Celebs Who Brian Cox Absolutely Can't Stand

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Brian Cox is known to be one of the most outspoken actors out there, and he doesn't hold back his opinions of fellow celebrities. While he is celebrated for his work in theater, Cox gained even more notoriety for playing the cantankerous Logan Roy in "Succession." Much like his character, he's not afraid of speaking his mind and admitted to The Guardian, "I feel I've upset a few people over the years. The problem is, I can be quite a loudmouth. Sometimes I have been fairly volatile, and I think, 'Why the f*** did you say that?'" It seems he can't help himself, however, as he criticized his "Succession" co-star Jeremy Strong's method acting in the same interview: "He would be an even better actor if he just got rid of that so there would be much more inclusiveness in what he did."

Along with acting, politics is also a passion of Cox's, and although he hails from Scotland, he spends quite a bit of time in the U.S. Over the years, he's had some choice words to say about a certain bronzed president, which proves that Donald Trump isn't even exempt from the "Little Wing" actor's wrath. Whether they're a politician, actor, or filmmaker, when Cox dislikes someone, he's not afraid to say it loud and clear.

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Many thespians have played the famous Napoleon Bonaparte and have done it well, but according to Brian Cox, Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of the historical French military leader was beyond horrible. As reported by The Standard, the "Churchill" star lambasted Phoenix at HistFest by ranting, "Terrible. It's terrible. A truly terrible performance by Joaquin Phoenix. It really is appalling. I don't know what he was thinking. I think it's totally his fault and I don't think Ridley Scott helps him." Cox went on to say that he would have done a way better job than the "Joker" actor and added, "I think he's well named. Joaquin ... whackeen ... whacky. It's a sort of whacky performance."

Fans didn't expect any less from Cox, and one shared on Reddit, "Hmm. I don't think Joaquin was the main issue with that movie, but I also sort of respect that Brian has always been a dedicated and certified hater. It's kinda wild to just come out and publicly say this lmao. Guy genuinely doesn't give a f***." Another wrote, "As a full time hater who clocks in a double most days, I respect this and wish we had more of it. At least because dude is an established enough actor that it won't seriously impact him. And also I just love when folks are authentic about feelings."

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Brian Cox has worked alongside many Hollywood heavy hitters, including Steven Seagal in the 1996 film "The Glimmer Man." Apparently, he's been holding onto some resentment, and in his memoir "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," Cox called his co-star "ludicrous" (via USA Today). He wrote of Seagal, "He radiates a studied serenity, as though he's on a higher plane to the rest of us. And while he's certainly on a different plane, no doubt about that, it's probably not a higher one."

Cox doubled down on his opinion of the action star in a December 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter and recalled being relieved when Seagal didn't want to do offlines with him. He stated, "There's a great dichotomy in Steven. He's a Buddhist, but he's a Buddhist with an ulcer. My sister used to go to these tae kwon do classes before he was acting, and she said he was very nice. But this business can make you a little wacky sometimes." It's safe to say that Cox never filmed another movie with Seagal again.

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Steven Seagal wasn't the only actor Brian Cox lashed out at in his memoir, "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat." The "Skelly" star revealed that he had passed on playing the Governor in "Pirates of the Caribbean" and complained that the movie is all about Johnny Depp's character. Jack Sparrow, seemingly suggesting that the younger actor hogs the spotlight in it. Cox also absolutely fumed over Depp starring in "Edward Scissorhands" and wrote, "Personable though I'm sure he is, [Depp] is so overblown, so overrated. 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 later expressed regret for coming down on Depp so hard while on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in March 2022. He told the host, "I was being a bit harsh ... you know what it's like; you go for the easy joke, and I went for the easy joke." Cox added, "I'm not like that normally but I was just being a bit glib." We think there are several celebrities who would disagree with that statement.

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Brian Cox has always been outspoken about his political beliefs, and if there's one politician he can't stand, it's Donald Trump. Ahead of the 2024 election, Cox appeared on Channel 4 and declared (via Independent), "We have to make sure that he doesn't get in because he is a monster, he really is. He's crazy, he's insane, he wants to be a dictator." He added, "I think he's lost it, quite frankly. I think he's deeply mentally unstable and I think he has been for some time. This is not a man who should be the president of the United States, absolutely not. He's unreliable, he's a convicted felon, I'm horrified."

After Trump won the election, Cox told The Guardian that the ones who voted for him were "stupid" and the following four years were going to be bumpy. While he has no intention of moving away permanently because his sons live in the U.S., he stated, "I'll try to spend as much time here (in the U.K.) as I can."

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Quentin Tarantino films are not everyone's cup of tea, including the forthright actor, Brian Cox. In "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," he wrote of the director, "I find his work meretricious. It's all surface. Plot mechanics in place of depth. Style where there should be substance" (via Far Out). Cox revealed that he couldn't even bring himself to finish watching "Pulp Fiction" but added that he would still work with Tarantino if the opportunity arose.

Cox's no-holds-barred criticism of Tarantino created a buzz and he was asked about why he disliked the "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" creator while on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM radio show. He replied that he had nothing personal against Tarantino and called his filmmaking style "iconoclastic." He added, "I don't dismiss him totally. It's just not me. You know, it's just not my thing ... but I can see the gift in [his films]." Cox shared that he had created an addendum for his memoir to explain why he puts people on blast and stated, "I'm a bit naughty, you know, at times because I'm just throwing the flag up just to get people going." Cox may be shady but at least he admits to it.