‘Succession’ Star Brian Cox Doubles Down on “Overrated” and “Ludicrous” Johnny Depp and Steven Seagal: “I feel I’ve upset a few people over the years”

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

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

The “Succession” star also mentioned feeling a bit glad he passed on the opportunity, saying the franchise is mostly “the ‘Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow’ show,” and described Depp as “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 later, Cox admitted he’s upset a few people over the years 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.”

Cox is well-known for his dislike of method acting, calling it pointless, self-centered, and disruptive to the on-set environment. He once described the technique used by his “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong, who plays one of his children, as “fucking annoying.” However, Cox seems more measured now, saying, “He was wonderful to act with.

I had no argument with Jeremy’s acting.” But 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.”

Cox is referring to Lee Strasberg, considered the father of method acting in America. Last year, Cox suggested that if Strong had been more relaxed with his approach, it might have benefited the “Succession” cast: “Go back to your trailer and have a hit of marijuana, you know?” Does Cox use marijuana? “Oh yes,” he admitted. What does it do for him? “It relaxes me.” He said it wasn’t until middle age that he discovered the benefits of a spliff.

A former girlfriend’s uncle introduced him to it, and Cox recalls the moment with a Cockney accent. “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. 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.’”

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