cox framed his comments as honest, netizens slammed him for repeatedly targeting other actors.
Brian Cox took a brutal dig at Margot Robbie’s casting as Catherine in Wuthering Heights
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In his interview, Cox took issue with Robbie being cast as Cathy in a 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, a story he shared he deeply respects.
Mocking the role, he performed a line in an exaggerated accent, mimicking Robbie’s character, “‘Keith Cliff! It’s me, Cathy! … How ya doing, Keith? Awright?'"
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He then explained his criticism more directly, adding, “Margot Robbie is far too beautiful for that role. I mean, I think there should be something more of the Gypsy about her,” he said, suggesting the character requires a different kind of presence.
At the same time, he acknowledged he could be wrong, stating, “It’s wrong of me to judge. It may be a brilliant film.”
Besides Robbie, Cox also went on to address his long-running feud with Daniel Day-Lewis on Method Acting
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Elsewhere in the interview, Cox also revisited his ongoing criticism of Method acting, which has previously led to tension with his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong and indirectly involved Daniel Day-Lewis.
The discussion dates back to a 2023 interview with Town & Country, when Cox described Strong’s fully immersive acting style as “f—king annoying,” arguing that actors should not need to stay in character off-camera.
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“He’s a very good actor. And the rest of the ensemble is all okay with this. But knowing a character and what the character does is only part of the skill set,” he added.
Strong, who has cited Day-Lewis as an inspiration, later responded by noting that Cox had “earned the right” to speak his mind.
“Everyone’s entitled to have their feelings. I also think Brian Cox, for example, he’s earned the right to say whatever the f—k he wants,” Strong said in an interview with GQ in 2023.
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In the latest interview, Cox clarified he does not have an issue with Day-Lewis personally. “Dan Day-Lewis… he’s discreet. He never upsets [the filming process],” he said.
However, he stood by his broader criticism of Method acting.
“He’s a wonderful actor [Jeremy]… " It’s just all the b*llocks that goes with it,” Cox said, referring to the process rather than the performance.
He explained his view in simple terms. “You watch children — they don’t say, ‘What’s my motivation?’ They just do it!”
This isn’t the first time Cox has publicly criticised fellow actors and filmmakers
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As noted in The Times, Cox has previously called Johnny Depp “so overblown, so overrated”, and revealed he turned down a role in Pirates of the Caribbean partly because he didn’t want to work with him. The role eventually went to Jonathan Pryce.
Cox also described Edward Norton as a “pain in the a*se”, pointing to his reputation for being difficult on set. He called Kevin Spacey a “stupid, stupid man,” referring to controversies surrounding the actor.
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His criticism extends to directors as well. He once labelled Quentin Tarantino “meretricious,” arguing that his films reflect the director more than the actors.
"With a Quentin Tarantino film, what you see is all Quentin Tarantino. That's not me. I don't want to do that."
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Even Gary Oldman’s Oscar-winning role as Winston Churchill didn’t escape his wrath, as Cox called it “cobblers” and a “crowd-pleasing farrago,” despite playing the same historical figure himself in 2017’s Churchill.
Alongside scathing comments on industry stars, Cox also clarified he has no plans to change how he speaks publicly
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When asked by The Times if his candor has cost him friends, he shared, “My wife keeps saying, ‘Brian, be careful.’ I don’t want to be careful anymore… I’ll be 80 this year. I’m gonna say what I want to say.”
However, that attitude is exactly what many online users pushed back against.
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“Funny. I've heard of all of them, but no idea who Brian Cox is,” one person wrote.
“I find it really amusing that he is singling out actors who have far more prolific careers than he does… he’s just being jealous,” another commented.
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Others were more blunt. “He really needs to get over himself,” one user wrote, while another added, “Dude’s career d*ed with his character on Succession.”
At the same time, some defended him, saying his honesty is rare in the industry.
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“This is hilarious, and I love how Brian Cox always speaks his mind… he’s such an inspiration,” one comment read.
"He really needs to get over himself," wrote one user
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