Brian Cox recently unleashed a candid tirade, aiming scathing remarks at some of Hollywood’s most prominent figures, whom he labeled as ‘stupid,’ ‘overrated,’ and ‘complete a***holes.’

The actor, best known for his portrayal of the ruthless media baron Logan Roy on the hit series Succession, asserted that as he approaches his 80th birthday, he’s decided to speak his mind without restraint.

Reflecting on his extensive career in the film industry, Cox shared his unfiltered opinions about several celebrities who are household names in showbiz.

Cox reportedly passed on the opportunity to play the governor in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Rather than feeling regret about the decision, he expressed relief.

He had no desire to work with Johnny Depp, whom he described as ‘overblown’ and ‘overrated,’ a sentiment he voiced without hesitation.

Turning to other high-profile actors, Cox remarked that he found Edward Norton to be ‘a pain in the a**e,’ called Kevin Spacey ‘a stupid, stupid man,’ and mentioned that Ian McKellen’s acting style did not appeal to him.

Brian Cox did not hold back in a recent rant as he called out some of Hollywood’s biggest names, branding them ‘stupid’, ‘overblown’ and ‘complete a***holes’ 

Brian said he didn’t want to work alongside Johnny Depp (left) because he thinks the actor is ‘so overblown’ and ‘so overrated’, while he claimed Edward Norton was ‘a pain in the a**e’

And his rant on Hollywood didn’t end there as he said Quentin Tarantino was ‘meretricious’, Michael Caton-Jones was ‘a complete a***hole’ and that David Hare was a ‘see you next Tuesday’.

And while some actors are applauded for their dedication to method acting, Brian said in his interview with The Times that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong’s approach was ‘f***ing annoying’.

Brian went on to explain that his wife has concerns about his no-nonsense approach to life and his willingness to express his true thoughts.

Yet he reasoned: ‘I think, ‘F*** it, I don’t want to be careful any more! I’ll be 80 this year. F*** it! I’m gonna say what I want to say.’

Brian has been married to Nicole Ansari-Cox since 2002, and the pair share two sons, Orson Jonathan, 24, and Torin, 21.

He may regret not taking his wife’s advice, however, as he has previously rubbed stars up the wrong way with his remarks. 

Last year, Daniel Day-Lewis hit back at Brian after the the Scottish actor dismissed method acting as ‘American s**t.’

Daniel is famed for the process, an intense rehearsal technique through which the actor attempts to channel a given character’s inner motivations and emotions through lived experience.

And Brian referenced this during a chat with Variety, in which he was bemoaning Jeremy’s method acting on the set of Succession.  

‘It’s really a cultural clash,’ he said. ‘I don’t put up with all that American s**t. I’m sorry. All that sort of “I think, therefore I feel.” Just do the job. Don’t identify.

‘Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan.’ 

Responding to Brian’s dismissive comments, Daniel then told The Big Issue: ‘Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently.

‘Brian is a very fine actor who’s done extraordinary work. As a result he’s been given a soapbox… which he shows no sign of climbing down from.

‘Any time he wants to talk about it, I’m easy to find.’ 

Brian also said his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong’s method acting was ‘f***ing annoying’, despite sparking ire from Daniel Day-Lewis last year when he made similar remarks

The trio all worked together in the 1997 film The Boxer, with Brian and Daniel taking on leading roles, while a a then-unknown Jeremy served as Daniel’s assistant. 

Daniel continued:  ‘If I thought during our work together I’d interfered with his working process, I’d be appalled. 

‘But I don’t think it was like that. So I don’t know where the f**k that came from. Jeremy Strong is a very fine actor, I don’t know how he goes about things, but I don’t feel responsible in any way for that.’ 

While Brian is best known these days for his role in Succession, he has an illustrious career. 

Brian was the first actor to play Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter. 

He has starred in numerous films, including Rob Roy, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Super Troopers, The Ring, Adaptation, X2, Red Eye, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

He won a Golden Globe (2020) and a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in Succession, and was appointed a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2003.

A respected Shakespearean actor, Brian has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, starring as King Lear.

He has also won two Olivier Awards for his performances in Rat in the Skull and Titus Andronicus.